Ten Tree ... Check them out

I was reading the local paper, the leaderpost, which I do almost everyday. But, today I found something more awesome than normal.

There is a wicked company that plants 10 trees for every item of clothing purchased. The clothes are a means to helping our environment, which I personally think is wicked.
So if you have not heard of ten tree before check there website out at www.tentree.org.

This is one of my personal fave tanks that they sell...

 But if you aren't into tank tops they have t-shirts and hoodies. They also have all kinds of choices for men.
So, being that this is the holiday season and all. Why not give a gift that keeps on giving :)
If you live in Regina or are visiting you can also check out there clothes at Coda Clothing and Shoes on Albert Street and Under the Sun on Quance Street.

Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/Tree+growing+virally/5775482/story.html#ixzz1f2sBbF9Y

Happy Girl ... Right here

Gooooood Morning!
 One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Its not about the Bike by Lance Armstrong. He says "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” This quote has been rolling through my head a lot lately. I have been dealing with a back injury for almost a month now and it has been slow. Painfully slow. I think snails move faster than I was making progress, or at least that was how it felt. But, yesterday was a BIG day. For the first time since our training camp in Colorado I was allowed to do some physical activity, stress on the some. I biked 5x1' *hard* and I was allowed to do real weights(real meaning; I was allowed to pick up actual weight instead of doing air squats and bowing exercises).

It was so awesome to feel the lactic burn in my legs and my lungs again(not quite as bad as this picture buuut), you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. My physio was making jokes saying how most people grimace and complain ... yesterday I was happier than I have been in weeks. Its kind of crazy. I didn't realize how much my body enjoys exercise and felt deprived of its normal stress relieving activity. I mean I know that there is an endorphin release but I didn't realize how used to working out I am. That might sound weird but because I have always been exercising I never stopped to think about it. But when I had the chance I realized this, being active and participating in sport, has been my life for over a decade and my body seems to get as much out of it as my mind. So I am going to keep the happy train going ...I am off to do my exercises :D

Bullying Prevention Week

November 13 thru the 19th is Bullying prevention week. Half the time when someone steps in, bullying stops in 10 seconds or less. It’s that simple. When you see bullying, don’t just stand by. Instead make a difference in someone's life, step in.
Check out www.redcross.ca/standup .


As long as I have been alive bullying has been a problem and unfortunately we are ALL a part of it. We are either the bullied, the bully or the bystanders. We all have a roll to play and every single one of us can make a difference!
Check out http://www.bullyingawarenessweek.org/ and make a difference in your life or someone around you's life.

Bullying is defined [by wikipedia ... this isn't for school I am using it as a source ;)] as an act of repeated aggressive behavior in order to intentionally hurt another person, physically or mentally. Bullying is characterized by an individual behaving in a certain way to gain power over another person.

Honesty is the policy so ...  when I was a kid I stood by and watched people be bullied because I was not brave enough to step in and say something. I also was bullied and unfortunately bullied people. At the time I don't think I knew that it actually was bullying, necessarily. But, as I have gotten older I have become aware of how the words we choose to use, when talking to people, affects them. I have experienced how our actions affect others and how after you step in and stand up for someone it isn't as hard to do, if you are in a situation like that again.
Its amazing how much more I respected myself after making the decision to stand up and step in to a bullying situation. I realized that when you step in the bully loses their "power". I like being able to stand behind my actions and not worry that someone might be hurt by what I have done. I like positivity more than negativity. I enjoy living in a world that looks for acceptance and understanding of diversity and I want my actions to represent that. I am not perfect. I slip up sometimes but I think trying is better than not.
Check out some of the stats on bullying in Canada and around the world.
http://prevnet.ca/BullyingFacts/BullyingStatistics/tabid/122/Default.aspx

I think there is an opportunity for each individual to make a difference. There are good programs that we can encourage schools to offer, we can educate our siblings, children, nieces, nephews and friends. And, you have the power to choose whether you will be a bully or not. What if we all stepped in, instead of standing by when we saw or heard bullying was going on? Is it that hard to believe that we can make a difference?

