Family Business

I just came back from training camp and the holidays are here! I am excited to be able to go home and enjoy some time with my family! Having lost my dad to cancer, I cherish every moment I get to spend with the rest of my family!
Being an Olympic athlete in a summer sport in Canada means spending most of the cold months away from home. The team usually travels to Florida for training camp from February until April. We then come home to start the racing season and fly to Europe where the international competitions are held. The summer is spent in various locations in Canada depending on where athletes and coaches are from. We then travel to the city where World championship are held and race against the best in the world! Our off season is from September to October where we keep in shape but are able to do so at home. We extend our paddling season in November by travelling down south for a few weeks before the water starts freezing. Overall, we are away almost 6 months of the year! The holidays are definitely a time where we enjoy being home and re-energizing!
The years after my encounter with cancer made me really close to my family. My brother and I are really close and we both feel like we are the best person in the world to understand each other! I rely a lot on them to find the courage and determination to go through tough times! Being gone for long periods of the year in training camps is difficult but having the support of the people who love me at home is a key component to my success as an athlete. I strongly believe that this is a true statement for any sort of achievement. It is much easier to keep your smile up when people who you trust are 100% behind you! For sport, for school, for work, and even for healing! When you don’t feel like you are facing the battle alone everything seems more possible!