*DISCLAIMER…I am extremely behind on my posts and they will most likely all come out this week! Thanks for understanding! Not that you were too worried but I thought I would let you know, I’m still here and getting stronger!*
Well it was that time of the year again except I was merely a spectator at the collection of the best Track and Field athletes in the Province of Ontario! It was a huge honour to be invited back with the pleasure of being able to hand out medals to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers! The cherry on the cake was being able to share the honour with my buddy Nikitta Holder! Back in the day we would stand on each other’s blocks as we would race down the track and now we are together again handing out medals. Our paths went different ways and she was able to represent Canada at a couple of Olympic Games in the 100m Hurdles! She’s kind of a big deal!
Nikitta Holder and ME!
You know who else is a big deal? It is another childhood friend, Shelly-Anne Brown who also represented Canada in the summer and winter Olympics bringing home a Silver Medal in the 2-woman Bobsleigh in 2010.
Shelly-Anne and I
It was like a huge reunion but a very stark reminder of how decisions you make in your life can and will affect you forever. I am currently listening to an audio book in which the author refers to the injured athlete that returns to competition. Most of these stories talk about already great athletes with amazing accomplishments, that suffer a tragedy and get back to it. Some would say I am hard on myself as I have an OFSAA gold medal, but I know what I am truly capable of and won’t be happy until I get there. That is why I don’t consider myself a great athlete with amazing accomplishments…simply someone who could’ve but didn’t when it was all right there for the taking. That is what drives me today. About 2 weeks after being at OFSAA I was invited to attend the DEAA track and field championships. This is where I started, at the elementary school level. Again, it had me feeling like a celebrity but still knowing that there is a lot of work to do. I feel like there are a lot of young athletes that go through this. Knowing they had the ability and for the lack of better phrase, pissed it all away! Whether they make the Olympics or the NBA, sports can not only open your world and expand your mindset but pay for your education too. Not only do I get a second chance at being a world class athlete but educating the next generation in what is to come in life. School doesn’t always prepare you for the big bad world and sometimes kids need to hear from someone other than their parents and teachers that life will not hesitate to kick you when you’re down. The good news is that with determination, perseverance and grit you can overcome any challenge that comes your way! I feel extremely privileged to be able to lead the life that I do and hope that my experiences can help someone through their difficult times. I realize not everyone gets a second chance at life quite like I do, and I’m going to do it right! Follow my journey to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and beyond!