Sometimes it is just good to stop and take a look around you. For those of you whole know me well, this may seem like an oxymoron but as cliché as it may sound, wisdom comes with age and experience. Slowly I am learning that stillness is not such a bad thing after and albeit it is sometimes forced upon me I am learning to appreciate it.
After a life filled with schedules, goals and dedicated time management, I just figured that that was the norm. I craved movement and business and rarely did I stop to just be still. Now don’t get me wrong, I still have a near compulsive need to be busy and active, the difference now is that I am slowly learning that that is not always that healthy; how do you give your mind, body and soul time to rejuvenate, repair and restore if you never stop.
Surviving my first full year at university this year was a feat in itself and one that humbled me, inspired me and reminded me about the importance of education. While being at school is a step in the right direction toward entering the real world, I do understand and appreciate that it is a stepping stone; one that gives you the time to truly figure out what you want to do with your life. The biggest obstacle post athletic life I believe is finding something that you are equally passionate about. Sport is such a unique and rewarding experience, that it is hard to top it. Although my time at university is just beginning essentially, I am slowly figuring out what inspires me and what motivates me. Things that I thought were important straight out of sport no longer cross my mind and things that I wanted to walk away from are stubbornly constant in my life. One thing that I am sure of is the need to give back and pay it forward. There never will be a shortage of people in need and those people deserve the chance to dream and believe just like I did.
After finishing my year at Uni, I decided to set some time aside to focus on my GMAT’s (entrance exam for mba programs) and preparing to get into an MBA program in England. I literally put my life on lockdown and confined myself to a 40km radius around my condo; good news is that there are a lot of coffee shops in that proximity. Studying for my GMAT was one of the most difficult and annoying things I have ever done. You spend hours upon hours doing questions, which, more often than not, make you feel incompetent and stupid, yet contained nothing more challenging than what you learn in grade 12 Math class. The questions are not so much, difficult, as confusing and sneaky. Thanks to my tutor Josh I was able to improve my score and increase my chances into getting into the business program of my dreams in England. I spent 6 weeks focused on this task and now that it has come and gone, the waiting game continues; I am being forced to sit and wait.
So here I find myself in Portland, Oregon with my best friend, her fiancée, a planned camping trip, a water-ski boat and summer festivities on the horizon. I am on a forced time out. It is time to sit back and appreciate all that has come my way: time to reflect upon the year of change that I have just experienced and contemplate the new journey that I am now on. I have no regrets; I left the sport of alpine skiing when it was the right time. I left no stone unturned and I am honoured to have been given the privilege to compete for my country –all while doing something I absolutely loved to do. Now it is time to find something new and exciting that challenges me, inspires me and helps me make a difference in the world today.
As my life sits at a crossroads I am excited to see which road it takes; Calgary, Vancouver or London, England. I will keep you posted as life unfolds.
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