Going for Gold

SportAccord World Combat Games 1st Place- Beijing, China

2010-09-18T11:03:00.003-06:00

On Sept 1st, 2010 I took part in the SportAccord World Combat Games in Beijing, China.
Pool Competition: wins vs USA, KAZ, POL

Final: Win vs. JAPAN

Great competition! with lots of fun events

POLISH OPEN 1st Place Aug 6-7, 2010

2010-08-14T10:48:00.005-06:00

POLAND OPEN Spala, Poland
Location: Spala Olympic Training Center
August 6-7, 2010

Opening round: win vs Poland
Semis: win vs. Czech
Final: win vs. Russia

Result: GOLD 1st/12

http://yukon-news.com/sports/19297/

Great Britain Cup 7th Place

2010-07-22T09:05:00.007-06:00

I just returned from Manchester, England where I was competing in the Great Britain Cup 2010. I lost in the opening round to Belarus, who lost to Poland in the semi-finals. Since the loss came earlier in the tournament I was not pulled back into repechage. It was a disappointing finish, but it made me think about my health and being game ready. Its unfortunate when weaker opponents place higher. It illustrates why every match it extremely important and there is no room for error. Today I'm off to the health food store to get some coconut oil ,to hopefully curb my sugar cravings.I'd like to acknowledge the DREAMCATCHER FUND (http://www.dcfund.ca/) for partially funding my travel costs. This was one on the few self-funded trips i do a year. So the support from Boughton and the Dreamcatcher Fund helped pay my travel and food while overseas.

I am leaving August 1st to attend a week long training camp in Poland and the Warsaw Cup!!

Much love to everyone, I am blessed to have you in my life.

CANADA CUP INTERNATIONAL 2nd place

2010-07-12T10:29:00.007-06:00

I had 4 matches this past weekend. In my first match I knocked off the Canadian World Team and Commonwealth member in the opening round. In the final I wrestled one of the topped ranked Americans. It definitely was not my best match, especially

considering that I had previously beaten her in the finals of the Dave Shultz International back in February. Besides that Guelph, Ont. was so hot and humid it felt like your head was going to explode. Following the tournament we had a national team training camp for a week. I am now leaving to Manchester to compete in the Great Britain Cup.

Busy summer

2010-06-16T11:07:00.001-06:00

Well that school year went by in a flash!!

To finish off the school year, I traveled to Vancouver to write my final exam for an Import/Export Law class, unfortunately the exam was to take place the day after the Boughton Law Corporation Summer Party. It was a tough decision, but in the end I was well-behaved and studied, whilst my sponsoring firm enjoyed all they could eat BBQ burgers at their FIFA themed summer event. Still, I’m grateful that year two of law school is now over and I can now concentrate on training for some great wrestling competitions.

Right after exams in April I flew to Toronto for the Stage 2 Nationals wrestle off. I am very excited to report that I qualified for the Sport Combat Games in Beijing, China in September and the World University Games which will be held in Torino, Italy this October.

Before I pack my bags for these world wide adventures, I will meet up with some feisty competition at the Canada Cup in Guelph, Ontario. Turnout for this event is usually pretty decent as we host the national team training camp the week following the competition. There are usually foreign competitors in the mix, which always makes it a little more fun.

To summarize, the next four months will be an exciting and exhausting campaign of training and competition and should live up to the promise of some great competitions. Here is a quick look at my upcoming schedule:

Canada Cup International: July 2-3, 2010, Guelph, Ontario
National Team Training Camp: July 4-9, 2010, Guelph, Ontario
Poland Open: August 5-7, 2010, Spala, Poland
Training Camp: August 8-11, 2010, Spala, Poland
Sport Combat Games: Sept 1-2, 2010, Beijing, China
World University Championships: October 26-30, 2010, Turin, Italy

Somewhere in between all of this I will be starting my 3rd year of law school. I haven’t really been thinking about Articling, and may defer it for one year so I can focus on more athletic training.

Thanks Boughton for your continued support. Why aren’t you on Wikipedia yet? Ha-ha

Nanjing China

2010-04-27T12:25:00.002-06:00

I have recently returned from Nanjing, China where I traveled with the World Cup Team and competed against athletes from around the world. Unfortunately during the first match of the tournament I broke my nose! Luckily, it’s still pretty straight! Although the team didn’t have great success, I’m now turning my focus towards the Nationals in Toronto commencing on April 25th.