 Please do not be naive enough to think that bullying is only a problem that occurs in school, with kids. Workplace bullying is just as large a problem and has less people stepping in and more people putting there head's in the sand. I am an adult now, well sort of, and I have to say it astounds me that adults continue to bully. How in the age of technology we live in, with the wealth of knowledge we have the opportunity to tap into and with the problems our world is facing can people have the time to make other people feel bad about themselves. Don't we have enough to worry about. Aren't our plates full?


Now imagine if every person who reads this blog stands up and stops bullying once, we actually use the golden rule(do onto others as you would have them do unto you). All of a sudden people are standing up to bully's and now we are passing on a solution. With any luck people will pay it forward and all of a sudden peoples sense of self worth(check out my previous blog) is improving. So with ONE action we are helping make a happier society, and lets be honest Canadians are trendsetters. Lets set the tone for the whole world. Why not dream big? Why not push the boundaries? Why should we be satisfied with less than our best?

If you are being bullied, have questions or need someone to talk to about anything you can call kids help phone toll free 1-800-668-6868 or visit www.kidshelpphone.ca .

"Believe that what makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful"

I just watched Brene Brown speak on a TED talk. She shares that vulnerablity is necessary for us as human beings to find connection. And, if we are honest with ourselves connection is what it is all about, it is why we are here. To connect with others, to connect with our surroundings and to connect with who we really are. If you have 20 minutes, check it out. Brene Brown is funny, a little quirky and honest!
Here are a few of my favorite points.
*Her definition of courage; She states that the word itself comes from the Latin word for heart. So, to be courageous is to tell your story with your whole heart.
*Brown makes a distinction between being courageous and being brave which I think is neat.
*She mentions that we need to lean into discomfort rather than avoiding it, or pretending it does not exist, because when we avoid the tough stuff we also end up hindering our ability to experience the good emotions like joy.
I haven't done the talk justice and I don't want to write an essay ... so have a listen. Its totally worth it!!

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

Some musings on a Saturday Morning

" Winners are ordinary people, with EXTRAordinary determination". Unknown

I read this quote every morning when I walked into my history class, in high school. Its a quote that has stuck with me, inspired me, and is currently reminding me that no matter the circumstance we have a choice. We have a choice to be great, to try and to never give up ... if its what WE want. 

Well it appears I should have said I would blog one day later than I did. I am two for two on day after delivery.

Oh well ... on with the show.
I just want to thank everyone who wrote me a message, sent me there thoughts or gave me hugs. All of your support is very much appreciated and helped me through last week.
I am home now. I had my first doctor's appointments today and it looks like it is a herniated disc. But, the physiotherapists are very positive and with some serious attention to details and all the little stabilizer muscles that I often ignore ... I will be back on the water, in fine shape, come January!!
So, seeing that this was supposed to be the "Training Tuesday" blog I thought,"why not write about how important it is to strengthen our bodies ... both the big muscles and the little ones that we don't really see". 

I know its nice to have a six pack, killer pipes and a ripped back. But, it is also important, for the sake of our joints and over worked ligaments, that we strengthen the groups of muscles that we do not see. The abs that are 4 layers deep or the rotator cuff muscles that keep our shoulders in their sockets.

Another area that I often "forget" about, is stretching. It is key and fundamental to the health of our muscles. Part of my problem is a very tight and immobile thoracic spine. It is pretty much the source of all my troubles. So, that is where I begin. Where do you begin?

I am sure a lot of you are thinking ... duh. But, I felt like I needed to say it. So, if you have no pain then CONGRATULATIONS. I am envious. Keep up the good work. If you have some pain, why not look into things before they become worse? There is no harm in getting exercises and a plan in place to keep healthy.
Take it from me 4 or 5 days of bed rest can make a girl go insane ;)

Thoughtful Thursday ... one day late.

First I want to Congratulate all my team mates who have raced so far at the Games. Everyone has put there best on the line and kept things interesting. Results and pictures are constantly being updated on the Canoe Kayak Canada facebook page and at the Canadian Olympic Committe website, www.olympic.ca .  

