It’s been a couple weeks since Nationals and now it’s time to get ready for an amazing 4 months leading up to Spain.
First I had to get caught up with a lot of school work since it’s the final few weeks of school and I had to get ready for summatives and exams. It was actually good timing since I still can’t fully extend my elbow without pain so it has forced me to rest. I have however been running daily and continuing with other forms of fitness. I would go crazy if I didn’t do some sort of exercise 🙂
Job #1 -Then I had to get a summer job lined up so I can help pay for my World Championships in October. I was lucky enough to get my first job at McDonalds and I start on Wednesday. I applied at McDonalds since they have a large staff and they are flexible with their work schedules which will be helpful with my taekwon-do. A lot of my friends work there and they love it so I’m sure I’ll have fun too. They also have a good reputation for their training and their organization. They helped me with a large donation for the last World Championships and it was greatly appreciated.
Job #2 – I also purchased several used kicking and punching shields so I can teach my own fitness boot camps during the summer when I’m not working at McDonalds. I want to give workshops at sport camps or team trainings. I wanted my own equipment so I could teach whenever and wherever I could without always having to borrow stuff. I looked at it as an investment into my future 🙂
I had another huge decision to make about track and field. I have been training and competing for two years in javelin, discus and shot put with the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club. I love it and the cross training is amazing. I was soooo disappointed that I had to miss the school season because of my elbow injury. I was really looking forward to OFSAA this year. It was also important since universities look at the OFSAA results for scholarships’. I’ll just have to make up for it next year 🙂
The doctors said that it would be at least another month before I can throw since the tendons that are injured get a huge stress with throwing (it’s a very specific and isolated motion) and I can’t risk that. Under the circumstances I told my throwing coaches that I would take the summer off throwing and continue after the world championships. I need my arm to completely heal especially now that I’m part of the teakwon-do Team Canada. I take that honour very seriously. Fortunately they understood and realized that the decision was basically made for me. I still want to do cross training sessions with some of the throwers on our own time in parks. I know it would be good for them for overall strengthening and it’s more fun for me to have training partners too. It will also keep me connected to the group so when I return in the Fall it will be easier.
I also put a sponsorship package together to hopefully encourage some companies to help sponsor or make a donation towards my training/travel expenses to Spain. Every penny helps. The Barrhaven Independent Newspaper wrote a full page editorial on me which was extremely nice and helpful. I will include it in my sponsorship packages.
My whole summer will consist of training and working so it’s a good thing that my friends are part of that.