Dave Shultz International -Gold

2010-02-11T09:53:00.006-07:00

Last weekend I competed in the Dave Schultz International in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I competed with wrestlers from Czech Republic, Norway, Korea, and the United States of America. I placed first overall, winning my 4 matches, including a hard fought wrestle in the final against an opponent from the US.

The Olympic ceremonies are just around the corner! I’ll be fully supporting Team Canada and reminiscing on my experiences in Beijing, China during the 2008 Olympic Games. GO CANADA GO!

Unfortunately, with my busy school and training schedules I had to turn down the opportunity to represent the Kaska, in the Four Host First Nations Aboriginal Youth Gathering in Vancouver during the Olympics. My support and thoughts are with them.

Guelph Open January 23 GOLD

2010-02-01T19:18:00.003-07:00

Each year the University of Guelph hosts a Men's and Women's Freestyle Wrestling Tournament. The tournament is Canada’s largest running tournament and showcases some of the most elite wrestlers from across the country!

This year's tournament was held last weekend. I attended as I would never miss an opportunity to compete at this level. I'm extremely happy with the results as I placed 1st in my weight class, and am happy to start the year with a win!

November 3rd I ran the 2010 VANCOUVER Olympic Torch in Whitehorse, Yukon

2009-11-19T23:14:00.024-07:00

At the beginning of this month I was given a great opportunity, I was selected to carry the Olympic Torch in Whitehorse on November 3!

The day is here! My family had driven up from Watson Lake to support me and watch this exciting event. We all went to Main Street to get breakfast and some very needed coffee. Now that I am in law school coffee has become a big part of my daily routine. As we walked through town, you could sense something exciting was about to happen. The bank was closed and there were warning signs showing street closures everywhere you looked.

After breakfast the torch bearers gathered at a local school to be briefed on the day’s event and get acquainted with each other. There were people from all over Western Canada including Vancouver Island, Fort McMurray and Teslin. I recognized a few of the people from Teslin and chatted with them. A few of the torch bearers were Canadian Veterans, who were extremely excited to be a part of the Olympic movement. One of the local business owners hired a photographer to take photos of him and his family. His children had flown in from various parts of Canada to be watch the Olympic flame.

As an athlete I am pretty use to going to big tournaments with large crowds, we are taught to shut it all out and focus in on the task at hand. This experience was to be completely different. We were told to really enjoy the moment and soak it all in. All the torchbearers boarded a yellow school bus, each of us were to be dropped off at our “insertion point”. I was fortunate to be near the end of the relay. I was able to enjoy everyone’s excitement! I boarded the second bus that was to meet the torch bearer running the torch from one of the local First Nations communities, Kwalin Dun. We all opened our windows and began hanging out of the bus cheering and watching for the flame in the distance.

The flame was heading towards us, the bus roared with excitement, “We can see the flame!” It was so exciting. There were police escorts and a big Coca-Cola vehicle that had a speaker system and megaphone attached to it. The vehicle alerted the crowds of who was approaching. My run was scheduled for 5:15 pm. The sun had set and it was starting to get cold. I feared getting off the bus at the insertion point as the uniforms were paper thin. I exited the bus, people were cheering. There was a large group of people near my insertion point. RBC and Coke had supplied everyone along the route with noise makers which they were more than happy to use. People were shouting my name and cell phone cameras were going off all around me. I looked over and saw a friend of mine that went to the Olympics for the sport of weightlifting, Jeanne Lassen. I could not contain my excitement, I was grinning from ear to ear. It was such a great feeling; words can not express the excitement I was feeling! I posed for some photos with onlookers, and let a few people hold my torch as I waited for the flame. I asked a group of people I recognized “What are you all doing here?” (They were from Watson Lake). “BINGO!” was there response. I could not have asked for a better insertion point. I was directly outside the Elks Hall where they hold nightly bingo games. You know you are in the Yukon when you have a large fan group waiting outside the Bingo Hall ready and willing to cheer for you. The organizers were fast approaching. One of the flame attendants turned my torch on to allow the kerosene to seep from its canister. The flame was getting close; Tippy was really enjoying his moment as he walked towards me.

