Recently by Kelly Vanderbeek
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David Ford: Whitewater trailblazer
David Ford's career has blazed a new trail in the sport of whitewater
kayaking. He often talks of his motivation coming from once being told a
Canadian would never, and could never, be a world champion in the
sport. After countless years of intense training, in 1999 David became
the first non-European to win the world championship title, which he
held for three years.Sadly, his journey appears to be nearing its end. On April 15, David narrowly missed qualifying for his sixth Olympics.
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Skiing
Why do athletes keep risking it?
Why do athletes in snow sports choose to put ourselves in such extreme circumstances, knowing
we face serious injury and possibly death? Having lost two great
athletes in Sarah Burke and Nik Zoricic this year, questions and concerns within the snow sport community have never been louder or more fervent.So why keep doing it? It's simple. It's because of athletes
like Jan Hudec, Erin Mielzinsky, Ben Thomsen, Marie-Michele Gagnon and
Anna Goodman, to name but a few. They've defied the odds, and in doing
so found ways to inspire us all.
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Skiing
What can we learn from Nik Zoricic's death?
Alone at my home in B.C., I scour the internet for anything to hold
onto. I try to cling to the community that I've laughed with, cried
with, and grown with. I'm searching for a reason, for support, for a
sense of understanding why someone like Nik Zoricic would be taken so
young, doing what he loved best - skiing.
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Skiing
Erin Mielzynski's magic moment
Erin Mielzynski shocked the ski community on Sunday in Germany by winning a women's slalom for her first-ever World Cup victory (and first time finishing in the top 10). It was the first win by a Canadian in a World Cup slalom since Betsy Clifford in 1971.Incredible doesn't begin to describe Erin's momentous achievement at the very young age of 21. She's young and fast, which is great news for Alpine Canada and the women's team, who needed (and I believe deserve) a pick-me-up. This positive affirmation will not only help Erin, but the whole team moving forward.
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Skiing
First look at the Sochi downhill
Since returning from a World Cup stop in Russia I've been bombarded with
people hungry for information. Everyone wants to know what Russia was
like and how preparations look for the 2014 Olympics.
Sadly, we never made it to Sochi during our stay in Russia. However, we
did get a good week in Rosa Khutor, which is to Sochi as Whistler was to
Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics.
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Skiing
Canadian skiers have aura of confidence
With new courses comes new excitement. Both Andorra and Sochi hosted
World Cup events for the first time this week. Luckily, these tracks
continued to favour the Canadians and strengthened their momentum that
began two weeks ago.
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Skiing
Back in the start gate
People may be wondering why I came back to the World Cup ski circuit so quickly, without any warm-up races or much training. I'm motivated to be prepared to ski a new downhill track in three weeks in Sochi, Russia - the Olympic venue for 2014 - and I want to be there.
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Skiing
Training for my return a glorious whirlwind
In the last three-and-a-half days I have spent approximately 23 hours in the air, 10 hours in five different international airports, 6 hours driving to and from airports, and I've landed in four different time zones, three Canadian provinces and three different coutries.
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Skiing
When plans fall apart, the real magic happens
Over the two years since my knee injury, my time was filled with
extremely hard work to rehab and rebuild an injured body and spirit.
This taught me that, sometimes, the best laid plans and resolutions are
those that leave room for life.Between my training/physio/surgeries I had to fill my time with
things that kept my spirits high and my mind engaged. In doing so, I
began to refine many old skills and learn new ones. All of these positive things happened because my plans didn't go as I'd hoped or expected.
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Christmas shopping tips for athletes
Bouncing from remote mountain village to village from September through December, athletes are faced with inflated prices, isolation and little selection when it comes time for Christmas shopping.For some, the stress of trying to maintain regular Christmas traditions can be rather overwhelming. And so, this is my guidebook to help them along - and give you some insight into a little unknown part of our world.
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Veteran skiers worth betting on
In every sport there are some safe bets: reliable athletes that, more
often than not, deliver top results. However, sports such as golf,
whitewater kayaking and alpine skiing are more difficult to predict than
others.It's these idiosyncrasies within the sport of alpine
that makes team selection difficult - especially at a time when budgets
are tight. Organizations like Alpine Canada have to place their bets on
which athletes will continue to perform and draw in revenue dollars.
With only so much money to go around, there simply isn't enough to
support everyone. So the athletes who are performing well now get
supported. This makes sense, but it's still hard to swallow for many
strong athletes.
