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EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
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The stakes are getting higher
Sue Merz, 29, was a key member of the first U.S. Olympic women's hockey team, which won a gold medal at the 1998 Games in Nagano. The Greenwich, Conn. native first joined the U.S. national team at age 18 and played hockey at the University of New Hampshire. Now the defenseman wants a second Olympic gold medal. Check out Merz's diary as she trains for Salt Lake City. May 31, 2001 Saturday. I'm really not looking forward to Saturday. For the first time in my life I have to go to a testing camp. A testing camp! Oh well, I'll get to that in a minute...My name is Sue Merz, and I'm a member of the U.S. Women's National Ice Hockey Team. I've been playing hockey for 23 years now, and I'm fortunate enough to say that I am an Olympic gold medalist in this great sport.
I started playing hockey when I was 6 (I think you can figure out my age from that information) and I grew up like most of my teammates playing with the boys. I was fortunate enough never to run into any prejudice being the only girl out there, and I'm forever grateful for it. I say that because there were many girls who've had a very hard time doing what they loved to do because of their gender. I first joined the National Team as an 18-year-old, making the cut and being chosen to play in the first ever sanctioned World Championships in 1990. I was beside myself and was just happy to be a part of the team. But now, 11 years later, I feel I contribute more to this team on and off the ice. One component of this contribution is the training that we all do to prepare ourselves for the upcoming season. I remember back to that World Championship tournament in 1990, it seemed that the athletes then relied more on their skill than on conditioning to be at the top of their game. But times have changed. And that's where this testing camp comes in... The stakes are getting higher and the work is getting harder now that this has become an Olympic sport. And that's a good thing... most of the time. This Saturday I am travelling to Lake Placid, N.Y. for four days to test various aspects of my fitness at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. I'm excited to see my teammates, but the excitement ends there. Some of these tests include strength tests such as bench, squat and chin-up maximums. Those I don't mind. Other tests will gauge power and aerobic capacity. These I don't love. But like I said, the standards are getting higher. And I intend on putting myself in a good position to make this team in the fall. Therefore I'm off to Lake Placid, prepared to endure those four days of torture. Be back soon for an update... -- Sue
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