Our torches kissed and I was holding the Olympic Flame which in its essence represents peace. It’s a flame that brings countries together in one place. It was so exhilarating! I waved to people on the street as I turned to run my leg. I was holding the flame as high as I could. The torch was actually a little bit heavy. As I was running down the street I was waiving to everyone on the sidelines. I saw my parents and my little nephew with his head sticking out of the back of their vehicle. I chatted with my flame attendant; he was chosen as a “fire keeper” and was from Nunavut. He said to me, “You must be a pretty good wrestler!” The Inuit have a traditional style of wrestling that they use to do in their igloos and now it is apart of the Arctic Winter Games, I am certain my flame attendant was a good wrestler as well, seeing as he is from Nunavut. I started to slow down as I reached the next torch bearer. I shook his hand, wished him luck and held my torch to his. I watched the flame for a few seconds before my little nephew appeared. He was so excited and out of breath with his noise maker in hand. My nephew and I took a picture together with the torch and then I was whisked away back onto the yellow bus. Everything went down without a hitch. I will cherish this memory forever. It was truly a great and grand experience!

I recently received word that I was selected to participate in an Aboriginal Youth Gathering in Vancouver in February. There were 150 Aboriginal Youth aged 19-29 asked to participate. I have no details yet but I am excited!

Vancouver 2010 Olympics is going to be something special and magnificent! Thank you to Boughton for your continuous support!

To read more, please see http://boughton.ca/More_Info/Whats_New/Olympic_Torch.

Wrestling in Phoenix, Arizona

2009-10-26T14:58:00.005-06:00

Just a quick update as i am preparing for my Human Rights Law midterm. I was in the lower 48 this past weekend. I placed 4th. It was definitely not my best performance on the record books. BUT I guess losing some matches is what motivates one to get better.

There is nothing exciting to report about the tournament. There was a large group of Canadians that traveled down. To our dismay we returned to Calgary and snow!!

I travel to Whitehorse after practice next Monday to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay. I am excited to see my family and to take part in the celebrations. After that i will travel to Surrey, BC for another International competition.

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS

2009-10-07T00:34:00.005-06:00

Well I have been busy juggling school and practices. We have been do a lot of "interesting" training including running, tire flipping, and hammering. NO I am not kidding!
This is in btwn learning about administration law and ethics!

I have a pretty busy month coming up. I will be in Vancouver next weekend for the Indigenous Bar Association Annual Conference. The IBA is the professional organization for Aboriginal Lawyers in Canada.

My first Tournament is coming up in a few weeks in Phoenix, Arizona October 24th. It'll be good to get a competition in, I'm getting excited! I will be jet setting to the North to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay. It'll be exciting to see family and breath the crisp northern air. I'm excited to pull out my parka and sorel boots. After that I will be in Vancouver (well Surrey technically) for an International Tourney the early part of November.

Thanks for all your continued support!!! I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

summer is finally here!

2009-06-03T22:26:00.003-06:00

was that the longest winter in history? or was that 1st year law school?
WELL i survived 1st year it was rough, and I'm not going to say it was all a dream. However, i am fortunate to have the opportunities i have in life.

1st place Canadian Senior Nationals Regina, SASK

2009-03-23T12:22:00.006-06:00

I placed 1st this past weekend at Canadian Senior Nationals. I also received the Outstanding Wrestler Award for the weekend for the female division.
The win qualified me for Pan am Championships In Venezuela this upcoming April.

2nd Dan Kolov International- Varna, Bulgaria

2009-02-18T14:46:00.005-07:00

I just returned from eastern Europe where I placed 2nd!

It was really good to get to wrestle some girls from some of the eastern countries as they wrestle a different style.

I won my first match against Turkey, pinning my opponent in the second round. My second match was against Egypt. These girls aren't the greatest wrestlers but they are the dirtiest and scrappiest. I won in 2 rounds, and I think I lost a head of hair. In the final, I my opponent was a Romanian. I got countered in the second period and ended up losing. I'm a little frustrated with the performance, but the match was a good test of where I'm at. I definitely need to do a few specific techniques before I meet this opponent again. Don't get me wrong she was no chump she placed 5th at last summers Olympics, but I know if I'm on my game I can take her.

Varna was a difficult place to get to. The capital Sophia has many flights, but Varna is on the black Sea. I spent many hours in the airport on this trip.

I'm happy to be back, and even more excited to do law homework (kidding). Some of my teammates went straight to the Ukraine for another tourney, but I returned to the land of responsibility.