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Kucera's return highlights downhill opener
The alpine skiing season begins in earnest this weekend with the opening men's speed events at Lake Louise, Alta., highlighted by Canadian John Kucera, who's returning to racing after injury, and teammate Eric Guay, who's the reigning world downhill champion.
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Fundraising Fiesta
'Tis the season to...attend fundraisers. The tour of gala, media and dinner functions across Canada have neared completion as Canada's Alpine Ski team has gotten to meet, greet, and share a few drinks with some incredible people. The events have spanned from Montreal to Vancouver and will wrap up on the Nov. 21st in Calgary.
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Let the season begin!
Most Canadians cringe when temperatures start to drop, but there's a select group for whom excitement is building. It's as if skiers have this wonderful little secret, that falling temperatures mean the playground that is winter is nearing.My excitement is now at a particular high as this weekend marks the beginning of the 2011-12 alpine World Cup season. As the world watches, athletes will be putting new equipment and skills to the test on the Rettenbach glacier near Soelden, Austria.
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On the comeback trail in Chile
Everyone loves a good comeback story. But how long is our attention
span, and what defines a comeback? Does it only take shape once old
glory is found again, or can it take different forms?
I have many questions in this realm as I face my own comeback from knee surgery head on.
I'm starting to realize that true comebacks are made up of a million
small victories, unseen and unsung. It's those small victories that give
you the power to continue, to take that next step.
- More from the alpine injury summit Since Alpine Canada held its injury summit last week in Calgary, many experts (some self proclaimed) have gotten very vocal and involved in this movement. I think this is great - let's keep this discussion going!Here are a few more facts I learned in case you're interested (and if you missed Part 1 on the injury summit, click here).
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Inside the alpine injury summit
Coming into Alpine Canada's injury summit, held in Calgary this week, I
was hopeful we would find the magic bullet to solve the injury woes in
our sport.After the research studies were presented and discussions were held, we
all realized there was no single cause for the rash of injuries we've
been seeing. But there are still plenty of reasons for optimism.
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Taking stock, looking forward
For many people, the time for reflection, goal setting and taking stock
usually happens when they're ringing in the New Year. But for ski
racers, that time is now.
When the snow starts to melt, the national championships have wrapped
up, and thoughts of mountain biking return, we take a moment to reflect.
Where are we now? What have we accomplished? Where are we heading and
how do we get there?
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Happy surgeon, happy Kelly
I met with my surgeon, Dr. Heard, Sunday and he was all smiles! My knee has come a long way in the last nine weeks and I've been given the all clear to start adding more elements to my fitness program.
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Trading snow for sunshine
My time in Australia has been wonderful on so many levels. It was the
perfect environment to heal and strengthen after my surgery. Being with
David, working with an incredible physiotherapist, a gym down the street
and a wonderful family around us...I couldn't have asked for more.
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The business of sport
As proven by some Olympic gold medallists who are now without sponsors - a medal doesn't equal earning power. No matter the athlete or sport there is a need to be more than just 'Faster, Higher, Stronger,' as the IOC's motto suggests.
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Vancouver Games belonged to all of Canada
The Vancouver Olympics feel as though they were only yesterday, yet simultaneously it feels like a lifetime ago.Even writing this blog is a challenge, as it requires clarity of thought regarding an event filled with emotion. Hopefully, I can find a way to convey my mixed emotions of joy, pride, gratitude, and sadness for an event that consumed my life for over eight years.
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Vonn case shows concussion culture must change
At what point do we say enough is enough?
I understand that the culture of sport is to tough it out, and nowhere is this more the case than in alpine skiing, where minor surgeries are barely a
by-line on injury lists.
But the brain is different, and that's why I'm a bit angry in the wake of Lindsey Vonn's decision to ski in the world championships despite her experiencing concussion symptoms.
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Healthy is normal. Right?
Calgary is where our team's centre for recovery is located. Headed up by
Dr. Chris Irving and physiotherapist Kent Kobelka, there is a constant
flurry of calls, e-mails, and people filing through with injury after
injury. Some major, some minor, but all injured. I'm beginning to feel
as though this is the norm, that injury is inevitable in sport. However, that isn't the case, and I have to remind myself regularly in order to keep my racing spirit alive and well.
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More surgery: Just what I needed (really)
I've written a lot about dealing with life's curveballs, bumps in the
road, detours, or whatever you want to call them, over the last year.
Whatever metaphor I've chosen to use, the reality is still the same:
life doesn't always go as planned.
However, that isn't always a bad thing.
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Post-2010: What's next?