Now I know, it hasn't even been two weeks and I am already a day late. But in my defence I wrote a post yesterday and when I went to upload it the internet cut out and I lost it to the world wide web. I am taking it as a sign. Originally I was not going to post anything about a recent injury I suffered. I racked my brain to think of a good post for yesterdays blog and if I am being honest, it really was not that good. So, the blog you are reading is not the blog I thought of on Thursday. It is a more honest blog about real thoughts that I have had this week.


On Saturday I was warming up to paddle and my back, that has caused me some trouble over the last couple of years, was back to its old tricks. Everytime I would take a stroke there was a sharp pain that made me feel like I was injuring myself. Over the years I have dealt with pain. Pain in my shoulders, pain in my hips, cuts from boats and who knows what else, but this pain was different. It was like a part of my spine was tearing away from the rest. It sounded silly when it came out of my mouth but it was the best way I could describe it.
So, I did not do the workout. I told my coach, the team massage therapist and the team physio what I was feeling and we got to work. We tried to treat the pain and hoped that it would improve. The pain did not subside. If anything it got worse. I went from just having pain to also having my leg give out at random. Sunday came and went and the pain did not get any better. Sitting on a couch was painful and it started to occur to me that if I could not sit on something comfortable and soft how on earth could I sit on the seat in my boat?
I told myself,"Stop thinking like that." I didn't want to get worked up over nothing ...
Tuesday came and as I bent down and tried to get in my boat I knew that I was not at 100%. Heck if I was being honest with myself I don't think I was even at 75%. But, I wanted to be okay more than anything. So I went for a loop. I tried to take good strokes and after 4 or 5 strokes I was in so much pain that I felt like I was going to vomit.
So here was the predicament( or my thoughts): The Pan American Games are an Olympic qualifying event. I was selected to represent Canada and compete to qualify the K-1 200m spot. But, I am hurt. If I race down am I doing myself more harm? If I race down am I really helping my team? There was an internal debate between what I wanted and what I knew was right ...
When I was really honest with myself I knew my friend and team mate, Emilie, could and SHOULD do it. As hard as it was that was the decision that was right. I know deep down that passing up an opportunity now will allow for more opportunities in the future. Not that, that made the decision any easier.

Tuesday was a tough day. What do I do now? was all I kept thinking. My team mates were all very thoughtful. Everyone had kind, positive words of encouragement. They were all willing to help me or give me a hug and not a single person made me question my decision.
I felt like I was letting my team, myself and even my friends and family down. But, those exact people were quick to tell me, that was not the case.

Sport is a wonderful thing. I have been reminded of it quite a few times this season. It brings people together. Sport is obviously a competition where people look to succeed but along the way a lot more happens. I am not competing this week but I was definitely a recipient of the "more" part of sport.

Training Tuesday

Lets face it we are all busy and often it seems like there isn't time to go to the gym. On the rare days where you do find an hour of free time do you feel like going to the gym? I get it, life is busy and it can be exhausting.
Often my family and friends will ask me to write them a program for the gym, or for running, so that they have an organized plan when they get there (I, personally, find that having a program keeps me on track and more accountable).
This, and many other factors, got me thinking. There has to be an easier way to help people get more exercise ... without having to go to the gym every time.
So, here is my idea. It is inspired by my, always on the go, momma. And before you laugh it off give it a try.
" The Bathroom Circuit"
The idea is that you can do all of the below exercises on your bathroom floor before you jump in the shower or the bath tub.
The reasoning is that most of us shower or bathe pretty close to every single day ... so why not give ourselves an extra 20 or 30 minutes and get a bit more benefit out of it??

Here is a list of exercises that you can do 3 times a week ... mixed in with your other activities.
*The internet in Mexico is too slow to get pictures and upload them so if you do not know an exercise you can google image the name and hopefully find an explanation(Sorry :s) 

Push Ups
Glute Bridge
Leg Lowering
Lunges
Bicycles
One Arm/One Leg Raises(On all fours)
Deep Squats
Crunches(2 seconds up, 3 seconds down)

The number of sets you do as well as the number of repetitions you do depends on the amount of activity you have done. 3 sets of 10 reps is probably a good place to start.
 *If it is too easy; do more reps or sets. If it is too hard; take rest or lower the number of sets.