UPDATE- World Bronze Medalist

2009-02-10T09:06:00.004-07:00

The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) has advised that Anna Zwirydowska from Poland (55 kg) committed an anti-doping rule violation during in-competition doping control at the 2008 Women’s World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. As a result, Ms. Zwirydowska has been disqualified and removed from the classification standings. We are pleased to announce that following reclassification of the weight class at 55 kg, Canadian wrestler Brittanee Laverdure has been moved to the bronze medal position. Congratulations to Brittanee Laverdure – 2008 World Bronze Medallist!

1st Dave Shultz International Colorado Springs, Colorado

2009-02-09T09:01:00.005-07:00

This weekends competition was pretty good .I'm still not wrestling to my abilities, but I am managing to do fairly well.
I had 16 ppl in my weight class, i wrestled 3 Americans and 1 German.
The young American i had in the quarter-finals was pretty tough, she is definitely an up and comer. The German was also physically strong. The German had the typical European stance that made it hard to get close to her legs as they wrestle in good body position and defensively. In the final i had an American who i beat at the New York tournament in the fall. I wrestled tactically trying to conserve energy and beat her 2-0, 1-0 to win the tournament.
I'm just waiting to get a little bit of energy back since my iron and hemoglobin levels have been extremely low making me extremely tired. No doubt that balancing law school with sports is weighing into my physical state. I'm happy i came away from the tourney undeafeated, and that i have things to improve on. I look forward to heading to Bulgaria later this week to compete next weekend.

1st Calgary Open

2009-02-02T08:35:00.006-07:00

February 1, 2009

I wrestled this weekend in a home tournament with some international athletes. To spread the team out my coach moved me up to 59kg after weigh-in to be faced with better competition. The girls were tough. I wrestled one Korean and two Japanese girls. The Japanese girls are young and real up and comers. I was surprised by their skill level. They were terrific athletes. In Japan they start training really early and can even take sports in university.

I'm now studying for a law school exam, and then gearing up to go to Colorado springs, this weekend for a pretty large international tournament.

1st Golden Bear Open

2009-02-02T08:32:00.001-07:00

January 10, 2008 Edmonton, Alberta

David Suzuki's Play it Cool Team

2009-01-14T16:59:00.003-07:00

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/play_it_cool.asp

I have joined the David Suzuki Play it Cool Team. All of my wrestling travel is offset with gold standard carbon offsets purchased through Planet Air.

1st NYAC International Tourney- NEW YORK, NY

2009-01-03T04:53:00.005-07:00

1st Place NYAC International November 2008

This is me in the final. I won the match, but when
they are taking pictures of you and your wrestling
someone from their country they always get you in the worst position!!!

A few teammates freezing our butts off downtown.

It was so cold in NY that weekend!

1st International Tourney in Surrey

2008-11-10T09:23:00.007-07:00

Well I had a good weekend in rainy Vancouver. We travelled to Surrey on Thursday to weigh-in for the Hargobind International, and wrestled Friday and Saturday. It was a smaller tournament this year, as I only had 8 people in my weight class.

I ended the tournament with a 3-0 record. It's always nice to finish a tournament with a win. I was also named the "Outstanding Woman Wrestler" for the meet. The east indian community really rallies around wrestling, and I was presented with a 24kt gold medal. It's really cute!! It was a good tournament, I'm still not wrestling the way I know I can but hopefully I'll get more into the groove.

The finals were a good set up with a raised stage and music........its nice to change things up that way and make it more exciting.

I spent Sunday in Vancouver catching up with old friends from the Yukon so I had a great visit. Now I'm back to the reality of studying for law school.

Hello from Tokyo!!!

2008-10-13T17:41:00.012-06:00

Well......................5th place!
I guess I am happy and upset at the same time. I was in Tokyo, Japan this weekend for the World Championships. I had weigh-in on Sunday afternoon and was set to wrestle Monday.

I'm the type of athlete that doesn't look at her draw until the morning of the competition, I figure that I can't do anything the night before except lose sleep if I know who I'm wrestling. So Monday morning I woke up super early since Japan is about 15 hours ahead of Calgary ( I think).

