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On the Road to Excellence
 Growing
up, I can't remember my parents ever telling me that
there was something that I couldn't do simply because
I was a girl. When I competed in my first running
race at an early age, my father and I ran around the
track nearly every day to train for the event but
when race day came, I was 2nd behind a boy. I had
to race against that same boy the following day and
I hid in my room in tears from the discouragement
of losing and the thought that I would probably lose
the next day. As I faced one of my first experiences
of unfairness, my father didn't tell me that it was
okay, that I was 'just a girl'. Instead, he coached
me to do my best in no matter what circumstance and
that I could still win the next day. And win, I did.
That lesson taught me the value of focusing on my
own performance rather than losing to distractions.
Sure it was unfair to race against the boys, but there
was nothing that we could do about it except that
I do my best. And when I focused, I learned that great
things can happen.
Throughout my life whenever a circumstance seemed
unfair, like when I broke my back and damaged my spinal
cord, that life lesson that my father taught me has
helped me to focus on what I can do rather than what
can't. I must admit, it hasn't always been easy and
sometimes, I have learned that my goal is unrealistic
and I have had to change my focus to new goals. Competing
nationally and internationally in handcycling is one
of those new goals for me. But even as I focus on
excellence in training and racing, it doesn't always
make the playing field a fair one.
After training and competing with my handbike in
Europe this past spring, I travelled back home to
Canada. I brought home with me some increasingly good
results in the women's category in Europe and now
I was to compete for a title at the Canadian Cycling
Road National Championships. When I got home, I learned
that the women would have to compete against the men
at Nationals in the handbike category. I couldn't
believe how unfair it was not just to me, but the
other women who would compete in the same category.
I had spent my own money to attend National Championships
so that I could have a chance to make the Canadian
National Team. How could I, or other Canadian women,
make the National team racing against the men? Especially
considering that one of the men had qualified for
the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens and another
is consistently faster than the Women's World Champion.
All that I could do was remember what my father taught
me at an early age and focus on my own performance
and have a good race, unfair or not.
The day before the Individual Time Trial, a race
against the clock, my coach-boyfriend, Arnold Polderman,
and I rode the course. As a 2x Winner of the Tour
de France for tandem, Arnold helped me learn the course
in sections so that during the race I could focus
on each section instead of the whole course. Once
we learned the course, we looked at each section trying
to find the best way to race it. Then, all we could
do was work on making the bike race ready, have faith
in all the work and training I had done, and remember
to enjoy the race.
On race day, just before the start, Arnold gave me
a hug with last minute instructions and he was off
to find his coaching place on the last uphill before
the finish line. Stephen Burke, the Canadian National
Coach, lifted my bike and I up on the Time Trial starting
ramp, wished me luck, and the count down began. When
the starter counted down from 10 seconds to the start
at zero, I sped off the ramp and onto the course.
I raced as planned until on the way back to the finish
line every cell in my body hurt. A part of me said
that it was okay to slow down and that no one would
know. But I would know. It just wouldn't be excellence
in sport or life to give less than everything.
As Arnold waited on the hill, he could tell as I
got closer that I was hurting bad. He yelled at me
that the finish wasn't far and to keep going as hard
as I could. I dug deep to find what strength I had
left for the finish and as I passed over the finish
line I pressed my stopwatch. As I waited for the men
to finish and as each crossed over the finish line,
I pressed my watch again to see how far they were
behind me. As the last man crossed the finish line,
I looked down at my watch in disbelief. My watch blinked
back at me through tears of shock and happiness that
I had the fastest time. Then the official results
came out with my name listed at number one. I had
really won!
 During
the award ceremony, as I received the Canadian Championship
Gold medal and jersey signifying that I am Canadian
Champion I was in awe. I felt that I wasn't alone
up there on the podium. Each and every person, including
my Dominator family, who has helped or encouraged
me along the way to pursue my passion in life was
a part of that Gold medal. I just couldn't have done
it alone.
There was still another race the following day, a
27 km road race. This time the race was a mass start,
and everyone in the handcycle category started together.
The men who I had beaten the day before raced really
tough and stuck with me the whole way. In the final
sprint to the finish there were three of us together
and I crossed the finish line a tenth of a second
behind the winner. It was a silver medal day for me
but I was so happy with the race. It was almost like
a silver lining to the past storm clouds in my life.
It confirmed to me that with help of my family and
friends, we are on the right road to the goal of my
becoming one of the fastest female handcyclists in
the world in the next four years.
Welcome
to the World of Classical Stretch
 Classical
Stretch - The Esmonde Technique is an effective total
body workout developed ten years ago by Miranda Esmonde-White.
It is an original combination of scientific formulas
and graceful movements that unlock uncomfortably rigid
muscles leaving the participant with a more flexible,
relaxed and strengthened body. The exercises reach
deeply into muscles and ligaments not normally worked
in the average fitness program and are set in routines
that release tight muscles one by one.
The results come quickly - not over years, but in
a matter of minutes. Increased flexibility is enjoyed
instantly. The results of following Classical Stretch
three times per week leaves the participant with improved
posture, increased energy, a slenderized body, the
relief of aches and pains, and a general feeling of
well being. This unlocking of the muscles creates
the leaner look, giving the participant back the body
they were meant to have before locking it up in the
sedentary and stressful lifestyle of the 21st Century.
The core principles of this program are what make
the results so successful.
Core Priniciples:
·It is a combination of scientific stretching,
PNF, tai-chi, yoga, ballet, physiotherapy and chiropractic
movements, plus Esmonde-White's research and knowledge
of specific exercises that will give you a longer
and leaner body. ·It takes the PNF concept
to another level -gently freeing the body to a level
of flexibility that most people never imagined they
could achieve. ·It plays with the concepts
of agonist / antagonist and joint rotation to speed
the rate of elongation and strengthening which results
in a leaner looking body. ·It focuses on spinal
rotation and joint alignment, liberating the back
from pain and improving posture.
Results:
1. Thinner arms and thighs - many have lost up to
3 inches around their bums!
2. Flattened and more defined tummies
3. Decreased stress levels
4. Reversal of osteoporosis
5. Dramatic improvement of posture
6. Healing of lower back, knee and shoulder injuries/pains
Join us next month to learn more about Miranda Esmonde-White
and the potential benefits of Classical Stretch in
your life!
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