If you do this consistently from week to week it is good to challenge yourself, increase the reps or the number f sets. You can also switch up the exercises for ones you know :)

Now, I know I said that this is the bathroom circuit buuuuttt its just meant to show you that you can exercise anywhere. Pick somewhere you are comfortable and make it YOUR time.

"Thought"ful Thursday

Well today has certainly been full of thoughts(like most days). It is another beautiful day in Colorado. I woke up with the sun shining in a cloudless sky. It has been a "bit" windy since we arrived and there is a LOT of open water that has had some big waves and white caps. But, there is a small bay where we have managed to get all the work, we need to, done.
But back to the things I have been thinking about ...

I have been very thankful for all the people who help and support me. This past weekend the Prairie Summit shop held a run with proceeds going towards helping me buy a new boat.

 There were over 100 people who came out for the event!! Thanks to each and every person who organized, volunteered and walk, ran or relayed :D

 Even my littlest sister Kansys was out for the event ... she was tired out after the 5km walk.

I have also been thinking a lot about the Pan American Games. I mean we are here, in Fort Collins, Colorado, training at altitude so that we can be at our best next week when we race in Guzman City. But, I have been trying to think less about my own racing and it has been really easy because the Canadian team, that is competing now, has been doing very well. Team Canada has won over 30 medals and you can check them out by following this link ... Just click on the Gaudalajara 2011 section www.olympic.ca

                                                                  Mike Ridewood/COC
                                                                  GO CANADA GO !! 
Now don't be too concerned, I have been thinking about more than just these two items but if I shared everything at once why would you come back?
So check back for training Tuesday ...

As some of you may already know ... these lovely glasses are on sale. Any one of YOU can get your hands on a pair for $5. When you consider getting a pair please consider all that you are doing; 1. Supporting Me, a girl following her dream 2. Your eye sight, they have UV protection(no one likes getting wrinkles or hurting your retinas) and 3. They are stylish, all of the cool kids will be wearing them. 

Hopefully these glasses will also help bring more people to the website and it would be great for people to have a reason to keep checking back. But, what do I write??
My friend Una has a blog, www.thelittleredpaperclip.blogspot.com, she recently inspired me to structure my blog a little bit more.
Since I have spent the last 12 years learning about the importance of goal setting and follow through. I have decided to approach this in the same way, my coaches will be so proud ;)
My goal is to write 2 blogs a week. You can check in for "Training Tuesdays" and "Thoughtful Thursdays". They leave us a multitude of topics to tackle but they will also keep me on task. So here is to the letter T and to some more frequent blogging. 

3 things you might not know about but I think are worth knowing about.

I love October, it is a great month for many reasons. But here are 3 reasons and things to check out that I think can make October even better, especially for those of you in Saskatchewan.

#1 For $5 you can get your hands on a limited edition pair of Kia Byers sunglasses. There are 350 pairs ... will you be one of the few owners? Thanks to Devon Schollar the master mind of this "project"!!

#2 The Prairie Summit Shop is holding it's 1st Annual 'Prairie Summit Run-it!' event at Buffalo Pound. 25 dollars from each entry fee is going to help me purchase a new kayak. The total money raised from this event will be matched by the prairie summit shop :)

There will be 3 event options:
-5km Trail Run
-15km Trail Run
-15km Trail Run Relay - 3 participants required

Registration is through www.active.com and the entry fee is $40 per person, $40 per relay member.

There is also PRIZES FOR ALL!!!!! All participants will receive a North Face technical T-shirt and water bottle in their race package. There will also be lots of awesome door prizes and place prizes!     So join the fun and enjoy a great day of racing ... whether you are a professional or a beginner runner, everyone is welcome!

Last but certainly not least ...
#3 The Pan American Games !!!

