SUPER LONG:
Well, I am halfway through my first week back, and what a week at training it was! On the way down, I was all sorts of anxious - my main worry was that everyone else would be in far, far better shape, and I would be the odd man out, but that was not the case. The workouts were very tough, but designed in a way that you were challenged but not defeated. Here’s a bit of a breakdown:
Sunday (Travel day/admin day) - we arrive and get our room keys (staying at the base in Esquimalt, BC and rooming with another team member). We had our own bedrooms, shared bathroom/living room/mini fridge. I didn’t really unpack so much as I organized a bit. I already had an idea who my roommate was going to be and I was a bit relieved as there were a few I wasn’t keen on being in close quarters with, although I would have made it work.
Monday (Day 1)
0700 - Breakfast
0800 - Transport to 1st sport – Archery for me. The range was outside, which we just learned in a day before we left, but since this is Victoria, BC, the weather wasn’t a HUGE problem. Our coach is an Archery God, and it JUST as geeky as you would hope an Archery God would be… Weather was cool, but not freezing. I shot fairly well, and was one of the few that knew how to string my bow (Takedown Recurve). It was a very basic lesson the first day, starting, literally with stance. I knew there were quite a few that had never touched a bow, so this was important. Still, did not shoot a lot of arrows that day.
1130 – back to base for lunch
1330 – Transport to 2nd sport – This was cycling and would be spin. Here is where I should mention our head Coach, Peter Lawless. Peter is a powerhouse of unmeasurable energy from BC and has won the National Coaching award so many times it should be named after him. He is also Vice-president of the Canadian Olympic Committee. Prior to our class, cycle-sprinting legend Curt Harnett (of the 27 inch thighs) had tweeted at Peter “Give ‘em hell, Coach!” Peter 100% took that to heart. Halfway through, I started to wonder things like “Can your heart actually explode?” and “If my kneecap pops off due to the pressure of my quad, can I hit Peter in the face?” I can honestly say I have never pushed that hard on a bike in my life. It was all kinds of terrible amazingness.
1600 – back to base for dinner – about halfway through dinner I felt incredible, also exhausted. This is also where I would make a choice that seemed like a FANTASTIC idea at the time – the next day, I was supposed to have swimming in the afternoon only. This seemed like a waste, I felt I should get two classes in each of my sports – right? Seems logical? So I jiggered some stuff around and arranged two sessions in the pool for Tuesday – YAY!
1800 – Transport to evening (team) sports – Fack, I was bagged. I went to bed. TOMORROW!
Tuesday (Day 2)
0700 – Remember, yesterday, when I was brilliant and wanted to have two sessions in the pool. It took until 0705 or so until I realized what I had done – I committed to four hours of swimming.
That seems less brilliant somehow in the cold light of Tuesday morning.
0800 – Transport to 1st Sport – Swimming! Our coach is Alex, and he was a CISM swimmer then coach, so he has competed and coached at the elite level. Now he has us. My main goals for this camp were to learn some skills I could then take home to maximize my training on my own. For swimming that meant the following – flip turns, streamlining and how to start off the blocks.
First two hour session I had the blocks and streamlining nailed – and both were crazy fun. I felt sleek and fast and WOW. The then flip turns. Those buggers were like my Everest or something. I am 100% they had to refill the pool to replace that which I choked into my sinus. It wasn’t until the session after lunch that I finally got them (and the help of a nose plug, god bless). It felt so fantastic the first time I turned, kicked and the wall was ACTUALLY THERE! I was so excited I bloody well forgot to keep swimming!
1130 – LUNCH! I was STARVING!
1330 – Back to the pool. Now, I did attempt to dry my suit and towel a bit, and while the suit was FAR less moist, the towel was pretty hopeless. After I convinced myself that obviously no one had suffered as much as I had in the history of the world (stop whining, in other words), I got my ass back into the pool to swim more laps YAY! So many more laps. My flutter kick is amazing now.
1600 – Dinner pick up
1800 – Evening sport transport – So, this day I decided to go and check out some evening sports and I am glad I did! I started in Wheelchair Rugby. The chairs are literally like little tanks – they need to be because, man, do we crash into each other HARD. I spent about an hour upstairs doing that, then moved to Wheelchair Basketball, coached by Bowesy.
This was SO FUN. I can’t even express how fun these two sports were. Seriously, everyone should check them out – you can be completely able-bodied and play, you just can’t use your lower half. At all. I decided I would 100% play either one of these sports.
2000 – Pick up and social evening – we were invited to attend a little reception at the HMCS MALAHAT, so we went and visited there for a bit.
Wednesday (Day 3)
GLORIOUS REST DAY!
0700 – Breakfast
0900 – active stretch and recovery workshops
1130 – Transport for lunch (and a guest speaker) Michelle Stilwell, former Paralympian and current BC Politico. Powerful, inspirational speech and very cool Paralympic medals.
1330 – Lectures on nutrition, medical and mental health self care
1600 – Supper
1800 – Transport to evening sports – played wheelchair basketball again. First player to get called a foul, but I think Mike will stay out of my way now . Tomorrow, they are bringing in a teenage team that has been playing together for 4 years. They will 100% wipe the floor with us, but it will be SO fun! Met coach Joe, who came in to help out Bowesy. Joe has coached team Canada several times.
2000 – Transport back to barracks, fell into bed.
Thursday (Day 4) My Last Day
I am flying out early Friday since it is my birthday and I want to spend some of it with my daughter. This week was really tough on her, she has been having some mental health concerns and although my Mom is amazing, it’s just not the same.
0700 – breakfast
0800 – transport – Archery! We are back on the range and today will have a match play. I partnered up with one woman and we did our rounds until one of us had six points (two points per winning round). Since by now I was obviously a pro (FIVE times I have been to the range, FIVE), I won and we did a sudden death closest to the center, which I also won – GO TEAM ME!
1130 – back for lunch, second guest speaker – athlete from last year
1330 – Afternoon sports – And Peter the Torturer is back – we did a “tabata” style cycling workout to train our breakout skills. A solid hour of wishing for death on a spin bike. Although it felt so good when we stopped!
1630 – Supper
1800 – back for team sports and HEY! There are a bunch of teenagers there! The team on Pender Island was put together by Tim Frick, a legendary coach from the Paralympics. They even have a coaching trophy named after him. I am telling you, watching those kids maneuver their chairs easily and sink basket after basket really drove home the shellacking we were about to experience. Still, I can say it’s never been so fun to lose before. My teams coach (Joe), seemed to think I was showing a lot of hustle, since my shift really felt never-ending. When he finally switched me he said “You were like a machine”. Next shift I got two fouls. Against the children.
Yep.
Joe high-fived me and asked if it was going to join a league. Later, Coach Frick asked the same.
We definitely lost, but we still surprised our coaches with everything we could do after only a few days in.
Friday – I flew home! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
