I am slowly going crazy…….
I have been in Solden now for 4 days and have skied 1.
Winter has come with a vengeance. The good
news is that all of Europe seems to be shut down and it is not like the weather
is just picking on us innocent Canadians.
We complain when there is not enough snow, as in 4 days ago
and we complain when winter comes and there is too much snow and wind to ski as
in the last 3 days; apparently it is hard to make us ski racers happy. After my initial shock at seeing the Solden
glacier or the lack thereof, I understand the importance of this winter storm
but as a ski racer who has come to train in Europe for 2 weeks, missing three
days in a row is not ideal.
I have been coming to these European glaciers for more than
a decade and it is scary to see with my own eyes how the glaciers are receding
and the environment is changing. Where
once, I could ski to the parking lot, there are now snow guns making snow on
top of the black glacial ice. Where once
the glaciers looked like a giant, fluffy white clouds they now look like slabs
of cement with fault lines marring the surface.
Winter is changing and summer skiing could just well be coming to an end…..
I find it quite funny when people think that I am actually a
“winter” person when in reality, I am a wimp against the cold. Having spent
most of my winters in Europe for the last 12 years, I have developed “soft skin”
when it comes to the Canadian winters and looking ahead it slightly concerns me
about when I actually have to live a true winter again! Good news is that Vancouver is definitely on
the milder side of Jack Frost.
The season is getting closer. For some, it will start in a couple weeks
here in Solden with a Giant Slalom. I have decided to “retire” from the GS discipline
as I can no longer keep up with the “youngins” but I do love training it and
find it extremely beneficial to my performance in my other disciplines. My season will not start until Lake Louise which
is still quite some time away and therefore, I am still in very much training
mode.
It is exciting to know that I still have some great training
opportunities ahead of me but having said that, each day that leads me closer
to the season is extremely exciting.
This is going to be a big year, and I am understanding and accepting
that fact more and more. The Canadian
public is getting more involved and with the help of CTV, our images are
constantly being aired across the country; how can you not get excited.
It is amazing how political sport actually is and the closer
we get to these highly anticipated Games, the more I am realizing it. We are no longer just athletes training for a
sport we love in order to achieve dreams and goals and affect change in this
world, but we have become poster children for hot topics and controversial ones
at that. With blogging as it has become
in this day and age, freedom of speech is being tested at new levels and with
it comes high risk and high consequences. There are things that I feel strongly about
and wish I could share but sometime the repercussions are just too great. I
have recently been reminded how when saying one thing in the media, it can be
turned into something entirely different.
How we are sometimes at the mercy of other peoples interpretations. How, no matter how hard it may be, being an
athlete or a person in the public eye has its responsibilities. I can honestly say that I try and be as real
and honest as possible and from there people can make their own decisions.
After being home for 3 weeks in Canada I realized the
importance of our messages to the media, our availability to the media and our
openness to the media. This is the time in Canadian sport to be a great
advocate for sport and it benefits; having said that, I did run away to London,
England last week. I am not sure if it was fuelled by flight or fight, or if I
just knew deep down that I needed a little time away. I love London and always have. I spent quite a
few childhood holidays there as my Mom is British and all of her family lives
there. I have many fond memories of Trafalgar square, the Tower of London, Big
Ben and many more iconic London attractions.
I find London the most fascinating city with something new and undiscovered
each time I go. I think that its charm
is a combination of the endless history paired with the English language and
family and friends. I have always been
drawn to big cities, but who we are kidding I come from the small town of
Fernie so I like the comfort of knowing that if I get lost, I can more than
likely find my way home again! Highlights of this getaway where; High Tea in
Wimbledon, the Amish Kapoor exhibit, the Salvador Dali exhibit, the Natural History
Museum, bowling, shopping and dinner with friends and family.
Life is about balance. It is about work with recovery, yin
and yang or whatever you may wish you call it.
I realize more and more the importance of balance in my life and in my
ski career. This year is going to be a balancing act and one I hope that my
past experiences will help guide me through.
Subscribe