Biography

I started cross country skiing at the age of seven. I was asked at my local daycare in Pakenham, ON if I would like to try the sport by Heinz Niederhauser, who soon became my first coach. I started skiing and racing in the National Capital Division and loved it. Every weekend there was a different race somewhere and a chance to meet up with all my friends and team mates.

When I was 14, I started racing the Ontario Cup series races. I qualified for the Ontario team that year and represented the province at my first national championships, held in Canmore, AB.

I spent 2 seasons training with the National Team Development Centre in Thunder Bay, ON before I made the move to Canmore last spring to train as a member of the newly formed Alberta World Cup Academy team. I am now starting my second season on the Academy.

With 2 world junior championships, an under 23 world championship, and four world cup races under my belt I am looking forward to another great racing season that will be filled with new adventures and hopefully some new opportunities that will lead me closer to achieving my goal of representing Canada at the Olympics.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Italia and Some History

So I raced my second race here at U23s yesterday. I placed a pretty solid 35th. It very warm 10km classic race. When the womens race ended it was a balmy 24 degrees in the sun. Boiling. I do not think that I have ever been so hot in a ski race before. A big thanks to our amazing wax techs who pulled off some of the best skis I have raced on all year. There were a few girls slipping out there in the sun, but the Canadians were not among them.

Today I decided to take a break from skiing. I already know the race course for tomorrows 15km skate race and my body could use a break from the high altitude at the race site. So a few of my team mate and I decided to go for a run and check out a few of the WW1 bunkers that are barily visible on our drive up to the race site. What a crazy experience.''

The bunkers are huge cement hills covered in dirt and grass. They just look like little hills in the fields but as you get close there are gun holes and little doors that are partially filled in with bricks and dirt. We ran around them and checked out the scene, thinking back to when these buildings were swarming with soldiers.

Of course we decided to go inside and check it out a little more. The five of us stayed very close in the dark confines of the bunker. We thought that it would be just a large open room but with one step inside we realized that it was a maze of tunnels that lead upwards and deep into the ground. With one flashlight, we all stayed within an arms length of one another and ventured in. It was increadibly creepy. It was a lot warmer in the bunker than outside and really quiet. There were ladders that lead down to other floors and stairs that lead up. We found one dead cat that was all dried up and 2D, but no sign of any other animals. The dead cat that I almost stepped on in the dark was enough for me. We negotiated our way back out of the underground maze and headed for fresh air and sunlight.

It was really cool to get to check out such a foreign part of history but I am really glad that I do not have to live down there.

Hopefully tomorrow will be just as exciting!

0 comments: