The Games : Athlete Diaries

The Games : Athlete Diaries

• CBC Sports Olympic Relay: Canadian athletes' chain mail Posted: Thursday, July 26, 2012 | 02:08 PM
• CBC Sports Olympic Relay: Kevin Light, Rowing One of the great moments for Canada in the 2008 Beijing Olympics was the victory of the Canadian men's eight when they won the gold medal. Kevin Light was part of that team. Not only is he a championship rower but he's a writer and photographer  who has been contributing to CBCSports.ca ever since then.He took some time away from the sport and then felt the urge to return. This year he is the spare for another rowing team that has a shot at a medal - if not gold. Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 | 02:49 PM
• CBC Sports Olympic Relay: Paula Findlay, Triathlon As one of the founders of this concept Adam van Koeverden had questions for a woman who during the last couple of years was the best women's triathlete in the world. Her name is Paula Findlay. In 2010 she won five separate events, including the ITU World Championships. Such a streak is unheard of in her sport. Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 | 02:28 PM
• CBC Sports Olympic Relay: Adam van Koeverden, Kayak We sent Adam a questionnaire and asked what he thought. Our idea was to ask questions that the athletes could have fun with.He liked the idea, but thought it would be better if the athletes asked each other questions. We said YES! Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 | 01:41 PM
• CBC Sports Olympic Relay: Clara Hughes, Cycling Clara Hughes is perhaps Canada's most well-known and admired athlete.She has won Olympic medals in cycling and speedskating.  Her Olympic career started in 1996 when she competed as a cyclist and won two bronze medals. She was in the 2000 Olympics as a cyclist and then said she was giving up the sport. Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 | 01:24 PM
• CBC Sports Olympic Relay: Nicole Forrester, Athletics Nicole Forrester is a veteran member high jumper who has represented Canada in many international events.  She is a vibrant, exciting and passionate athlete who is as proud to represent her country as you can possibly imagine. She's completing her PHD in Sports Psychology. Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 | 12:18 PM
• CBC Sports Olympic Relay: Josh Cassidy, Wheelchair Racing Josh Cassidy is what you call multi-talented. Not only does he set records as a wheelchair athlete, he is also a talented illustrator. Check out his website for some examples of his work. You will certainly be engaged.In 2012 Josh recorded the world's fastest marathon in Boston and he delighted in the opportunity to take part in our Olympic Relay. Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 | 12:00 PM
• CBC Sports Olympic Relay: Julia Wilkinson, Swimming Those of us at CBCSports.ca are familiar with the multiple skills of Olympic swimmer Julia Wilkinson. For many months now she's been telling us about her journey to the Olympics. It's been fun as she has told her story of taking part in a photo shoot, her fear of swimming in open water and the importance of Team Julia.We couldn't wait to get a chance to ask her some questions. Posted: Tuesday, July 24, 2012 | 12:13 PM
• Julia Wilkinson Good Olympic omens all around me I can't believe how fast the time has gone. It seems like only yesterday that I sat down to my computer to write about getting ready for the Olympic trials. Now, my days in Sardinia for staging camp are dwindling and I have to start thinking about repacking my suitcase and getting on my last flight before I walk into the Olympic VillagePart of staying calm and confident is looking for the positive in everything. The good omens. Posted: Monday, July 23, 2012 | 12:16 PM
• Scott Frandsen The final countdown to the Olympics It's almost here. These last few months have flown by and we're now less than 10 days away from the opening ceremony for the London Olympics. Wow. I can feel the excitement and apprehension building, and every once in a while I have to tell myself to calm down and take it all in stride. We've done this before. And done it well. Posted: Thursday, July 19, 2012 | 07:36 AM
• Julia Wilkinson My top 10 pump-up songs: Part II Here we have it, folks: the top five of my top 10 pump-up songs of my swimming career. To recap in case you missed Part I, all 10 of these songs were chosen based on varying criteria: they represent a race, a person, or a time frame that was particularly challenging or motivating in my career. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're all part of the soundtrack to my 17-year career as a competitive swimmer, the top five especially. Here they are. Posted: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 | 03:18 PM
• Julia Wilkinson My top 10 pump-up songs A few weeks ago, as I wrapped up my packing and final preparations for our Olympic staging camp and the Olympics in London, I announced on Twitter that I was looking for suggestions for my "pump-up" playlist for the Games.I got a great response, and it motivated me to count down my top 10 pump-up songs of all time. Posted: Monday, July 16, 2012 | 02:49 PM
• Julia Wilkinson My mom's whistle At the recent Quebec Cup meet, I won the 100-metre freestyle, but was disappointed when I saw the time. However, those negative feelings were quickly forgotten when I heard a familiar sound: my mom's whistle. Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2012 | 12:41 PM
• Scott Frandsen Olympic experience will be key in London Lately, I've been asked a lot about how my previous experience will affect our performance in London. With this being my third Olympics, will anything be different? Will I be better prepared to race?The truth is that each Olympics is completely different, but knowing what challenges to expect can only help. Posted: Wednesday, July 4, 2012 | 02:06 PM
• Julia Wilkinson Team Julia always there when I need them It's been several weeks since I leaped from a boat off the coast of Maui and found myself out of my comfort zone and in deep water, surrounded by tropical fish, turtles, and two harmless sharks. I must apologize for my long absence from my blog: it's as if the stress of training and organizing my life in preparation for my departure to London has absorbed all my free time. Our camp in Maui was valuable, but long and hard, and in the first week I found myself facing an eternal stretch of bad practices. My stroke felt off, and I was exhausted and sore. Posted: Monday, July 2, 2012 | 02:20 PM
• Phylicia George The biggest hurdles race of my life This Friday at the Canadian Track & Field Trials, I look forward to placing in the top three in the 100 metres, qualifying for the Olympics, and checking off the first box on my to-do list for this weekend.The second box, qualifying in the 100m hurdles on Saturday, may be just a little tougher. Posted: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 | 12:10 PM
• Scott Frandsen New training, mental approach paying off As we move into our last seven weeks in the lead-up to London, I've been thinking a lot about what goes into building and solidifying this mental aspect of competition, and I think it comes down to three things: confidence in the training that you've been doing, confidence in the rest of your crew, and confidence in yourself. Posted: Thursday, June 14, 2012 | 10:52 AM
• Julia Wilkinson Facing my fear of open water You probably won't believe this, but I'm afraid of open water.I know: it's a contradiction, a hypocrisy even, for an Olympic swimmer to be afraid of any kind of water. But that's why, for me, swimming in the ocean is my personal phobia: a phobia is something that you're afraid of no matter how often you're reassured or how irrational the fear may be. That pretty much sums up how I feel in water over my head. Posted: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 | 11:03 AM