In honour of V-day month at lululemon Whyte Ave this month, I figured it would be appropriate to showcase some inspiring and strong female role models. My friend Anna Goodman is one of those ladies. I got to know Anna through alpine ski races and although I am pretty sure she's been fast since she left the womb she has had to face adversity in her career with different injuries. She is an amazing presence on and off the hill. This is an article she wrote for Ski Presse that she sent me to share with you guys. Even if you aren't a ski racer you will surely enjoy reading it :)"Alors on Danse"
It's the feeling of a perfectly carved turn. The way you feel the crisp wind on your face. The way you maneuver the terrain and dominate the mountain. Being surrounded by nature and celebrating the sport.
Alors on danse...
When my mom describes my slalom skiing, she says it's as if I am “dancing down the hill.”
Dancing like nobody is watching, dancing to my own rhythm and beat, and dancing my way through the finish line! The way my mind separates from my body for a brief moment of pure adrenaline and instinct as I race down the hill, hair flying, eyes watering, wind tickling my face; brings the feelings of being one with the mountain; one with my dance floor. These feelings are the reason that year after year and race after race, I keep coming back for more. An amazing race is like having the wildest, craziest most fun dance party of your life, where thoughts and doubts don't matter and you've got all the best moves guided by the positive, pure energy flowing through your body to it's own beat.
After seven months away from the sport recovering from knee surgery I finally got to buckle up my ski boots, click into my skis, and feel some wind on my face as I skied my way down Solden, Austria for the past month. Time flew by and I am finally feeling like I've got my groove back on skis, the beat is pumping and I'm ready to RACE! My legs are tingling, my heart is pounding, and there are butterflies dancing around my belly in anticipation of the start of my race season: November 15th in Levi, Finland.
Until then, we dance, we ski and we laugh because we are living our dream. And by we, I mean my teammates and me. We make each other laugh and sing and dance the same way we push each other to be faster, stronger and more aggressive on the ski hill. We are all such different individuals, but we are bonded by the love of the sport, the outdoors, the crisp fresh winter air and the love of hilarious adventures on and off of the ski hill.
One of those hilarious moments happened recently when we had a day off during our training camp in Pitztal, Austria. We were sipping coffee, watching the snow falling, when we decided that the best way to let loose that day would be to have a colourful and comical photo-shoot! We got dressed in various fluorescent crazy colours, I rigged my camera up to a mini tri-pod, set the timer, and we were off! All ten of us laughed, danced, jumped and embraced the energy that we were creating. When we get together, smiles and laughter have a domino affect. My teammates are my second family, and although we compete against each other, we are close friends and sisters; we are a team. So, as the season creeps up on us and the first race is only a week away, I am sending out my dance vibes and positive energy to all the Canadians racing. We've all got our own unique moves when it comes to racing down the hill, but as long as we trust our instincts and embrace the moments and go with the flow as we attack our way to the finish line, it should be a great show! Soon I'll be on stage, and I know in my heart that I've got some pretty sweet moves!!
Follow her blog @ http://www.annagoody.ca/
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