I pulled my draw up and saw that I had a veteran Chinese Wrestler. I knew that if I wanted to have a chance to advance that I would have to beat the girl. I remained calm and had a good warm-up and went over a few basics. I ended up winning in 2 straight rounds and it was a great way to open up the tournament. I was up fairly quickly and was now going to face the Mongolian who competed in the Olympics this past summer. The Canadian Olympian actually wrestled her during the games and beat her to advance. I started off the match feeling pretty good but gave up a point and lost the first round. I then stormed back and won 2 periods to take the win and advance to the semi finals. In the semis I faced Japan. I was actually excited to wrestle because I have never wrestled her and I wanted to see what I could do. The match didn't go as I expected and I was pinned in the first round. The girl is a great wrestler 2 x Olympic gold medalist but I wish I could wrestle her again.

After a large afternoon break I was to face the winner of India and Poland for Bronze. I ended up having Poland in the Bronze Medal Match. The first period was scoreless and went to clinch, my opponent won the coin toss and got to tale the offensive position and won the first period. In the second period she executed one take down on me, my bronze medal hopes were dashed. It's disappointing to leave a tournament with a loss but I placed 5th in the World out of the 23 countries that were present.

It was my second 5th place and that's what burns that I finished just off the podium.
I am happy though because my family is in good health and I am lucky to have these opportunities.

I look forward to the upcoming challenges. I thank everyone for their support.

To the people at Boughton thank you so much for having me out to Vancouver for your new space opening. It was great to come out and see everyone. I had a great time meeting some of the clients and lawyers. Thank you for your continued support.

Brittanee via Tokyo

Headed to Tokyo

2008-10-09T10:00:00.006-06:00

Hi everyone,

I'm just finishing up my Constitutional class and heading to the airport. After a short stop in Vancouver, I should arrive in Tokyo after about 14hrs of flying. I'm headed to the world championships, where I'm hoping for a top 5th placement!!! Japan is a huge wrestling country so I know they are going to put on a good show.

Talk to you all soon!

Golden Girl!

2008-08-20T11:11:00.005-06:00

So happy to report my teammate Carol Huynh won a gold for Canada in the 48kg weight class for Women's Wrestling. I can barely speak my voice is so raw from screaming. I am so happy for Carol as she isn't only a great athlete, but a great person!!! It was inspiring and motivating for me. I know how hard Carol worked for it and I can truly say she deserved it. It was awesome because there was a huge fan base in the crowd watching her compete.

Ni hoa (Hello) from Beijing

2008-08-08T17:54:00.007-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Well once again I had another epic flight. I arrived in China via San Fransisco via Calgary. I was in transit over 24 hours!! It was a good flight though and I shared my row with a US Female Basketball Player.

We are staying at the Canadian International school of Beijing, it is located in the Northern Diplomatic Area so there are lots of foreign workers here that are employed by the embassy. The rooms are great, some of the nicest accommodations I've ever had outside of hotels on wrestling trips. Food has been a challenge, as we are a little hesitant to eat raw fruits and veggies. However, since yesterday I didn't eat to much I am going to try to eat a salad today. If I get sick then I guess I can say I learned my lesson. The Olympians are coming to stay with us today. They had the opening ceremony last night. Apparently they didn't get to see much because they were simply waiting to be marched in. The team manager said that on his thermometer it read 102 degrees with 100% humidity. So I can imagine they were super hot!!! The training partners and I watched the ceremonies on Chinese tv, it didn't have the same allure as CBC, but it was good. YES!! the pollution really is as bad as it looks on tv. We haven't seen the sky yet, but hopefully by the end of our trip we will.

I will write soon!

Beijing Bound!

2008-08-04T22:29:00.005-06:00

Okay folks, I'm just finishing up some last minute packing before I get picked up at 4am to head to the airport. I am traveling with the Olympic Coach Leigh Vierling, we depart to San Fransisco then connect to Beijing. We will then meet up with other training partners and support staff in the airport. I'm getting excited for everyone, and can't wait to get there. I will try to update in Beijing as much as possible.

I'll talk to you all soon when we get settled!

….Reaching the summit, one day at a time.

2008-07-22T10:28:00.004-06:00

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to meet many of the great people that work at Boughton, my sponsor. I mean it, everyone seemed so enthusiastic and positive. I know from the sporting arena that a good team is essential for good performance.

I have to admit it, this summer I have been struggling with finding my place as a lot of the sports people I know are preparing for the Olympics in Beijing. I love helping the team prepare, but I also know that I need my own personal goals to make the training more exciting for me. Recently I met a really inspirational lady who has helped me in this regard. Her name is Christina Smith and she was a 2002 Olympian for Canada in the Bobsled. Christina reminded me that every member of a team must contribute in order for the whole team to achieve the success they are striving for. I love meeting people like her because they can motivate just by seeing their smile. What I love about training in Calgary is that you are surrounded by like minded people who know the trials and tribulations of sport.

