This weekend is the Eastern Canadian Championships in Ottawa. To be very honest I’m having trouble getting psyched up for it. I worked so hard on the mental aspect getting ready for the World Championships two months ago. Its funny how getting ready mentally can be just as exhausting as the physical training. I didn’t realize how much it took out of me until I had to start getting ready for this tournament.
For months before the Worlds I did nothing but eat, sleep, and breath TKD to get ready for the big competition. Now I have so many other things on the go as well. Nothing will ever beat the experience for me in New Zealand as far as TKD is concerned. It was the best time of my life and I still think about it every day.
Now I’m also excited about my competitive club soccer summer season starting up, playing on the high school varsity soccer team, and being on the varsity track and field team for events that I’ve never done before. I’ve also been focusing on helping the coloured belts prepare for this tournament. With so much on the go I have been having trouble fitting in my own TKD training. I’m lucky that Mr. LeGrow lets me go in by myself to train when the dojang is closed. I’m just happy that when I do get to train it feels great. Nothing feels better than doing a nice pattern!! I always feel ‘free’ when I do patterns because I’m concentrating so hard that everything else in my mind disappears.
I know my fellow Canadian team mates are coming to Eastern’s with full intentions of winning so I know I’ll have some very hard competition ahead of me. I understand that there are several new 2nd degree girls that I will be competing against for the first time so this will be interesting. Last year, Grand Master Lan once wrote an email to me saying ‘never underestimate your opponents’. These are very wise words and I’ll never forget them and I do take them seriously.
This is a sanctioned tournament for points towards making the National Team for the next World Championships in Spain 2013. I think most of my current competitors will move up into the Adult division for the next Worlds but I have one more time in the Junior division since I’m only 15.
I can’t wait to see all my friends that I haven’t seen since New Zealand!!!!!
Keep focused! We are looking forward to Saturday- see you there. I will be the nervous mom!
I’m sure Cameron will do a great job – you don’t need to be nervous. I keep looking at my “special bracelet” to stay focused. Thanks again. See you Saturday.