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| Bronze at Winterberg World Cup Opener |
| World Cup 2008/09 • November 29th, 2008 |
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| What a surprise! My first podium finish on the Winterberg, Germany track. This track is so frustrating for sliders because it is an easy track to get down, but very difficult to find speed. You can feel like you’ve had the perfect run and come across the finish line dog slow, which leaves you perplexed and panicked. Fortunately I didn’t have to experience that for my first World cup race of the 2008/09 season. It was a great day in respect of my head space. I was so calm and relaxed, probably too relaxed looking at my poor start times, but I was looking forward to the challenge of racing against the best women in the World. Looking at the start list, it was stack full of World Champions and Olympic medalists and I honestly didn’t know where I would fit in at the end of the day. But it didn’t worry me, I knew what I needed to do to get down the track fast and I surrendered to my experience.
I allowed for more than enough time to put my racing gear on, so I wasn’t rushed. I drew #2, right behind the reigning World Champion, the German Anja Huber. She came out with rockets on her hips and pushed a stunning 5.37 and set a new track record 58.80. I knew the track was fast and I would have to be very still on my sled. Sometimes the extra energy can make you want to do everything with a little more intensity and then it ends up changing your lines down the track. Sort of ironic, all summer long we spend our days filling it with intense training, sprinting fast, lifting heavy then when I get to the start line I try to reverse it all and relax and slowing everything down in my mind.
The track was cleared for me and I put my sled down in the groove. My 1st mistake was getting too low on the block and right away I got out of position! I was too far behind the sled, then too far to the left of the sled, then my stride was strung out then choppy, it was a disaster and therefore the 5.70 (ranked 14) start time! I knew it was bad, but I dismissed it immediately and started to focus on each corner as it came at me. Amazing how we are traveling at 126km/hr, but I can vividly remember every moment of my run. I came across the finish line in 2nd with a 59.03. I was instantly pleased to be that close to Anja’s time. But I didn’t automatically assume I would be safe for the 2nd run. There was a stud packed line up yet to slide down the track and in training we were all separated by mere hundredths, so today could be anyone’s victory.
The 1st run was completed and I managed to stay in 3rd behind 2 Germans. The American and reigning World Cup Champion Katie Uhlaender was in 4th, just 7/100ths behind me and then about 6 girls tightly packed together just a couple of tenths behind me. I found myself in the exact same position as last year here in Winterberg’s World cup race. I was sitting in 3rd place, with Katie in 4th, but I spent the break between runs worrying about losing my spot, instead of focusing on my job and what it would take to move up in the race. With that perspective of course Katie moved past me and I finished in 4th by 4/100ths. This time I decided it was all about attitude and perspective. That’s when I reflected on my Right to Play trip to Ghana, Africa.
I thought about all the kids learning and participating in the games which were tools for survival in a tough world. The kids would play and they weren’t afraid of falling down, or looking silly. They were so appreciative to have the opportunity to participate in the games. That’s when it dawned on me of how fortunate I am to play this game of Skeleton. Yes I was in 3rd place and I could fall back to 4th again or even to the back of the pack, or I could continue my warm up and appreciate every aspect of the game. I took everything in, watched how others reacted to my good luck wishes, some were too busy focusing on being focused and I knew they weren’t in good head space. The majority of my warm up was along side Anja, a German, my competitor, but I knew she was experiencing the same thing. She was grateful to have this opportunity and she was gracious by taking time to chat with me and really soak up the experience. Regardless of the outcome of the race, I was so appreciative to be on the World Cup tour surrounded by great teammates and competitors and in that alone I was happy.
Again, I took the time necessary to chill out in the start house, taking myself down a few levels so I could be relaxed on my sled. I made my way out to the start line and both of my coaches, Willi Schneider and Kelly Forbes were standing with my sled. I could see Willi was very focused. I know it is much harder to be on the sidelines during a race than being on the sled. Willi wants so badly for us to be our best and I think he feels the emotions more than we do! So I made sure to keep it light and joke around with both of them before I was called to the line. Katie had put her sled in the groove and the announcer cleared the track…well partly, the green light didn’t go off and the 30 second clock didn’t start. She pulled her sled up, the track was announced cleared once again, but still no clock. I made sure to vocalize my support that everything would be ok. The last thing I want is to finish ahead of someone because of a mistake out of her control. First and foremost, Katie is my friend and I enjoy competing against her, but I want her to be at her best so it’ll bring the best out of me.
