Hammer Ambassador 2014/ 2015

Living the life of a competitive Age Group athlete, balancing a career, a busy training schedule and somewhat of a social life is not easy (or desired by many people for that matter). Despite the challenges, I am beyond passionate about training and racing –the healthy, competitive lifestyle alone has drawn me to sport and kept me infatuated. The physical and mental challenges that the sports of cycling, running and swimming have posed have taught me so much about these disciplines and myself – I am proud of my accomplishments, my effort and the person I’ve become in the past few years. I could not have realized any of this success without my coaches, mentors, supporters/ sponsors, family and friends that believed in me and imparted so many lessons on me.

I was selected as one of Hammer Nutrition Canada’s Athlete Ambassadors in 2014 and again for 2015; to say that being a part of the team has impacted me would simply be an understatement...the whole experience has been a whirlwind! The community that I've felt around me, supporting and encouraging me is not only unexpected, but also overwhelming. It is an honor to be an advocate for the brand and product; I loved sharing the benefits of training with a high quality training fuel and before, during or after a workout and/or throughout the day. The community engagement I feel is immense and I am proud to be representing a brand I believe in – I attribute much of my success last year (hitting the podium in all the triathlon and cycling races I competed in) to my better understanding and appreciation for nutrition as it plays an integral role in training more effectively and becoming healthier. I'm itching for the race season to kick off; watch out! 

Escape from Alcatraz pre-race ride.

(ABOVE) Pre-race ride in San Francisco before the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon!

Edmonton Worlds 14' - leading the pack! 

(ABOVE) Road course during the World ITU Age Group Grand Final Championships in Edmonton - finishing (after a flat tubular on the bike course)! 

Comin' in HOT (and dancing) at Welland 1/2 IM

(ABOVE) Finishing my first 1/2 Ironman in Welland - placing 3rd in my AG!

Team Canada @ Worlds in Edmonton 14' (me in the 2nd row from the back, left of the pole with red headband)

(ABOVE) Team Canada photo shoot at the World Championships for Olympic distance Triathlon (me in the 2nd last row from the back, right side). 

Alcatraz Debrief

I successfully ESCAPED from Alcatraz! 

A giant THANK YOU goes out to everyone who supported and encouraged me to prepare, to raise money and to get to and Escape from Alcatraz with Team LiveSTRONG…the race was incredible and our team raised over $65000.00!

This race is known as a "bucket list race" in the world of Triathlons and it's a hot commodity as there's an annual lottery to even compete. I was granted a charity spot with LiveSTRONG on the condition that I raise the target amount for the Foundation.

To say that I had a blast is an understatement, race day could not have been more perfect and I managed to survive the shark-infested cold water (55 degrees) and managed to change out the flat tire I got on the bike course and get on with the race. I placed 4th in my Age Group and represented both Canada and LiveSTRONG!

I put together a video to capture the race - it's approx. 8 mins and captures the essence of the pre-race prep and the race itself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGsxMXB4RqY

The summary of the race is as follows:

• The SWIM: was a blur…chilly and choppy but incredible to be swimming across the San Fran bay like a convict with a glimpse of the Golden Gate bridge in the distance. We were trailing the pros (who had a boat to follow); I found some feet to draft off of and hung on! This morning I was swimming in Oakville with the L.O.S.T (Lake Ontario Swim Team) and the water was actually colder than San Fran; I think San Fran toughened me up! 

Watch out for the Sharks and Sea Lions while you're 

Escaping from the infamous Alcatraz island jail! 

• The BIKE: I came out of transition on my bike and heard a stone or something shoot out from my rear wheel. Didn’t think much of it until I got to the top of the first hill and realized my rear wheel was flat. I opted for clinchers vs. tubular tires for the race so I was able to pop off my wheel and do a quick change. I felt pretty confident about the tire change and the other athletes were so helpful, one guy even jumped off to help me with my air cartridge to get me back on my saddle faster! I felt a bit like Chrissy Wellington (Ironman Pro) after that trying to play catch up on the bike to get my position back.

HILLY! No triathlon bikes around here - 
road bikes recommended for these San Fran hills.

• The RUN: whoooowie – uphill most of the way with a 400-step sand staircase that forced you to walk. UNREAL views of the city and a short jaunt along the beach...luckily the last 4 kms was downhill and flat to the finish!

Pacing up the 400 steps! 

Does this gal look unhappy? Nope!!

Best Day EVER!

Overall – great day! Weather was divine and the crowd was incredible (not to mention my awesome friends Kathleen McDonald who made the trip from Toronto to watch, the spectactular Bo Meng and Mr. & Mrs. McIsaac from Toronto). Team LiveSTRONG was amazing...I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends, family and colleagues! Thank you sincerely for your love, support and encouragement!

Until the next race...

Tossing out the fists at the finish line! No biggie.

Team LiveSTRONG @ Escape from Alcatraz 2014

Not only did we race with the Pros; but, got to hang with them too!

Andy Potts inspiring the athletes at a Pre-Race Pep Talk

Team LiveSTRONG race uni: pre-race prep with the fellow teammates!