Fast Forward to the Olympics

thanks to Sportscene for this great pic!

I know I am way behind, but stuff it, I am going to skip forward to the present, because this is too exciting! Today we qualified for the semi-finals at the Olympics by just 0.03 of a second! That was too close!

Yesterday I watched as Kynan qualified the last boat in the C1 semi-final. It was so nerve wracking watching him that I promised myself that we would qualify more comfortably. However, it turned out to be even closer and more excruciating for us in C2.

Our first run was less than ideal. My mind was racing and I allowed myself to analyse during the run rather than staying in the moment. Hence the less than ideal run. I was furious with myself for falling into these, old, bad habits. Lucky it was quals and we had a second run to improve.

It seems obvious to say that we were desperate to improve, but when you have invested so much, you want to see a return and that first run wasn't satisfactory. We approached the second run with renewed focus and fire in the belly. We still had two touches but the focus and energy was much improved. Then the agonising wait to see if we qualified began. We were in 10th but the German crew were protesting a 50 second penalty, if they were successful we were out. 5 minutes passed, then 10, finally in what seemed an eternity we got the nod from our coaches. It was sheer relief, followed closely by joy that we now have another opportunity to compete in front of that incredible crowd.

I have to say a quick thank you to everyone who has sent me messages of support. It has been overwhelming to say the least, but keep them coming :)

A Gutsy Effort!

 Sorry guys. I know this is very late. But access to internet has been limited. There should be a flurry of posts coming in the next week.

After the disappointment we experienced in Pau, we were anxious to make the most of our last race before the Olympics. Seu provided a new challenge. We have been using surfboard fins to help us keep the boat tracking. By the way, thanks to FCS fins for their assistance!! However, due to low water levels, we weren’t able to use the fins. It was a challenge paddling without them, but we eventually remembered how to paddle without fins.

There are several quirky traditions that, usually, accompany a race in Seu. My favorite is the coach’s run. Perhaps it’s because we get to see the coaches in pain, but more importantly it’s a great social event that brings everyone together away from paddling. Disappointingly, it wasn’t held this year. Not happy Seu. I know the financial crisis has hit Spain hard but come on! Another tradition is the Australian Team dinner. Each class cooks a course and then we play trivial pursuit paddling style with a few activities chucked in for good measure. One activity entailed deciphering which paddler was in the obscured photo. It led to some… interesting findings. Kynan and my C2 relationship is perhaps getting too close after I thought one of the photos was me when it was actually Kynan.

Race time. There were some impressive performances from the Aussie team, particularly from Will Forsythe who beat a world-class Men’s K1 class in qualification. Everything seemed to be going right, and then I start to feel a bit off. Perhaps, because the chicken I had was also off! After a night spent cuddling porcelain I had no energy. In a few hours I was meant to be racing! Still feeling rubbish, I dragged myself down to the course. I knew I couldn’t approach it like a normal race. I used my lack of energy as an opportunity to test my mental strength and Kynan’s physical strength! We had one mistake in the middle, which meant that after the first run we were in 12^th. Solid, but would it be enough to make it through to semi’s. My energy levels were flagging, but it would be a gamble not to do the second run. We decided to prepare for the second run. The coaches would tell us if we were safely into semi’s and needn’t waste our energy. It was close, but our first run was good enough, just, for 19^th.

Semifinal day, business time! Still feeling sub par but able to contribute more to the boat. The finals course was relentless. Luckily it played into our hands because precision was more important than power. We thought we had a solid run, with one mistake, but would it be enough? Waiting to see if you have qualified for the final is excruciating! We watched crew after crew finish behind us and we realized that the run was much better than solid. We qualified 3^rd fastest for the final! Our first podium was in sight. Unfortunately 3 touches pushed us back into 9^th. It didn’t matter. The race confirmed that we are in the hunt for a medal at the Olympics. In just 3 weeks we will be in the Olympic Village!

Game On!

Quick ride before dinner at the Col de Abisque

I have copped a bit of flack for whinging and writing negatively! “There’s no time, we are too busy,” poor me etc. I promise I wasn’t negative, particularly in my early posts. I was trying to convey how difficult it is to change bad habits. I was struggling to improve my approach to paddling, and become open to learning instead of getting frustrated when I made a mistake. Change isn’t easy, but it is rewarding. , I did, however, enjoy whingeing!

