What Do I Do Now?

I am one of those people who thinks that everything happens for a reason—the good, the bad, and everything in between. I believe that the Big Man upstairs needs us to go through these ups and downs so that we can grow and learn and come out the other end even stronger.

Since my last update I raced my last two races at World Under 23 trials in Canmore. My pursuit race was horrible. It was probably the worst race that I have had in years. I was battling the one year anniversary of my former coach’s death and I really wanted to have a good race to make him proud. But with all that on my mind I went out way too hard and suffered for the last half of the race.
I had to refocus for the sprints the next day, but in my semi final I just got nudged out of making the final and kissed my ticket to U23s away.

So for the last week I have been trying to scrape all of the pieces back together and decide what to do next. It has been a bit of a daunting task. With setbacks like these they always make you stop and take a hard look at what you’re doing. Where did I go wrong? What can I change? Should I even keep trying? All of these questions and millions more have filtered through my brain this week. What do I do now?

To be honest I took a day to file through all my options. By the end of that day I had come to terms with the fact that I would be spending the rest of my season in Canada, but I had also come to terms with the fact that it was okay. It is an opportunity in disguise. I have a chance to pursue other types of goals. I can pick up a little more school. I can do all of the races that I have been missing out on the last few years that I have gone to Europe. I can get some solid training in here at home and work on all the things that are holding me back so that they don’t hold me back when it really counts. I have an opportunity to take this so called disaster and make the most of a miserable situation. I can choose to sit back and except defeat or rise to the challenge.

In a sport like skiing, it sometimes feels like if you miss a step or an opportunity along the way that it is virtually impossible to make it to the next one.


It feels like there is no way that you could possibly make it past this point on the stairway to the top because now there is a gapping hole in the staircase.


But if you take the time to learn from your mistakes and become stronger you can build up that stairway again.


And when the next opportunity comes along you will be ready to make it to the top.


My next opportunity is in the form of a world cup race in Whistler this Friday. I have been chosen to race as part of the national group just like last year. I am pretty proud and excited to race against the rest of the world at the 2010 Olympic venue. It should be fun to rip around that course knowing that the very best in the world will be lining up there next year.

Hope you enjoyed my drawings!