Opening Ceremony

Emily and Kristi Yamaguchi

As a young girl I intensely watched every Olympic Games.  I remember watching the likes of Kristi Yamaguchi and Bonnie Blair in the winter games and of course the Magnificent Seven gymnast in the Atlanta summer games.  These women inspired my sister and I.  We would skate around in our socks on the hard wood floor and would complete our ‘triple axels’ and our ‘double loops.’  We created beam routines and attempted to emulate different skills each of the gymnasts completed.  Those two weeks every two years were some of the most inspiring for me as a young child. 

Emily and Bonnie Blair

I was a gymnast growing up and every year my gym would have an Olympic Festival where we would get the opportunity to walk in our own Opening Ceremony.  Each group was given a different nations flag.  We created our Olympic garb and represented our select countries as we followed our flag into the gym.  I remember always being somewhat disappointed that my group was never selected to carry the American flag, but was always excited to recreate our version of the Olympics.  Little did I know that close to a decade later I would finally have the opportunity to follow our flag in an actual Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.  As I watched the athletes walk on Friday in the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony I could not help but remember all the emotions I felt over two years ago in Vancouver. 

Emily at the Vancouver Opening Ceremony

I often get asked what the experience was like and to be honest there are really no words to describe it.  The Olympic movement is something greater than the individuals involved and for me that was the first time I realized that I was a part of something bigger than me.  As I laid in bed after that night I tried to decompress from the excitement, but all that went through my head was ‘that was so worth it.’  Everything that happened up to that point for me was part of my path to the Olympic Games.  None of it was easy, but making an Olympic Team should not be easy.  That was the moment I decided that after Vancouver I would try to fight to earn one more chance to have that same experience

Over the next couple weeks I will be glued to the television watching these Olympic Games just like I did as a child.  Maybe I won’t skate around or complete any gymnastic moves, but I will watch and continue to be inspired by all the athletes fulfilling their dreams to compete in the Olympic Games.

Thank You Fire Fighters!

Colorado OTC comes to the rescue

The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado has been home to hundreds of athletes since its opening in 1978. In 1996 the city of Colorado Springs helped the Olympic Committee reposition to a location that was previously an Air Force Base.  The facility now provides housing and dining to over 500 athletes’, coaches and this week fire evacuees. Colorado Springs has been my off season home for the past 5 summers.  After arriving in 2008 I was overwhelmed by the generosity of not only the staff at the Olympic Training Center, but by the excitement of Olympic sports throughout the entire community.

This past week was a horrible one for the city and state I have grown to love.  We heard news of the Waldo Canyon fires this past weekend, but had no idea the devastation that was to come.  Throughout the next few days it seemed the city was living the worst case scenario.  Many people were and still are evacuated from their homes, and an estimated 346 homes have been destroyed by the blaze.  Fortunately, I have not been directly affected by the fire, expect for the smoke and haze that has been hovering in the Colorado Springs area.  I do, however, feel sadness for all the people, many of which I know who have lost homes and possessions.  I sit here at a loss.  I wish there was more I could do to help all those in Colorado Springs who have supported the Olympic movement and the Olympic Training Center. 

Conversely, I feel a sense of pride as I watch the Olympic Committee come to the rescue and house many of the families affected by the flames.  It amazed me that our Winter Sports High Performance Director had been evacuated out of his home, but was still at the Training Center making sure that all the athletes had masks to protect us from the air quality.  I was astounded by his level of commitment to make sure we were not only safe, but also able to train at a high level throughout the chaos.  For the most part, the Training Center’s mission statement has, for a brief time, shifted to helping the people of the community and employees of the Olympic Committee stay safe.  I am hoping the London Olympic Games, which are just around the corner will help to boost the spirits of the people in Colorado Springs as they begin to rebuild their lives.

Where's the line?

In the world of Olympic sports the difference between winning a medal and not winning a medal can often be measured in hundredths. There is a very fine line between the top level athletes and what's considered the lower tier of athletes. It is hard to decide what sacrifices are worth it and what is too much to sacrifice. This is something I constantly struggle with. For me to be the best in my sport I have to make tough choices that often leave me missing bridal showers, weddings, graduation, and sometimes even Thanksgiving and Christmas. I do understand that it is important to have a balanced life to be successful in other aspects of life, but for now I have to miss time with family and friends so that I can train at the top level daily. I recently heard a commercial referring to Olympic athletes having part time employers and friends that are willing to be part time friends. In many cases this is very true. We have to put our bodies needs ahead of spending time with friends and family. I am very lucky that for the most part my friends understand that sometimes I may just be a part time friend.