Reaching the Olympics is the pinnacle, the Mount Everest of the sporting world. Reaching the summit of any mountain is no easy task. It takes years of training and dedication. In addition, no one reaches the top without a great support team. If you think about the Olympics like climbing Mount Everest, you realize that not everyone that sets out on the path is going to reach the top.

I must admit that not qualifying recently for the Olympics was devastating since I knew that I was within reach of the top of my mountain. You could say that after years of hard work and sacrifice I was standing on the South Summit of Everest and could see the top of the mountain. It was within reach. It is easy to get discouraged when you are so close to the top but , for some reason, just don't make it. Having said that, I am so happy for the four Canadian women in my sport who will reach the top of their mountains this year by participating in the Olympics.

When I look around me I see all of the members of my team that helped me get where I am today. I know that I couldn’t have gotten this far without them. I am really happy that one of the women from my team looked back and saw me. Carol Huynh is the Olympian for 48kg, and she has asked me to be her training partner for the Olympic Games. Carol is from Hazelton, B.C., the same small town that Martin Sennott is from.

It will be super exciting this summer helping her prepare in Calgary before we depart to Beijing. I don’t have the travel dates as of yet but we will be staying at the Canadian International School of Beijing to acclimatize. I am thrilled to help Carol prepare for the final stage of her "mountain". When Carol asked me to accompany her she said “you are a great training partner, a great friend and a future Olympian, so you should be there”.

This week, I am also preparing for an international competition in Ontario. On Thursday, the team departs for Guelph where we will take part in the Canada Cup of amateur wrestling. The event usually has a good international showing, so it will be an exciting opportunity for everyone to test their skills. There is added pressure as all of the top wrestling coaches in Canada will be there. As an athlete you always want to look in top form, so there isn’t any room for slacking off.

Thanks Boughton for supporting me and being a great member of my team.

My Road to Beijing 2008

2008-05-14T16:30:00.006-06:00

Preparing for the 2008 Olympics has been a huge personal undertaking for me. Unfortunately, I have just learned that I will not be going to this year’s Olympics as one of the Canadian representatives for my sport. The good news is that I have been designated to attend as an Olympic “alternate athlete” for wrestling.

Background

A month ago, I attended the Canadian Senior Nationals. This tournament is very important for Canada Wrestling as it determines our National Team for the upcoming year, and this year is an important competition in deciding which athlete will go to Beijing. I get pretty excited for “nationals”--I train hard since it’s the time when you can showcase your talents.

I find that when I have things riding on my performance; I unfortunately often play a really tentative game. I train really hard, but performing in competitions the way I do in training is a challenge for me. I have been given all the opportunity, advice, and skills to generate the PEAK performance--to produce the best results. Despite all this, I have to admit that at last month’s national competition, I under performed even though I won most of my matches and took the National title. But I did not win the match that mattered most for the Olympics.

As I had mentioned in my February 2008 post, I fractured my leg last fall and missed the Olympic Trials last December. As a result, I was granted a Wrestle-Off because I had an international tiering index and was a World Team member.

Competitions

When the match started, I took a very comfortable control position. I used very cautious attacks and tried to maintain good body position. However, I definitely did not “open up” as I hoped for, and this really disappointed me. Every break in action, my coach would say “she can’t stay with you.” He meant that if I perform the same way I train, I could really control my opponent. I ended up winning the match in two periods (out of three). Nothing pretty, but it was a win. After the match it was announced that I would wrestle my next opponent in 30 minutes. I was getting ready to go change my singlet color for my next match when my coach informed me that my previous opponent’s coach was going to protest our match. A protest occurs when the opposing athlete believes that a bad call was made. I had scored the only point in the second period and drove my opponent out of bounds in doing so. The rule in wresting is that if the opponent goes out of bounds, both wrestlers must be standing and the defensive athlete’s knees must not touch the mat for the offensive wrestler to be awarded the point (it’s more technical than this but I’m putting it in the easiest terms possible). A video review is done by a Protest Committee made up of impartial coaches, referees and executive. I quickly watched the film and it looked like I had scored and had nothing to worry about. However, I knew anything could happen depending on how the attack is interpreted. I was prepared to wrestle either way.