All that talk about 2010 for so many years, and now it's all history. In
many ways it's a bizarre feeling looking back at 2010 - but I prefer to
look forward, and I'm excited to see what 2011 has in store for us all.Thinking back to last year makes me see how far I've come. From a
dislocated knee with extensive damage to skiing, lifting, biking, etc. Still, there is more improvement needed for me to be race ready.
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Cure for the Olympic hangover
Vancouver 2010 was the greatest red-and-white party Canada has ever experienced, yet the
athletes are quickly being forgotten. Corporations who cashed in during
the Olympics are pulling out and the public is moving on.
Please, don't let this happen.
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Don't count out Canadian alpine team
You know it's been a bizarre year when Tiger Woods doesn't win a golf
tournament and only one Canadian woman places in the top 30 at the Lake
Louise World Cup stop.
I realize these two things may not have received equal media coverage, but in my world the parallel is glaringly obvious.
Ah, how times have changed.
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Emotional return to the slopes
I jumped out of bed with excitement as my alarm sounded hours before the sun would rise.
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Who will shine at Lake Louise?
The big names in men's skiing are all game for this weekend's opening downhill and super-G races at Lake Louise, with Canada's Erik Guay, Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal,
Switzerland's Didier Cuche and American Bode Miller all showing up with
solid training runs.My dark horse from the Canadian team is Robbie Dixon. He's hungry
after last year's disappointments and is an incredibly talented skier.
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Winter means it's time to play
The snow is covering the streets of Chilliwack, B.C., today and the cold winter air has officially arrived.
Believe it or not, this makes me smile because winter means it's my time to play.
- Exercising body and mind I can't believe we've already passed the middle of March. I have really enjoyed my time at home with David the last few weeks. It's been almost surreal, planning for weekends in advance and feeling a sense of living here at home, which is usually just a place where I rest my head in transition.
- My Olympic dream is over First off, thank you for all the notes of support and sympathy. As many of you have heard by now, I suffered a season-ending injury to my left knee during a downhill training run Thursday at Val D'Isere, France. This followed the loss of my teammate, Larisa Yurkiw, to virtually the same injury the day before.
- Competing with a heavy heart I can't really talk about Lake Louise and last weekend's opening World Cup speed races without talking about the passing of my mother-in-law, MegAnne Ford. Although I hadn't intended on letting everyone know about her passing, I simply broke down in the finish area after the final downhill training run last Thursday, unable to finish the interview I'd started. I had to explain what was happening.
- Training hard, and movie stars The time is coming. The nets are up, the snow is falling, and the days are passing quickly. Yes, race season will start before we know it. As the season gets closer I'm feeling more excited, confident, and passionate. But before I get ahead of myself, I'll give you a quick update on what I've been up to.
- To say I'm excited would be a huge understatement Ever since the Olympic flame arrived in Victoria last Friday I have felt this sense of, ‘here we go!’ We are now (finally) moving away from the talking and speculating and moving towards the doing.
- Why I keep throwing my body down a mountain I hope the swings in temperature of the fall season aren't causing too much havoc in your lives, because I can certainly relate to the challenges this time of year presents. I just returned from a two-week training camp in Soelden and Pitztal, Austria, where we ran into many such challenges. We were able to ski on only three of our first seven days, and that was in ruts that were shockingly large. Still, we were able to get something out of the training, which was more than one might imagine.
- 'Skiing with ego' on the other side of the world Training camp in New Zealand was a time full of rain, wind, a few minor injuries and a whole lot of hard work. Besides showcasing some impressive work by the entire group of Canadian athletes and the coaching staff, the camp ended with no fist fights — quite civilized considering we endured five tiring weeks living in close quarters! Seriously, though, it was a great camp and I really enjoyed the way our team came together under the stress.
- Greetings from snowy New Zealand I hope everyone is enjoying some golf, sunshine, beachside views, and all the joys that summer has to offer. Although I no longer have time to work on my tan (OK, let's get serious, I only ever get as far as looking less pale) I'm enjoying the feeling of being back on my skis. I'm now in New Zealand and hard at work. I enjoy the training throughout the summer, but skiing is what I love and this is the kind of work that will get me on the podium. The last month has certainly been busy, though. A few updates on what's been happening:
- Two training camps and a wedding As we start to enjoy the spring and some warmer weather, the last two months have been pretty exciting for me with a wedding and final preparations beginning for the lead-up to the 2010 Olympics.