This past weekend my sisters and I cashed in on our Christmas present from our parents which was a sister vacation. We chose to go to the Sonoma\Napa area. None of us have really experienced wine tasting and thought this was good opportunity with our baby sister, Geneva, recently turning 21. It is often hard to fully enjoy myself on trips like this as I am now in the thick of my off season training. I am usually caught in the middle of trying to relax and obsessing about what I am doing an how it will affect my next training session. For the most part when I am with my family they are very supportive and understanding of my selfish ways when it comes to training. I am thankful for that but wonder if these days in Napa will affect my training further down the road or if I need to learn to let go? I have yet to learn where the line is. I want to enjoy my life, my family and friends, but I also want to be the best in my sport. I am constantly trying to figure out how to have both. For now, I am going to enjoy the time with my sisters and hope that a little relaxation time will help me with my goals.

My sisters and I wine tasting in Sonoma, California

It is good to be old...

The past six years of my life I have spent training over thirty hours per week.  The first few months of off season training are the worst because this is when I do high volume and conditioning.  It is important to do this phase of training because this is the conditioning base that will help me maintain my physical condition throughout the season.  As I have gotten older it isn’t as important to do as much volume training instead, it is essential to train less, but maintain a high level of intensity. 

Recovery becomes imperative as I get older.  This includes spending time in the hot tub, cold tub, sauna and receiving deep tissue massages weekly.  It sounds like an easy life, but believe it or not these treatments are necessary for an older athlete, like me to be able to train at the top level daily.   It is defiantly a perk to not have to put in as many hours of training as I use to, but with age comes a lot more aches and pains.  I have forced my body frame to maintain about twenty pounds of extra weight throughout the past six years.  This weight along with the intense weight training has caused my joints to ache.  So, with age comes increased joint pain, but also less volume of training and more massages!  I guess you can not have it all.   

Congratulations Athletes

The feeling this year at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center, where I live and train, is very different than in years past.  This Olympic Training Center is occupied mostly by summer Olympic hopefuls and past summer Olympians.  Many of the athletes are going through their Olympic trial process or have already completed the process.  Some have earned their bid on the 2012 Olympic team and most have not.  It is said that for every one athlete that makes an Olympic team, ten athletes do not.  So while some athletes here are excited and celebrating current success their teammates which often times are their roommates are mourning the realization of a dream unfulfilled. 

It is a lifelong dream for all the athletes at the training center to compete at an Olympic games.  Most athletes have pushed their bodies to the limit daily in hopes that one day they will represent our country on the biggest athletic stage.  A majority of these athletes will never earn that chance and often times we do not take the time to appreciate the effort put into not making the Olympic team.  To me, it is important to remember that making an Olympic Team does not change the person you are.  Our accomplishments do not define our character, our values or how hard we have worked to try and complete our goals.  Each athlete is the same person with or without an Olympic experience.  Just because an Olympic spot was not earned by an athlete, does not mean they put any less effort toward their goals than the athletes that did.  With that said, congratulations to all the athletes who have earned a spot on the 2012 Olympic Team and congratulations to all the athletes who have not!

oh the pain...

I have been bobsledder for six years now, yet it still surprises me how sore I am every year when training starts again.  Monday starts off with conditioning in the morning followed by a lifting session in the afternoon that includes more squats then I will ever do once I am retired.  Tuesday is more of an active recovery day followed by Wednesday, which is by far my least favorite day.  Wednesday’s lift is incredibly tough and includes deadlifts, hang pulls, RDLs and pull ups.  This last week it took us close to three hours to complete this workout.  By Thursday my body hurts in every possible place and it feels like there is no way I can function let alone complete another workout.  Somehow I find a way to convince my body to move through the day and complete more conditioning and lifting.  This goes on for the rest of the week until Sunday when I get the day off.  It is amazing to me how powerful the mind can be and of course the Aleve my parents sent me helps too! Every morning I wake up and remind myself why I punish my body the way I do.  My desire to be the best in the World pushes me through each workout and helps me to not only work hard but to complete every workout with intensity.