The Pau World Cup was our first race since Olympic selection in March. In order to be fresh for the race, we took the opportunity to explore. Pau is my paradise. It is an hour from both spectacular mountains and great surf. One night we had dinner surrounded by mountain vistas, the next looking across the ocean. The mountains and the surf had successfully left me revitalised, refreshed and ready to race.

I find the build up to racing awkward. I want to paddle and explore every option, but I also need to conserve energy for the race. It is a balancing act. The build up to the Pau World Cup was particularly strange. It was the first time in two years that I will compete in just one class, and the first time ever in just C2. In the past two years, the World Cups have been such a rush in two classes. Now, I am forced to be patient till the end to race. I wasn’t patient. Somehow, I confused my start time. I thought we were racing an hour earlier. What ensued can only be described as a “comedy of errors”. I was in such a rush. I forgot our competition sticker, then nearly destroyed it, and harassed Kynan for not being focused or ready to race. I felt like such a fool when I was informed of my mistake.

We qualified for the semi-final in twelfth. The top half of each qualification run was equal to the fastest of the day. However, unnecessary aggression led to costly mistakes. We were satisfied with our performance and eager to improve in the semi-final.

Photo courtesy of Sportscene

Sitting on the start line, I was nervous, more nervous than normal. In hindsight there was an element of fear of failure. The fear provided an unnecessary obstacle. It knocked me off track mentally and left me feeling twitchy and unbalanced, which is how we later described our semi-final. We finished in a disappointing 16^th position, impatient for the next opportunity to race. World Cup 3 in La Seu D’Urgell, Spain, is our last race before the Olympics, and we have a lot to prove.

Better late than never

Sorry guys

Boats all OK at Heathrow!

I know. I know, it has been more than a week since my last update but I promise you I have been flat out. When we tell people all the amazing places we visit, the question is always, “did you see this,” or “did you do that?” I always respond, sheepishly, that we didn’t have time. But, then I say that all we do is eat, sleep, and paddle, and I feel that everyone thinks we are lazy. We are not lazy, it’s just that after stretching, pilates, physio, training, video review, recovery, and planning for the next session, we are left with very little free time. Having said that, I’m not complaining at all. It’s an awesome life. One day I would like to come back to these places, without my boat, and explore them properly.

Our training camp in London past so quickly my memory is vague to say the least. We saw the sun, for the first two days, which was nice! I did a lot of sessions with Yann in the boat, which was really valuable. It allowed him to provide feedback on things that would not be possible from beside the course. This was largely responsible for the best paddling that Kynan and I have had in a C2. One of the sessions felt incredible. The boat was fast and responsed to our every command. Kynan said, and I agree, “If we paddle like that at the Olympics and don’t win a medal, I’ll still be so stoked.”

We decided not to compete at the first World Cup. It wasn’t an easy decision. We were worried that in order to perform at the World Cup, we would have to compromise our training in London. The training camp took priority. It was difficult watching the races and not being able to compete. Thankfully we were in Pau, France, so even if we wanted to get out there, we couldn’t.

To be continued very soon. I promise!

Wow!

Wow! What a send off! The level of support has blown me away. I am so happy I was able to share my excitement with all of you. From the school talks, to the send off from my club (Ascot Kayak Club), and especially seeing my friends and family! I leave Perth feeling so happy and positive. That sounds weird. Of course I should be happy and positive, I’m going to the Olympics, but before the school talks and coming back to Perth I was… excited, focused, but isolated. Don’t get me wrong, it has been great totally immersing myself in training, but I lacked perspective. The Olympics isn’t just about the race. It’s a celebration of humanity. I know that sounds corny, but let me explain. Whenever I give a talk at a school, or catch up with friends, or even when my Mum embarrasses me by telling a total stranger that I am going to the Olympics, I see how excited they become. I don’t know of many other events that inspire such a positive reaction.

I’m so glad I took the opportunity to talk at a couple of schools. It has been such a rewarding experience and has left me with some great memories. After giving a presentation at my primary school, Riverlands Montessori School, I asked, what was their favorite sport. I hoped they might say Canoe Slalom, but one boy screamed at the top of his lungs, “I love skipping.” It was such a great response! It was so funny but so honest.