- This was the first season I didn't get better I am sitting here in front of my computer trying to summarize another season, to find insights into the highs and lows and a way to fully express my motivation heading into next year. However, at this moment, I'm finding that my body and mind need some time to "catch their breath." It's an odd feeling when the race season concludes: the racing has gone by too quickly, yet the season feels like it has lasted far too long. The travel and stress that comes with the competitive season certainly takes its toll in different ways.
- Headaches come in many forms Now that was a tough weekend of travel and racing in Bulgaria. I never thought I'd hear everyone in the finish area say they'd rather be on the track in Val d'Isere! Well, that could be slightly unfair to the town of Bansko, since the hill was fun and offered amazing potential. But our downhill was set up with the intent of keeping our speeds as slow as possible. The course, which started and finished in the same place as last year's men's Europa Cup event, was a whopping 23 seconds slower than it was for that race. The track was also reminiscent of Quebec and Ontario snow, with a light sugar layer on top and sheer ice underneath. By Day 2 it was a skating rink with bumps the whole way down.
- The passion returns Well, it's nice to sit down to right a blog feeling much more like myself! I'm healthier, stronger, and enjoying being on my skis again. When I arrived in Italy for last week's World Cup races, I wasn't feeling quite so stellar after picking up a stomach bug. After a rough flight fighting sickness the whole way, I threw up only steps after exiting the plane (luckily I'd kept the complimentary barf bag!). I continued to fight this stomach bug for the next three days and was unable to eat much of anything as I got ready for the races. I did the first downhill training run in rough condition and had to pull out of the second training run.
- I faced my fears and won Here I am, one year out from the 2010 Olympics and having just competed in our world championships. There have certainly been a lot of lessons I’ll be taking with me from the last two weeks’ experiences to better prepare myself for 2010’s big show. This past week in Val d’Isere was filled with many demons and a near-comical rollercoaster of emotions. It wasn’t until the second training run in the downhill that I truly realized there were some strong emotions that were crippling me out on the hill. I had a good plan in the start, I felt confident with where I needed to go and what I needed to do. Yet, once on the hill, my body went completely rigid. I went into protective mode.
- Craziest. Week. Ever. Thinking about how to write this blog, I didn't know where to begin. But here goes, a summary of one crazy week — the last two days being the most exciting. We were in Cortina, Italy getting ready for a set of downhill training runs that were supposed to start on Tuesday. After a disappointing race in Altenmarkt I was ready to get at it again, with less clutter in my mind and renewed passion in my heart. David, my fiancee, also joined me in Cortina on Monday, a very welcomed roommate. I always feel at home when I'm with him. He makes the time on the road much more pleasant. But plans changed as the snow started to fall — over two metres by the time it was done. After a bunch of cancellations we ended up with just one training run on Friday, a downhill race on Saturday, a giant slalom on Sunday and a super-G on Monday (the second scheduled downhill was lost on account of the weather).
- What a way to start over It almost feels like the season is just getting started. The fall was so packed with training leading up to the races, then having two out of five events cancelled due to weather… it now feels like we’re starting anew. But I think this slower start to the season hasn’t been bad for me, giving me more time to adjust to my new boots and find my racing legs. After the holidays you could tell which athletes were the technical racers and which were the speed skiers. The technical ones, who compete in the giant slalom and slalom, are a bit more tired and felt the holidays were too short. No surprise considering they returned to action on Dec. 28 in Austria. The speed group, which I'm a part of, is itching to race because the last women's speed event was way back on Dec. 21. And we'll finally get our wish: competition begins again this weekend in Austria!
- Me and my big arm Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I simply cannot properly express how much I love this time of year. I love the festive feeling in the air, the time with family, the food, and the general good cheer all around. It's even snowing here in Chilliwack, B.C., today - a true white and Canadian Christmas. It is because of my love for the holidays that the final races before Christmas are my favourite. I'm lucky enough that I will be home for Christmas and New Year's! In our world it's rare for a North American to be home at all during the holidays. I will be in Chilliwack, Victoria and (powder) skiing in the mountains over the holidays.
About the Author
Kelly Vanderbeek
Canadian alpine skier Kelly VanderBeek has reached the World Cup podium three times in her career. Her most cherished accomplishment came when she earned a bronze in the super-G at the famed Lake Louise course in Alberta, becoming the first Canadian female skier to reach the podium on home soil. VanderBeek nearly captured a medal at the 2006 Torino Games, missing the podium by just 0.03 of a second. Born in Kapuskasing and raised in Kitchener, Ont., VanderBeek now resides with husband, and fellow Olympian, David Ford in Chilliwack, B.C.
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