I Wasn't Alone- A Big Thanks For Getting Me There

I'll take my time putting up my next few updates- next posts will be; a few oily photos from the competition, a RSO/ Pan Am report, and I think that tomorrow, I'll get my feet back on the ground with updating stuff outside of the Pan Am trials/ RSO Championships (trust me, there's TONS; it'll take a few days to catch-up!).

Right now, I would just like to thank a few people who helped me achieve my goal of qualifying to represent Canada at this year's Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It took a small army of supporters to get me where I wanted to be; some are keenly aware that they helped me (it was their 'job'!). However, there are few people who are probably not aware that they've had an impact on me. I guess that's the power we all have, isn't it? Sometimes we don't know just how much of an important impact we've had on someone.

Mike Murray, my coach, is the fist person I should and of course really want to thank. What I can say? He's been molding me, slimming me down, making me taste blood when I exercise, telling me what I need to hear when I need to hear it- over and over again. 'I' am a work in progress- there's still a lot of stuff to work on. I'm pretty sure that Mike will keep burrying me with weights, stairs, jumps, running, cycling, dieting & nutrition, oh, and of course- skating. I think that in some vicious and sadistic way, he enjoys beating the crap out of me in training so that I have a hard time going up the stairs at work carrying instruments for my grade 5 music class the following day!

Morgane Echardour- a wonderful side-kick & partner in crime- she kept me focused when I started up my training again last November after a month off (I still had A2A in my legs a month after the event!). While her and I would at the mall and I wanted to eat cookies, chocolate, a blizzard, or something like that, she would stop me from getting to the food. She even successully resisted all my bribes for her to let me eat what I shouldn't. She 'let'...no, she encouraged me to make the right choices in my eating habits and she helped me stay on track with training.

Wayne Burrett- what can I say about Wayne! He's a wonderful supporter; a person who expected me to remain disciplined while I chased my goals. He really encouraged me (in ways that he probably isn't aware). I've known Wayne for almost 15 years now. We've shared a lot of conversations and had some of the roughest and some of the best times together. He's done a lot of work in the background for skating and for me, the boring and tedious kind of stuff that goes unseen and unnappreciated and that very few people want to do. Even today, I was out for a walk for a few hours(listening to music, soaking in the beautiful sunny day, and being happy for what was accomplished this past weekend while thinking ahead of how I am going to get my ass kicked in training in order to prepare for the games). He called me and came to pick me up to get my passport photo taken so he could take care of the visas for Brazil. It was nice because after that, we chatted while taking care of storing all the tents, signs, chairs, timing clock in storage.

I need to thank my fellow competitors- they were one of my many motivators to train well. I had this fear of how fast they would be and I had a huge desire to beat them at the trials. Some of you guys didn't show up, and I wish I could have raced you at the trials- but at the same time, I am glad I didn't have to race you; it made things easier *wink* *smile*! (sidenote: Last November, I put up a picture near my computer of 3 of the guys I thought I would have to beat to make the team- the picture was of Olivier Jean, Steve Robillard, and Brian Jalbert on the podium at last year's Canadian championships. On Saturday, I took the picture to the trials with me and burried it at the CITC. This might seem weird to you. The thing is that I'm not normally superstiscious or anything, however burrying the picture that I had been staring at for months and months signified burrying my fears, accepting the outcome of the races, putting my training and sacrifices behind me since I was where I was and everyone else was there too; at the trials. I was time to race. Burrying the picture meant burrying my competitors...)

This thanks goes out to a very important person; Alex Perrie. Alex let me and my coach go up to the track weekend after weekend. He openned up his home to me (and to the skating community). I feel like I have forged a very positive relationship with Alex and I'm pretty sure he feels the same with me. He not only supported me but he also helped out a few of the other skaters. He let them stay at his house so that they can get used to the track and muster up whatever advantage they can. Thanks a lot Alex, you were extremely instrumental in helping me/us prepare for the trials.

Aaron Arndt- I need to thank him. He and I went through deep troubles in our friendship just as we went through amazing highs. He's in Europe right now chasing his dreams. Making the Pan Am Games in 1999 was something that both Aaron and I wanted really badly and we both failed that year. In a small way, I wanted to quailify this time for the both of us. Maybe he thinks it's corny, but I value his friendship.

I can't forget the organizations Toronto Inline Skating Club, Scooter's Indoor Speed Club, Roller Sports Ontario, and Roller Sports Canada- these organizations have wonderful volunteers and members who've all had a profound impact of many lives including mine. Through these organizations, I got a place to train, to socialize, I got a family and I have friends.

Andrew Love gave me some quotes that I thought about and perhaps lived by; suffer well. Some of you have seen it as my MSN screen name. He wrote a wonderful message on my site a couple of days ago. I got some amazing words from Chelsea Parry as well- thanks. Chelly and Andrew, I took your words, printed them, and read them a few times during the trials.

There'a few more people I need to thank; Bill Begg for not taking any BS from me and keeping me publically accountable for my skating; he never let me off the hook when I was out of shape and trying to give the impression that I am was an elite skater. I didn't look like one, I didn't act like one, and I didn't race like one either.

Of course I have to thank my mom- it goes without saying that I must thank her. Her unique personality and her free flowing enthusiasm for life- they're contagious.

I'd like to thank all of you who frequent my website and have read this entry up to here- I kind of wanted to do this for you as well.