We arrived in London yesterday, and in stark contrast to our last training camp, were greeted by beautiful blue skies and a warm day. Lets hope it stays like this! Thanks again to everyone for your support. You added a bit more fuel to the fire!

Excitement's building

I love paddling! The feeling of being in control in such a dynamic environment is hard to beat. I missed it so much when I was sick for over a week. I am so happy to be on the white water again. However, the break was valuable. It gave me the opportunity to prepare for the new and exciting challenges that are unique to the Olympics.

I caught up with Robin Bell last week to try and absorb some wisdom from Australia’s most successful Canoe Slalom athlete. Rob had just become a father, for the second time, so I really have to thank him and Julia, his wife, for allowing him to come down and help me with my preparation. I took so much away from that night. Some advice was race related, and some was aimed to preserve energy and sanity in the chaos of the Olympics. Thanks Rob!

One of the more amusing side projects was the Olympic Committee photo shoot. I find it challenging to look serious at the best of times. Add a photographer instructing me to squint, open my mouth slightly and drop my left shoulder so I look, “more natural,” and the result is hilarious. There are some really nice photos, but I think the process put me off. It was a relief to get back in the boat!

One more week before our next training camp in London, and then the start of the World Cup tour. There is still allot of work to do, but I am so happy to be healthy and back in the boat, doing what I love!

Check out the link below to see the photo shoot!

http://www.gettyimages.com.au/Search/Search.aspx?query=z.i.H4sIAAAAAAAEAOy9B2AcSZYlJi9tynt_SvVK1-B0oQiAYBMk2JBAEOzBiM3mkuwdaUcjKasqgcplVmVdZhZAzO2dvPfee--999577733ujudTif33_8_XGZkAWz2zkrayZ4hgKrIHz9-fB8_In7dfLn91et79-79Hr9Wtv51zxbZRf5r_hq_xq_xmP7_G02zZZWnTZmV1eLXHOFjeX7tL8_P7R_04JugMX_yP_2m236jX8O8_2smdVW1L7M6WzS_tn72a-H_uzv49Tcz7X93_PMb0_9_vXevr5vTdwbGr-n9ze9mFplfU38HuF87O59alM0f-D_6_DV3uMdF695ctL-W_v5b_BoWGf71Pv_66xCI0ja3fwHar0t_1AvbWfjnr4_mu_jr1-PPJxZG529-7TyEYv9kKDsWynkHivubX6tDKPZPhrJnodQdKO5volduXvo18YeZKCbeLn77DU1bTBFTnGiSr8ynvyb_ZWD8JvhkjwHkk8a2MX_wZOQOG-_3Xyt3zb3ff-1mtbKf4w_T029lX7ycuhfd779OVXusZP_irya5_5X5C8-vPbtamt9_TfPHr4P_N2tvPMFfv3aeOQz8P-j3lf-F_ePXbQJo4Z-_9rtnz92U0B_2i6z2cPP--I2aabXKn6yXs9IjYvCpAfjjgPNg5z5-_3WIm9a2efDXrzOv5Q-hEP4yED7-NSA0n-JX4hcnV_4fv96L_Cpv2v8nAAD__3NRsHxzBAAA&rid=144124182&rcat=Event&rt=AUS%3A+Australian+Canoe+Slalom+Portrait+Session

One Small Step...

And I’m spent! 2 weeks, 18 white water sessions and a relapse to my days as ‘sick boy,’ has taken its toll physically and mentally, but it was worth it!

The camp provided an opportunity to train alongside some of the world’s best C2 crews. It allowed us to compare our paddling and expose areas to improve. I discovered I needed to improve my body synchronisation, stroke selection, and efficiency of my steering strokes in order to provide a balanced boat for Kynan and to retain boat speed.

I did a few sessions with Yann, our coach and 2 x French Olympic C2 paddler, when Kynan was in C1. It highlighted how much I relied on Kynan to steer the boat rather than drive it forward, which was slowing us down. I focussed on staying forward and using pries (steering strokes) to keep the boat balanced, tracking and fast.

It took a couple of sessions to get used to the changes. Some of the sessions were really frustrating. I am so happy we kept exploring the changes, because once it clicked, it felt awesome! There is still allot of work to do, but we now know what is required to perform in London and have more goals to address.

The camp was just a small step towards success at the Olympics, but it was a huge step forward for our team.