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Staying in one piece is the goal

August 31, 2009 04:16 PM | Posted by   Katie Tsuyuki  

Summer for most people is about looking forward to long weekends, travelling to new places or just going to the cabin and sitting out in the sun. My summer has been about seeing family, going to the gym and journeying back to winter.

Granted, going to the cold is not a traditional summer activity, but qualifying for the Olympic Games is coming up and my chances look good so I’m embracing the challenge.

Lastly, an enormous part of getting to the Games will be staying in one piece over the next six months.

Summer shredding

Summer for me began with a series of delightful family commitments. My grandfather’s 75th birthday started it off with a gathering in British Columbia. I love family reunions where I can catch up with people I haven’t seen in a long time. The next event was my best friend’s brother’s wedding; this family was my second family growing up and it was an extravagant ceremony. It was fun getting dressed up in my layered white and turquoise lace dress complete with bow in the back. Wearing those clothes is not something I do often.

More usual were the sessions with my trainer Jamie Hollins, who helped me get physically strong again before I headed off for on-snow training.

Timberline resort in Mt. Hood, Ore., is almost my favourite place for some warm, sunny, summer riding. It’s a beautiful place with huge evergreen trees scattered over rolling hills with volcano peaks that majestically rise almost out of nothing. It’s a great training ground.

From there I had a trip home and then headed right back into winter, which is where I am now. More precisely I’m in a little town called Wanaka, which is the hub of various ski fields here in the South Island of New Zealand. They are deep winter months here, meaning it gets dark early and it’s cold. Luckily I own a Play Station Portable and the pipe here has been amazing to train in. I’m expecting to get in some good days before qualifying begins for the Games.

Eyes on an Olympic berth

I thought that qualifying would be straightforward, but it is not as clear-cut as I expected. As of now, there are three quota spots and one alternate to be filled. This number can change depending on how many Canadian women are ranked in the top 30 of the World Cup FIS points list after the last applicable World Cup in January 2010. If our ladies keep up their good work, there should be four spots and one alternate available for five positions total. There are six or seven girls who are competing for these spots, including me.

There are three qualifying contests, two Grand Prix events (which are hosted in the U.S.) and one World Cup in Stoneham, Que. At the end of these events whoever the point leaders are will be awarded those positions. I expect to have one of those spots, if my performances stay consistent.

My job now is to work hard and be smart about how I train. I am defiantly trying not to take any risks with my body. This means no downhill biking, wakeboarding or any other extreme sport that may be fun, but come at a high price. Injury prevention is at an all-time high right now.

I make it habit to get in the gym and try to incorporate meditation when I can to keep my mind and body strong. These aspects are so important to keep myself in the game. I may have had a short and sweet summer, but that’s OK. I am training hard and getting excited to contend for a chance to live my dream.

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