Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time … a girl had begun to feel as though she might give up. It has been 1 year and 9 months since I have been able to sit in front of my computer and write more than a single line of personal text relating to my professional career in the sport […]

Buying Time

Allow me to begin this entry with a Happy Christmas or perhaps Happy Hanukkah, or bright, sparkly wishes for any other multinational celebration that you and your family celebrated this month – and to round it out, “Merry Festivus to the rest of us!” 🙂 Now then, to fill in the missing gap from the […]

Begin Again

Nothing gives easy; easy gives nothing.  The fact is, life is hard. Sometimes, it’s really f*ing hard. We push, we pull, we grasp and we clutch. There are times that we fall and other times we stand triumphant. Through it all we acknowledge our rivals who knock off our edges and shape who we become. But no […]

Zoom Out

“Welcome, and congratulations. I am delighted that you could make it. Getting here wasn’t easy, I know. In fact I suspect it was a little tougher than you realize. To begin with, for you to be here now, trillions of drifting atoms had to somehow assemble in an intricate and curiously obliging manner to create […]

A World Ahead

Let me first say what needs to be said: There was one word that came to mind when I realized just how much of a hole I had dug upon the completion of my first run the afternoon of Friday, November 29th at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, AB: “Damnit!”  Ha! I can honestly chuckle […]

Hold On. Let Go.

On a crisp Monday morning, that feels a lot more like September than mid-November, a SOCHI.RU emblazoned chartered bus arrives next to our hotel at 07:14. I board and exchange my best Russian attempt at, “Dobroye utro” for a smoker’s raspy, “Hello,” from the bus driver in return. No one else got on the bus with me […]

The Privilege of Pressure

Cracking open a fortune cookie last month in my hometown of Brandon, Manitoba I didn’t think much of it. Then I read: “Your friends will truly be helpful in your next month’s endeavour.” Those simple, and typically generic words screamed at me. My fingers instantaneously tucked it, face-up, into the back of the clear protective […]

C of Red

The brittle, crisp mornings and much longer nights – have you felt it in the air?  From the downtown hustle through the upland hills – that unmistakeable chill is everywhere. Finally. As many of my athlete colleagues have written in recent days, summer is officially over. And whether you’re someone who accepts this reality by […]

Solid Yellow Lines

On our roads and highways we are given guidelines. A literal solid line is implemented along the pavement’s edges and centre upon which we travel bridges and sharp curves. This simple line is designed to help keep us on the right track; it defines our physical parameters. In order to navigate my current roads, on […]

Into The Deep End

In a span of time that occasionally tricks my mind to feel as short as overnight, everything has changed. What’s incredible about this transformation, is that it brings with it a stability unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Until now, I don’t know if I ever really allowed myself to entirely believe I had the strength […]