Katie had a great run and kept her spot. Now it was my turn. I had a different game plan for my start. To stay high and light. It worked out a bit better taking 7/100ths off of my 1st push time. Again I needed to get into the relaxed state needed to get down this track efficiently and quickly. Thankfully Willi had prepped me for the “what to do when things go wrong on this track” and I was able to apply them in a couple of corners so I didn’t lose any time. I crossed the finish line and saw a #1 and I felt satisfied. At the very least I was on the podium at the opening World Cup race of the season, but more importantly I brought the perspective that I learned in Africa into my life.
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| Goodbyes are sad... |
| uncategorized • November 29th, 2008 |
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This entry had to wait until respective sponsors were notified…
Goodbyes are sad…
Today I had to say goodbye to my best friend as an athlete. Lindsay Alcock retired from a successful 10 year Skeleton career at the peak of her physical condition. This entry may appear very selfish on my behalf, but it shows the impact Lindsay has had on my life. Now you can understand my bawling fit from Whistler. It was the first time I was aware that Lindsay was serious about retirement. I was extremely sad first and foremost, seeing that she had a world of potential and the reality of watching her stand on the Olympic podium in 14 months vanish.
The van ride home from Whistler was my opportunity to change her mind at all expenses. I was brutally honest in our conversation and pushing it over the edge of how much I needed her in this journey. When we arrived to Calgary she seemed to have a clearer mind and said she was going to give it another whirl.
We had our 2nd selection race in Calgary the following weekend and Lindsay wasn’t the girl who I knew. We had a week off and I decided to leave her alone, instead of pressuring her and trying to be “Tony Robbins” giving her pep talks all day long. We arrived to Lake Placid and instantly I knew I had made a mistake. Lindsay was broken and needed her friend, not someone who was going to make her push through something that her heart wasn’t in anymore. I was in a fortunate situation where all I had to do to make the World cup team was complete the race. I decided that I would dedicate this week to Lindsay and our 10 year journey that created an incredibly strong bond that we will have for the rest of our life.
Lindsay was the athlete that stunned the Skeleton world. She brought the push start to a whole other level, smashing every record and by doing so she empowered others to be better. My memories of Lindsay stretch from our very 1st camp together in Canmore in 1999 to pointing my Olympic medal at her mouthing the words “a piece of this is yours” as I was standing on the podium. It is everything in between that matters and the funny thing is that even though Skeleton brought us together all the best memories have nothing to do with the sport. She was that person that grounded me and was my daily role model. I wanted to be like her, the way she spoke, the way she engaged herself in any situation and how she looked at the world. I always looked and still will look to her for advice. The running joke is how much is my psychiatrist bill?!
I finally understood when we were in Lake Placid it was Linds’ time and as hard as it was for me to say goodbye it was in her best interest. I appreciate that she brought me into her world in every aspect and I’m honored to be the shoulder she needed during this process. I’m extremely excited for her future plans to go to Chiropractor school. And honestly it doesn’t matter what she ends up doing in her life, she will be successful and will touch people’s lives in a very special way. When she made the announcement to the team, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Even though it was an extremely sad and emotional meeting it was so great. Look at the impact she had on our team. Yes we will all remember her as a World Cup champion with start records, but more importantly we will remember her as an angel who touched all of our lives in a special way.
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| 2008 World Cup team decided in Lake Placid |
| Selection Races 2008 • November 19th, 2008 |
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Before i start writing my update, check out the feature on the Globe and Mail website: http://www.globesports.com/others An in depth look on what else goes into being an athlete. Great job Donna Spencer from The Canadian Press Calgary.
Good ol' Lake Placid will be the sight of the 2009 Skeleton World Championships, so we were very fortunate to get a week of training as well as a race in before the big event. The unfortunate part of the week is that I wasn't able to take full advantage of the training...due to a burger that had a slightly greenish tinge to it. Yes, i know, stupid mistake...this I realized at 5am when I was yaking my guts out. I realized it again when I was horizontal for 36 hours, every time I stood up, my stomach would have unbelievable cramps. Luckily my coach Wlli was very sympathetic and understood I needed to rest for a couple of days. But I wasn't dismissed from our 3rd and final selection race, nor did I expect to be.
Not feeling very zippy when i woke up at 4am on race, I went about my business as usual preparing for the race. It was a very early race time, 8am, and most of you who know me I am a night owl, so not the best combination for success. But all worked out and I finished the race and as a bonus I ended up 1st. It was a very tight race for the 2nd & 3rd spot on our women's team. The vetran Michelle Kelly proved her hunger and secured her spot on the team finishing 2nd at Lake Placid and we have a new comer to the squad, 21 year old Sarah Reid, reigning Junior World Champion. We have a strong team this season and I look forward to see what we can accomplish on the World Cup tour.