An hour later and still no word on the protest. Apparently, the matches weren’t recorded properly. There is a rule that you can submit your own film for the protest, so my opponent’s coaches submitted their tape to the Protest Committee. Again, I waited. I didn’t know if I was wrestling in the protest match or if I was moving forward to the final match.

Another hour. Still waiting. Finally, I was told “you’re on in 5 minutes.” The announcer proclaimed “the protest for the Olympic Wrestle Off in 55kg was successful. Laverdure and McNutt with have a protest period.” I was getting ready and trying to remain focused. I stepped on the mat. While we were waiting for the officials, I was standing there with my opponent. We were both ready to go then. I was told to put my sweat suit back on, but stay ready. Everyone was arguing--reading the rule book and debating. The announcer finally declared: “Laverdure and McNutt will be wrestling a second period.” This means that if I lost the period, we would go to a third period. As I was up one period, I only had to win one more 2-minute period. When the rematch started, it didn’t seem like there was a fire under my butt, but I won the period 2-0. Finally it was over. I was then given 20 minutes to rest up and prepare before my next match—The match for an Olympic berth!

The whistle blew. Two periods later my Olympic hopes were quashed! I lost to my opponent who had won the Olympic Trial and is a previous Olympic Silver medalist from 2004. With a heavy heart, I walked over and shook the opposite coach’s hand. I gathered my things and headed out of the gym. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes.

Reflecting back, I know what I have lost but, somehow, I also realize everything that I’ve gained. I have met so many wonderful people and traveled to so many places. I have truly been blessed. I’m a kid from the Yukon; I have a university education; I’m an athlete and I am surrounded by wonderful people! I can’t be sad. I can only be thankful for everything that I have. Plus, I am still going to Beijing as an alternate athlete. You never know!

The Challenge of Finding Your All

2008-03-18T19:52:00.010-06:00

Talk to any dedicated athlete and they will, inevitably, be able to explain the strife of dealing with injury. Since I was 18 years old, I have dealt with all types of injuries that have affected my training. Injuries are a lot like life’s other challenges, some things we endure and persevere to overcome and others we resolve to treat systematically.

Suffering from an injury does not necessarily impede my ability to compete. However, they often hinder preparation, practice and my supplementary training routine. Last Wednesday during weight training, which came after my free weight training, I was to complete a drill which had me push a cage like contraption “the Prowler” across a track. You can check out this torturous device at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1IRVKtiwLU&feature=related. This exercise forces the body to deal with lactic acid build up and the mind to dig really deep. When I got to my sixth push my neck started to seize up, by the seventh I had basically thrown out my neck. Eventually, I heeded my trainer’s warnings and headed to the stationary bike to do bike sprints for 20 minutes, but the damage had already been done to my neck.

Despite the neck injury, I went to wrestling practice that evening. Practicing while injured requires me to adjust wrestling techniques and strategy. Instead of executing offensive moves, techniques that I normally employ, I switched to techniques which didn’t rely heavily on the muscles in my neck. This type of wrestling style is defensive, and personally, I hate this strategy. I love and much prefer to wrestle as the offensive opponent, to search for the opening and then attack. However, when I make such adjustments I can continue to practice, allowing my body and my injury the necessary time required to heal without having to take time away from the sport.

Irrespective of the injury to my neck, I competed in the Alberta Open on the weekend. Although the tournament was not large, it is a good idea to compete in smaller Provincial events. My coach had to instill enthusiasm in me for this event, because I knew the competition would be small in size. He summarized by saying, “You got injured last fall, you need to be in a competition setting, you need to compete and remember what it feels like”. I knew immediately that he was absolutely right. Competitions are something you can’t mimic. The sound of the gym, the whistles from the referees, and the adrenaline that pumps through your body is an experience like no other.

In the competition, I really focused on using the techniques I had been practicing. It’s very easy in competition (and in life) to revert back to the tried and tested moves with which we’ve previously been successful. However, when your competitors are aware of your methods, it can break you. After the competition my entire body was sore, but I had done well and was glad I participated. In the end, the feeling of accomplishment that comes with knowing that I can still get the job done is always great.