Marie_Christine Schmidt and I at the 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio after winning the K-2 500 meter event!

 This multi-sport event has 46 sports competing from 42 countries across North and South America. It is held every four years and happens the year before the Olympic Games. Canadian athletes will put on there red and white uniforms and play, or race, for the top of the podium. Numerous sports will also be looking to qualify there country a spot at the Olympic Games.
Something else really exciting; the CBC has committed to show over "50 hours of coverage through CBC-TV, Radio Canada and CBCsports.ca." So get ready to see more than 300 of Canada's best working and pushing as hard as they can! 
You can read more about the coverage CBC will providing at:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2011/09/29/spf-panam-coverage.html#ixzz1ZeXXvfKh.  

 

So here is to a great October !!!! 

Sweat, Tears, Dreams and Support ... I have it all!

When I was 12 years old I was racing for a spot in our club K-4(four person kayak) that had a chance of winning a medal at the national championships. When all the seat races were done three of my best friends were going to be in the boat and I was not. I was elated for them, what an opportunity, but I was also devastated. After congratulating them I had to walk away. Tears were building in my eyes and just as I reached the corner of the change rooms the tears were streaming down my cheeks and the sobs were just moments away. But, I was not alone. My coach, Sarah, had followed me into the change room. She didn't give me the regular, everything will be alright, you are great speech, that we have all received at some point in our lives. Without hesitation she told me that this was not going to be the biggest thing in my life, that even within the sport of canoeing I would accomplish more. She then reminded me that I am a very loved and loving daughter, sister and friend and that those things were all very important too. They didn't seem important at the time but after my races at the World Championships this year they were once again in my ears...
I failed to make the A final, which meant that my goal was not being reached, and when the B final was done I was 18th overall. I was disappointed in myself. I felt like I had failed and once again I had tears streaming down my face. Without fail though my family, my friends and my teammates were there. They reminded me that success isn't always measured by a number or a placing. They pointed out that I have come a long way in 11 years. I was the girl who couldn't make the Wascana K-4 and as long as I keep looking forwards and learning from my past who knows what the future holds. 
It was my support system that reminded me of "polly positive" and it is my support system that has helped me rebound and look forward to the Pan American Games in Gaudalajara, Mexico. Although I did not accomplish my goal of qualifying Canada to race at the Olympics at the World Championships, I can still help Canada qualify in Mexico. So, this loved, daughter, sister and friend is back at it. I am at a training camp in Ottawa and my team mates and I are training hard. We are going to be prepared and in peak form when races start on October 26.
So, thank you to everyone who believes in someones dream, who supports someone when they stumble and to those that help keep dreams alive because without people like you, I would be lost :)

Lets Go Canada Lets Go!!

The 2011 World Championships have begun !!!! Today was the first day of races, the course was fast, the athletes were fast and we are looking forward to more of that in the coming days. 

There will be live feeds of the races on Eurosport as well we have heard a rumor that Sports Net may broadcast the event ... so keep your eyes peeled if you are in Canada ;)

Here is the link to check live results. We used it today while we were at the hotel; it was pretty much instantaneous, which is really nice.
The speed of this link is just one example of how awesome a regatta Szeged and the Hungarian Canoe Federation are putting on.
 http://szeged2011.com/live-results

Go CANADA Go :D

Dream Big !!!