The men's race was separated by mere 1/10ths of a second. Keith Loach won his 1st selection race of the season, Jon Montgomery was 2nd, Mike Douglas 3rd, Jeff Pain 4th, Paul Boehm 5th and Jamie Landry 6th. Our men's team this season will be Jeff, Paul and Jon, so keep checking in, I am confident we will see some great results from these experienced, decorated athletes.
Yesterday we arrived in Germany, we are so fortunate that our federation, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS), understands our need to adjust to the European time zone, so no competition this week, just training...thank goodness!!! I haven't slept much in the past 4 days, so I am looking forward to getting my body on track.
We will kick off the first World Cup race in Winterberg, Germany next week. Wish us luck and check back in for the update!!
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| Selection Races 1 & 2 |
| Selection Races 2008 • November 6th, 2008 |
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Ok... I’m sorry I'm so behind on my updates! Summer flew by, my days were filled with dry land training and therapy and riding horses (therapy for my mind!) We had a bit of an upset this June when Duane was steer wrestling and tore his hamstring off of his pelvis! An extremely painful injury and required surgery and a committed, lengthy recovery that he has been dealing with amazingly. That meant his hazing horse was going to have the summer off and I started to play around on the barrels with him. I was about to make my barrel racing debut at the end of July at a little jackpot near Airdrie. The announcer called my name and I was riding up the alley and then due to a hail storm the jackpot got shut down! I was so disappointed, it had been 12 yrs since I had barrel raced last, but I guess I’ll have to wait til next summer.
This is my 14th sliding season! WOW! I am aging myself! But it has been like no other season so far and we are only 5 weeks into it! The first 13yrs we would start sliding on the Calgary track, but this October we took our first skeleton runs down the Whistler track. I’ve had a fortunate career to not have neck problems and that all ended on day 1. I have much more sympathy for my sliding peers now when they are complaining about sore necks! What an amazing facility! The entire track crew is so eager to work with us and help us with what ever we need. The public is so excited to have us in Whistler, we had more people out to watch our training runs than we do at a World Cup in Calgary!!! It created a positive environment that made it fun for all of us sliding down track at awesome speeds! The scariest part of the track for me wasn’t a specific corner or the outrun like it usually is, but the BEARS!!! They were everywhere, on the roads, in the parking lot where we warm up, along the track and even in the track at times! I might not have learned as much as I should have because I was too afraid to watch, just incase a bear thought I’d be a good snack before they hibernate for the winter! For those of you who know me best know that my biggest fears are bears and bulls!!
I would say our first camp in Whistler was a success. We had the first of 3 selection races at the end of October. The format was the same as the Olympics, 4 heats over 2 days. I was happy with my race. I made some mistakes that I learned a lot from but still was successful winning the inaugural race on the Whistler Olympic track. It wasn’t an easy race, I was 1st after run 1 and I was glad to get the 1st run of the 1st race of the year over with. I had some problems on my 2nd run and I fell to 2nd behind Michelle Kelly. Day 2 was a day I will never forget. I had to deal with some personal matters, which I can’t disclose in my update. But I decided that I would put a wall up and go about my business, it is race day and issues can be dealt with later. I didn’t get the sleep I needed the night before and then my old black berry was programmed to fall backwards according to the old day light savings calendar, so I woke up late and didn’t get my stim workout in. I definitely felt that in my warm up, didn’t have any zip. Despite how I felt physically and mentally I keep focusing on the job at hand. I had a rough 3rd run and I fell further behind Michelle’s stellar track record run, but maintained 2nd place. Heat 4 is reverse order of rank and as the race began the battle I had been fighting the previous night and all day hit me like ton of bricks and I broke down. Bawling uncontrollably, trying not to disturb my teammates, I didn’t know what was going on with me. I’m sure from the intense camp, being completely worn out, I broke. Thankfully Kim Cousins, Lindsay Alcock’s dry land coach, was able to console me. I sat back down and visualized my run, then stood up with about 3 minutes until I was on the line and started crying again. Amy Gough and Sarah Reid were great teammates by taking the time ask if everything was ok, sorry ladies if I distracted you, not my intentions! Never in 13 yrs have I ever experienced anything of the sort where I was completely out of control, especially in a racing environment! I got myself somewhat together as I stood at the line and launched myself off, I was crying all the way down the track and I barely remember my run I know it was a rough one because of the bruises on my body, but I couldn’t tell you what I did to get down the track.