In regards to my neck injury, yesterday, I tried another type of treatment called prolotheraphy. This therapy had the naturopathic doctor insert a really fine needle into my neck. The needle was inserted three inches, right down to the bone where it deposited a solution compromised mostly of dextrose (a sugar solution). The solution will help to strengthen and tighten up my loose ligaments. Today I had a great wrestling session, and pushed myself really hard. My neck felt the best it’s felt since last week and I’m super excited.

I am blessed to be surrounded by the most positive people in life and sport, who help me in trying many new therapies, strategies and systems. The physicians, trainers, coaches, friends and family all want me to succeed and constantly instill confidence. For an athlete injuries are constant obstacles.

This past summer, the women’s senior team travelled to Beijing for the one year kick-off to Beijing. We were greeted by Marnie Mcbean, (http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesBiosA2M/mcbean.html) a previous Olympian for the Canadian Rowing Team. She won a few medals for Canada and she was there to give us an inspirational pep talk. She said many things but one thing really stuck with me, she said, “don’t fool yourself by saying you gave over 100%, you can only give 100%. You can’t give 105% you’re not capable”. I really liked her philosophy because it teaches us that we are all accountable for what we can actually accomplish.

You can only achieve 100%, but it’s the challenge of finding your all that keeps us going! Talk to you soon!

Northern Exposure

2008-02-14T15:39:00.009-07:00

Asujutidli! This word means "Hello" in Inuktitut language of the Inuvialuit from the Mackenzie Delta. The Gwich'in also occupied this area and their famous sport stars are Sharon and Shirley Firth the X-Country Olympians.

Most of you have probably seen the extreme weather conditions that have crippled Canada these past few weeks. Unfortunately, Calgary was not immune to these conditions with our notorious Chinooks (surviving minus 40 degree weather).

In the midst of all this, I decided to take a trip up north to Inuvik, NWT to run a sports clinic for a kid’s camp. This was a great opportunity for me to give back to a sport that has already given me so much.

After my evening practice, I departed Calgary and landed in Edmonton where the weather was so cold that my snow pants, balaclava, and winter boots weren’t enough to shield me from the cold. I had a mini panic attack upon arrival at my hotel because flights to Yellowknife were being CANCELLED! Luckily, I was flying with Canadian North Airlines, so they were well equipped to deal with the bitter cold conditions. My flight the next day was great except for the freezing cold stops in Yellowknife and Norman Wells which lasted approx. 20 minutes! The northern airports don’t have the covered bridges/walkways to exit the planes (which we are accustomed to) so we had to sit on the plane, waiting for the new passengers to board, with the plane door wide open and the frigid air seeping in--Brrrrrrrrr!

Upon arriving in Inuvik, we (Heidi, another wrestler, and I) were greeted by our host before being whisked off to our first practice session. If any of you have traveled to small northern communities, you’ll know that there are certain buildings that are the heart of excitement. They typically include hockey arenas, band offices or are situated at the local schools. The elementary school in Inuvik is one of these places where people come during the day as various activities are held there such as Wrestling, Arctic Sports and a Basketball Shootout.

The practices were great and the kids were energetic and enthusiastic. Heidi and I were both extremely pleased with their responses to our coaching suggestions. We wrestled around with the kids and also out-wrestled (beat) the high school boys just to show them we know what we’re doing! I literally fell in love with the girls from the elementary classes. They were so cute and just loved being around us. There were a set of twins that reminded me of myself when I was young--they were very tenacious! They were so cute I gave them all wrestling t-shirts that said “Wrestling Chicks Rule”. I was so happy to have been able to attend and take part in the events.

I’ve been getting back in tip top shape after suffering a fractured leg last fall while attending an international competition in Vancouver, BC. The injury kept me out of the Olympic Wrestling Trials in December, but I have been granted a wrestle off at a later date. My coaches are pushing me and I am thrilled about the opportunities ahead of me. I am extremely fortunate to have such a large group of people that strongly support me in my dreams. Surrounding yourself with positive people really makes the biggest difference.

I am also grateful for the support I receive from Boughton Law Corporation, a Vancouver-based law firm with another office in Whitehorse. The support helps alleviate the financial burdens I face and allows me more freedom to make sure that, not only am I training properly, but that I’m recovering and eating properly as well. Also, when you receive help, it gives you a little mental boost. Competing and training is hard work and it’s nice to be recognized and know that people see a value to what you are doing.

I will be posting more updates about my training for the Olympics so keep checking my blog. Talk to you soon!