We have arrived in Hungary and in just 3 days the World Championships will start. The city of Szeged is hot and although there are things to do I find myself staying close to the hotel not doing too much. Today I was passing time on the computer. I hit the usual; facebook, leaderpost.com and then I checked into the Cross Canada Canoe Odyssey groups website. Sounds kind of random if you don't know my friends but the CCCO gang is paddling across Canada in Clipper canoes. They began this long journey in April and are well on their way. They are currently paddling along Lake Superior.
They are following a path less traveled both literally and figuratively. I say literally because how many people go on a cross country road trip in a canoe and figuratively because they are living their dream, through the good, the bad and the rough waters.
I find them inspiring. Not only are they making history because when they finish (in the planned time) they will have crossed our beautiful country faster than any other group who has also attacked this amazing feat. As well the ladies in the Canoe Odyssey group will be the first ever to finish the journey in one season. But, that is not why they set out to navigate the countries waterways. This journey began so many years ago. Years before I knew any of the crew. This dream began on small lakes, with family and on canoe trips up north. It began with child like wonder and a desire to see what people around them were talking about. This dream started with naive notions but grew with each individual into a reality that could not be put off any longer. 
I feel very lucky and very honored to do what I do for a living. Something we do not see very often today is adults stepping out of the safety of everyday life and going after a childhood dream, a dream that gains no fame or fortune. My friends are on this adventure because of a love for paddling, a love for nature and a love for this bountiful country that allows them this type of opportunity.
My friends Stephanie and Whitney wrote a blog post, http://cancanoeodyssey.sportisite.com/news, and while I read it, it reminded me of why I love canoeing and kayaking so much. It reminded me of how awesome it is, how much history there is and how lucky I am to be able to kayak all over the world representing my country. Her blog, informative and innocent as it was, has gotten me really excited to start racing. So- here we go. Its the week I have been waiting and training for, for months. This is go time and there is no time like the present to step up and live your dreams, or so I have heard;)

As a side note: Something else I find really neat about following my friends journey is that they are using this trip to raise awareness for a truly great cause, The Nature Conservancy of Canadahttp://www.naturecanada.ca/advocate. /wildlife_conservancy.html?gclid=CJS3yruuz6oCFZIH3wod8HBezw
Check it out!!!

Fun in France!

When I signed in to my account today there was a nice little blurb letting me know that it has been over a month since I last posted anything. It has been a pretty busy month full of training and travel. I was able to enjoy 2 weeks at home with my family and friends, not consecutively but 2 whole weeks :D
We are now in France at our final preparation camp for the World Championships. This is my first time in France and it is everything everyone said it would be, absolutely beautiful. I love it. The country side is filled with rolling green hills, sunflower fields and white cows. What more could a prairie girl ask for ;) 

 

Yesterday we drove to a town called Panne D'agenais. It has been voted one of the most beautiful in France. It is very old, quaint and peaceful. We enjoyed the sights, did a little bit of shopping and finished our trip with some delicious ice cream. 

 

Travel is never very far away ... Saturday we are off to Szeged for the World Championships. I am excited to race . The World Championships just the words alone can bring a flood of emotion and excitement but Szeged is where I had my first major competition wearing a Canadian jersey and racing for my country. In 2005 the Junior World Championships were held there. I can still remember the butterflies and the adrenaline flapping and pumping through me. This year I expect a few less butterflies or at least better managed ones. I also expect an amazing crowd. I have never seen people who love this sport as much as the Hungarian people. They are inspiring! I am posting a link to a video they have put out, it gives me goose bumps ...  I hope you enjoy.

 

Later this week I will post the links to the website for results. As well I believe there will be a link to a website where you will be able to watch the events live ( if you are awake). 

Weekend of Racing coming up !!

I thought I would try something a little different with this blog. I wrote a "Kia version" tongue twister, Good or bad I have chosen the letter C. Bare with me I have not written a poem in years ...

Come see Canoe/Kayak Canadians channeling calm, cool and collected characteristics while competing at the caliber of Champions for their chance to race at the World Championships!!

National Team Trials are going on this weekend in Montreal. Results can be found at www.canoekayak.ca. 

If you are in the area and are looking for something to do this is going to be a sweet regatta to see. This is the final event for athletes to qualify for the 2011 World Championships team. 

Races are being held Saturday and Sunday at the Olympic Basin in Parc Jean Drapeau.

 

"Excellence: The ripple effect"

I have decided to post this everywhere I send out information. So, if you get to see this double, or triple, I apologize.  

 

This is something I have gotten involved in and I think it is pretty neat and I wanted to share it with as many people as I can. Below is a description of the idea, the reality and what, if you want to, you can do to become more involved with helping high performance athletes across the country.  

 

In celebration of Canada Day, CAN(Canadian Athletes Now) Fund is launching their first athlete e-Book called "Excellence: The Ripple Effect". 