How I won that race again…I have no idea, I can only assume Michelle had a rough 4th run, we were only separated by 1/10th of a second over 4 runs, great racing in my opinion. Even though my experience was traumatic at the time, it was great practice incase something similar or worse happens to me at the Olympic Games, because as we know, life is full of surprises… good and bad.
Sarah Reid was 3rd, Amy Gough 4th, Carla Pavan 5th and Lindsay Alcock was 6th. Our men’s race was Jeff Pain 1st, Paul Boehm 2nd, Jon Montgomery 3rd, Mike Douglas 4th, Keith Loach 5th and Kelly Forbes didn’t finish.
As soon as the race was over we rushed home, had lunch, a meeting, packed the van, did a quick hot/cold session and had a nap then started our 12hr drive home to Calgary. Not a day off, but back on the track in Calgary to get set for our 2nd selection race.
It was a whirlwind of a week, training on the track trying to adapt to the different speeds, I went 138km/hr in Whistler and in Calgary was 122km/hr, big difference! But we adapted and raced this past Saturday and I had another successful race coming out on top. Sarah Reid was 2nd, Amy Gough was 3rd, Michelle Kelly 4th, Carla Pavan 5th and Lindsay Alcock 6th. Our men’s race was Jeff Pain 1st, Paul Boehm 2nd, Jon Montgomery 3rd, Mike Douglas 4th, Jamie Landry 5th, Keith Loach 6th. It is going to be a great 3rd race in Lake Placid, NY on November 16th, then our World cup and Intercontinental Cup teams will be decided. I will write after race #3 to let you know who our World Cup squad will be this season.
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| Response 1 |
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Thursday 6th of November 2008 06:13:26 PM • Submitted by: Rusty |
| Hi Mellisa! Wow what a week you had - I wondered how the bear situation affected the athletes. I know I had to overcome my bear fear every time I went out to the track. I had one get a little close when I was checking in the new volunteers in the parking lot by the refigeration plant...
Congrats on your first 2 races and for overcoming fears and emotions - the makings of an Olympian! 14th sliding year - I remember signing you up at the track for your first skeleton school - don't worry I never told any one that you were under age!!
Good luck to you and your team mates this year. I will be in Winterberg and Whistler this year - see you then.
Rusty |
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| Response 2 |
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Thursday 6th of November 2008 07:48:00 PM • Submitted by: Cheryl Gelinas |
| Mellisa, I am so happy that you were able to draw on your experience and ability to focus and find yourself so well placed going into race 3. You met your challenges head-on (pardon the skeleton pun) and overcame. I wish we could be there to surprise you in Placid, again, but this knee is still in its infancy, and not quite ready for prime-time. I look forward to the update on your great site. Love, Cheryl |
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| Response 3 |
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Thursday 6th of November 2008 10:05:13 PM • Submitted by: Karl Gompf |
| Congrats Mellisa! Thanks for sharing your journey. You really make the experience come alive for those of us who envy the excitement of your sport--but would not have the guts to even try it. (Although I'd like to some day)
We are with you in spirit. The best to you!
Karl---from Manitoba |
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| Response 4 |
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Friday 7th of November 2008 11:21:16 AM • Submitted by: Garnet & Nora Gompf |
| Thanks Mellisa for the great update. Isn't it funny how life hands you bombshells just when you least need or expect them? You are an amazing young woman and no matter what the outcome you have done your very best in all aspects and we are extremely proud of you. Sorry to hear of Duane's accident and hopefully he fully recovers.
We have purchased our tickets for 2010 and will stay with Garnet's friend who lives in White Rock. He will also come to the races with us. All is well here and we are busy getting to know our 10th grandchild, Denver Ross. Had our first snow fall last night, about 3 or 4 inches so it's likely here to stay.
Our best wishes go out to you as we know you are the very best so keep smiling and loving life.
Love always,
Grandma & Grandpa Gompf |
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| Response 5 |
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Friday 7th of November 2008 03:11:15 PM • Submitted by: Ed |
| Way to hang in there |
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| Response 6 |
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Monday 10th of November 2008 03:57:52 PM • Submitted by: Joanne |
| Way to go, Mellisa! You have such focus and drive! I am so proud of you! Keep up the great work, and most of all, enjoy and have fun! Love, Joanne |
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| Response 7 |
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Tuesday 18th of November 2008 05:16:10 PM • Submitted by: Dad |
| I am so proud of you. Makeing the National team again not just making it but winning all 3 races against the toughest girls in the world. Keep up the great work I will be cheering for you every step of the way. I will be up in the middle of the night watching your races on the computer. Keep having fun. Love you Dad |
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