 |
| |
|
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
EVENTS
CENTERS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|
 |
It is a feeling of pride Posted: Friday November 30, 2001 2:01 PM
Canadian aerialist Deidra Dionne may become one of the top young athletes of the 2002 Olympic Games. The 19-year-old was named 1999-2000 World Cup female rookie of the year and won a bronze medal at the World Championships in January. Check out Dionne's diary on CNNSI.com as she trains for Salt Lake.
November 30, 2001 With precisely 88 days until the big day, I find myself at Fortress Mountain in Kananaskis, Alberta. Our team began training here on Nov. 9 and will stay until Dec. 18. Fortress Mountain has been home to the Canadian Freestyle Ski team for a number of years. Fortress staff build our jumps before the mountain is open for public skiing, which allows us valuable training in preparation for the winter ahead. This season is extremely special because the mountain has been reserved for the Canadian Team only. This is the first fall training session that other countries have not trained with us at Fortress. The privacy we have is extremely important because it allows us the opportunity to train for longer periods of time and creates an extremely productive environment to improve and prepare for February.
Although our training in the summer prepares us well for the winter, nothing quite simulates jumping on snow. Skiing down into a jump 3 meters high, performing a double flip combined with anywhere from zero to three twists knowing you must land on your feet and ski away is the ultimate challenge. Although I enjoy jumping into the water in the summer, there is something more invigorating about jumping on snow. I am often asked, "Don't you get frightened?" The answer is: All the time. I often find myself at the top of the inrun, preparing to jump when suddenly I feel my heart pounding as if it is going to jump right out of my chest. My first jump every morning is one of the most nerve-racking moments I ever experience. I remember someone telling me at a very young age that the fear cuts itself in half every jump you compete, but the fear will never entirely go away. I now know the statement is true. Although I find myself gaining a certain amount of confidence with every jump, the nervousness never completely disappears. The nervousness is what makes me continue jumping. Knowing I will always have that little voice in the back of my mind telling me there is danger in what I am doing, yet proving to myself I have the ability to do it anyway, is one of the most exhilarating feelings in the world. Anyone who has ever conquered a fear knows this feeling well. It is a feeling of pride, accomplishment and confidence. It is adrenaline running through every vein in my body. It is the feeling that keeps me going each and everyday. It is the feeling that makes me love every aspect of my sport. So as everyday of this training camp progresses, I find myself working up to my degree of difficulty. Am I frightened? Daily. However, each day I work through the feelings of self-doubt and prove to myself that I am able to do anything I have put my mind to. Whether it involves doing one of my simpler jumps or one of my more difficult ones, I know if I tell myself I can do it, I will. I will do well at the Olympics because I know I have the ability within myself to do well.
-- Deidra
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