 

36 stories of Courage, Believing In Yourself, Success From Failure, Excellence and Representing Canada written by Canadian athletes including myself!

 

Other athletes featured in the eBook include:

-Forward by Silken Laumann, Rowing, 3 time Olympic Medalist

-"Dear Dream" by Carla MacLeod, Hockey, 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist

-"Clive" by Christine Sinclair, Soccer, 2008 Olympian

-"Maple Leaf" by Ben Rutledge, Rowing, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist

 

All of us have experienced moments in our lives or have met people that have profoundly impacted us.  The story that I wrote " Through waters to friendship" shares a moment from early on in my paddling journey. It was an influential moment in my life and upon reflection, as I have gotten older, it has become more and more significant. This story shares a very valuable lesson I learnt early on in my journey to representing Canada at the 2012 Olympics.  

I contributed a story for the eBook because I wanted to encourage and connect with Canadians while at the same time raise awareness and funding for my fellow athletes through CAN Fund.

 

CAN Fund (Canadian Athletes Now Fund) is a not for profit that raises direct financial support for athletes across Canada.  CAN Fund has raised over $13 million to date and was proud to support 80% of the athletes who represented Canada in Vancouver.   Twice a year athletes from coast to coast apply to CAN Fund. As such they are eligible to receive $12,000 annually.  The majority of athletes in Canada rely on CAN Fund so they can afford equipment, coaching, travel expenses and proper nutrition.  I have been a recipient of CAN Fund and it was a huge help. It took away the stress of not having enough money, for awhile. It allowed my whole focus to be on training rather than wasting valuable energy worrying. 

The sale of every "EXCELLENCE: The Ripple Effect" is donated to CAN Fund to support Canadian athletes who are competing to qualify for the Games in London and beyond!

You can purchase "EXCELLENCE: The Ripple Effect" for $25. This is an ebook and can be purchased by following the link posted below.

Website:  www.MYCANFund.com  

Link: http://www.canadianathletesnow.ca/boutique/can-fund-athlete-ebook.html

 

Thanks so much for even considering it and helping me along my journey to the 2012 Olympics.

Feathers

Today was an awesome day. We had the afternoon off from training, I ate a delicious almond croissant at Olive and Gourmando, in the Old Port, had breakfast for supper, and right in the middle of all that KC and I went and got feather extensions in our hair.
I opted for the neutrals, which have a mix of feathers including some red which I think is pretty cool. I have attached a picture that I just took ... so be kind ;)
Also the links to the fine feather extensions website is here as well as the link to the page for Sonya, the lady, who put ours in here in Montreal.

www.finefeatherheads.com

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=inbox#!/FeatherHairExtensions

S-U-M-M-E-R :)

I may not be in school anymore but all my life Summer hasn't really begun until School was out. Earlier this week my sister Kyra wrote her last Grade 11 final, my sister Kansys is going back to school for her last few days of grade 1 and last Wednesday my Broski had his Grade 8 farewell (where he won the Delano Toto athletic achievement award!!). These events got me thinking about my life. Where I am at, what I am doing,where I want to go and where I might end up.

When I was in grade one Kyra was born, and I couldn't wait to bring her for show and tell. It doesn't seem like a decade ago that I was making a memory book or putting up decorations for my own Grade eight farewell. Not to mention how recent it seems like I was in Grade eleven eagerly awaiting the summer that would lead to the final year of high school, or the birth of my "newest" sibling. But, it has been that long. And, this summer is bringing just as much anticipation as many of my childhood summers.

I have qualified to race the K-1 200m event at the World Championships in August. I am super excited to represent Canada again and I have the opportunity to help Canada qualify to race at the Olympics next year, which to me is a bit surreal. This summer I am with the Womens Kayak Team in Montreal training at the Olympic Basin. We, my room mates KC and Genny, have been keeping busy with 2 -3 practices a day, cooking and researching the latest fashion trends.

So I guess that is the where I am and what I am doing. As for the where I want to go ... or where I end up, I am not too concerned. I am enjoying the chance to experience so many awesome places, meet so many great people and hopefully I will look back on them as fondly as I look back on my anticipated summers from the years gone by.

What Day is today ...

Today is Father's Day !!! I want to wish all the Dads, Grandpas and Uncles out there a very Happy Fathers Day.
I found this poem and thought I would share it with you. I am very lucky. I have a great Dad, Uncle and Grandpa. They have all supported me, helped me learn and been patient with me when the opportunities present themselves. So ... Here's to them!

A dad is someone who
wants to catch you before you fall
but instead picks you up,
brushes you off,
and lets you try again.

A dad is someone who
wants to keep you from making mistakes
but instead lets you find your own way,
even though his heart breaks in silence
when you get hurt.

A dad is someone who
holds you when you cry,
scolds you when you break the rules,
shines with pride when you succeed,
and has faith in you even when you fail...

Unknown. ( From the website: http://www.boardofwisdom.com/Default.asp?topic=1005&listname=Fathers%20Day)

 

THANK YOU !!!!

 I love being a part of the Adopt-an-Athlete program. Today I enjoyed a great sunny morning being reminded what this program is all about. I joined St. Gabriel School for a fundraiser, in my honor. Students got to buy extra recess time and I got to be a part of it. I took part in kick ball, frisbee, parachute games and a game of catch that got a little out of hand. It was so nice to spend time with students in a fun and care free environment where they get to be free. It was really nice to play like I was a kid again, I forgot how much I loved playing kickball.

I would like to Thank all the teachers, staff, students and parents at St. Gabriel and Jack MacKenzie schools. Their support has been more than generous and I am very grateful.

For more information about the adopt-an-athlete program follow the link on my homepage. In my experience it has been only positive and I recommend any chance to get involved :) There are a ton of worthy athletes within your community!

When things find you ...

I have never been a blogger, I am not on twitter but I do have facebook. I would be lying if I said I don't enjoy it and that I don't creep the most recent tab, routinely. Today a link came up, that a friend of mine shared, its weird because I haven't talked to her in an eternity ( pardon the exaggeration ... I do that.) So, I clicked the link and what I was listening to was something awesome. A wonderful spoken word poet,Sarah Kay, sharing her life to an audience.http://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter.html When she speaks, her passion, her honesty and her enthusiasm to make a difference in this world is inspiring.

There are many things in my life I want to accomplish, there are dreams and goals and aspirations that I think about, write down sometimes and here and there share with others. But her words and the passion you can hear when she speaks makes me want to act and that, I think is an amazing gift. So my first action is sharing her words with whomever happens to check this blog. But, that "speech" has helped me see that one person can make a difference and as it was said sometimes the beauty is in the attempt!

World Cup #2

Our racing season got under way a couple of weeks ago. The first set of National Team Trials was used to select a team of athletes to come and race at the World Cups. These races have begun. Results can be found at the following link: http://www.sportis.cz/csv.php?id=1171&co=startovka.

The second World Cup of the season is being held in Racice, Czech Republic. Although this is my 7th season coming to Europe to race it is my first time in the Czech Republic. I must say, it is Beautiful! I love it here. I think I could live here. The language might be a little tough ... but I think it would be a worthy challenge.

We were here with enough time that we even got to do some sight seeing. I went into Prague on Tuesday with a few team mates. It was unreal. I found myself in awe most of the day. The buildings are like nothing I have ever seen. We visited the largest castle in Europe ... and it did not disappoint.

First kick at the can ...

Hi!
Thanks for checking out my blog. I am a member of the Canadian Kayak team and my goal is to represent Canada at the 2012 Olympics in London, England (www.london2012.com).
Our first race of the 2011 season is currently being held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Thanks to the Atlantic Paddling community,www.adckc.ca, for hosting the first set of National Team Trials. These trials are the first step, of a few, that will lead to the selection of the World Championship team that will race in Szeged,Hungary in August.

The results from this weekend can be found at:http://www.canoekayak.ca/english/content/SPRINT_HP_National_Team_Trials_1