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the megan report March 2010
Dear Family, Friends and Sponsors:
Wow! Incredible. It was everything I thought it would be.
Tears of joy mixed with tears of disappointment. A lifelong dream coming to a pinnacle of pride, pain, and jubilation. Friendships forged, regardless of flags. Those symbolic five rings. Years of hard work eased away from me as I stood on the start line, time and time again. I felt nothing but peace and gratitude to be able to live my life this way. To experience those races that few others will ever get a chance to. And it’s because of you.
This is my ode to the Olympics, my speech to my supporters. Many years ago, it was me that stood in awe of Olympians. I was the kid who felt privileged to meet one.
The stars were in my eyes. Now the dream has become a reality. And I could not have made it here alone.
To my devoted team-my coaches, wax technicians, massage and physiotherapists, physiologists and sports psychologist. I thank you and applaud you in pushing me, building me up, breaking me down, and sometimes kicking me in the butt. Your confidence in me is empowering. You are my big family.
To my enthusiastic hometown.
Thanks for believing in me. Always with a keen eye for how you could help. Thanks for not thinking I’m crazy when I
rollerski on the South Shore Road. Or at the very least not telling me if you do. Small towns, big dreams. I only hope I can continue to make you proud.
To my teammates.
Like we decided the quote on our calendar should be: In union there is strength. Here’s to my best friends, practically siblings, which I have shared many a hilarious moment with. From the peaks to the valleys, with no topics off limits, I am so happy to have you all at my side. Because you understand better than anyone, this wild ride. Looking forward to more great times to come. Thank you.
To my friends.
Who I feel at home with in an instant. You are so comfortable, real, and loving. Thanks for joining me in workouts, singing me songs, making fun of me for the geek that I am. May the laughter never die. See you soon.
To my sponsors.
Thanks for joining my team, my journey, my fight- whatever you may call it. Without you I would be a ship with no sail. I sincerely thank you for your contributions. I look forward to giving back, and being a part of your team too. You rock!
And to my family.
To hear your voices in the crowd at first made me smile. Your signs made me laugh. And then to see you all in person after my first race was over made me cry. There have been so many adventures…think sailing in the storm that Dad insisted ‘was going to miss us’. I hope this one will be as memorable. Vancouver family road trip 2010. The question for you is are you up for it again in four years? Better start practicing your Russian. Here’s one I think you should know: “na zdorovye!”
Cheers.
January 2010 Report
Dear Sponsors, Friends, and Fans:
It’s everywhere. In the eyes of each athlete, each official, each coach. It’s in the haze of the wax cabins. It’s in the voice of the announcer and the often-slurred cheers from the fans. It’s the final countdown to Vancouver 2010. And one of the biggest parties in Germany is celebrating it. Biathlon Welt Cup in Ruhpolding!
At 5:20 pm CET on Wednesday, I will unleash everything I have on the 7.5km Bavarian race course. And I can’t wait! This is all part of prepping to do my best in Whistler. I eagerly await my chance to have fun and race hard this week.
Thanks to my incredible sponsors for keeping me in the game, and moving forward. And of course everyone at home in
Falcon Lake, in Manitoba, in Alberta and across Canada for your immense support this year. You rock!
Tune in LIVE on www.biathlonworld.com to get your dose of the party on Wednesday and Friday at 5:20 pm CET (note 7 hour time change to CST, eg. 10:20 am).
Yours,
Megan
Download PDF megan report here!
New article about Megan in Winnipeg Women Magazine. Read here.
In the spirit of the season this concert raised $2,000.00!
Thank you to everyone!
Megan featured in irun!
Download full PDF here
Need jpeg version click here
Megan update November 13, 2009
We are stamping our boots in the grass. Pointing to the sky. Dancing for snow. this is the time of year that my teammates and I get impatient with the weather. Each morning we peer out our windows eagerly anticipating those fluffy flakes from above. But this year Canmore seems content to watch us head for the hills in search of snow. Most of our ski training is now done at altitude in the surrounding mountains. It's a challenge for the heart and lungs, but one that will pay off once we hit the World Cup.
In a little over a week's time I will be dining once again at Chez Air Canada's Seat Back Tray Table. I will be packing up my new, yet-to-be-stinky race suits and prepare for life on the road. But I long for it.
When I think of the training I've beaten myself down with since April, I feel like I'm ready. Ready to test out what my lungs and legs are made of. Ready to bring my improved accuracy into play, and to sample the culinary delights of Sweden, Austria and Slovenia. Ready to embark on the most anticipated year of my life.
Yours in sport,
Grab a coffee and watch the World Cup races live on www.biathlonworld.com
Trappers cheer on Imrie
Fur flies over Canadian biathlete's sponsor
By Keith Bradford, Calgary Herald
April 2009 Update
Dear Sponsors, Friends, and Fans:
Hot pink headband. Extreme green stretchies. Radical orange shades basking my face in a fabulous eighties glow. Have I skied back in time you ask? No- it’s simply spring time in the Rockies! And there is no better closing ceremony for my wintery biathlon season than a sunny Hot Dog Day in Fernie.
Ending the season in style is a critical step in many a cold-weather athlete’s training regime. A festive hot dog day (read: 80’s day celebrated by all on the ski hill) eases the stress of being focused and highly competitive for the past 5 months. Add a splash of neon, and all those painful moments of lactic acid and frozen digits are twisted into a warm, buttery loaf, later to be misconstrued as fond memories. This is integral to our survival as athletes. In order to be hungry for more racing, more training and pain-ing, we have to do it up right every now and then.
But I digress. This winter for the first time in my life, I circumnavigated the globe. I began the year in the dark ‘Winter City’ of Ostersund, Sweden. Racing under giant floodlights due to the pitch black night that fell at 2pm. I Followed the biathlon circus through Austria, Germany, and Italy; the trio of old standby’s, but nevertheless extremely exciting. I encounter hundreds of thousands of fans at these venues, and I love them more each time.
The kicker this year was World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Finally! I’d been waiting. Practicing. Perfecting. And not just my biathlon skills…no, I had finely tuned my get-over-jetlag ability to a T. Excitingly enough, everything went as planned, and I had a personal best of 45th in the individual (120 starters), and the girls and I had a groovy relay result of 9th (26 teams), qualifying us four women for the Olympics. Woohoo!
About 10 peel-a-gourmet dinners and 5 ‘seat back and tray table upright’ speeches later, the entire biathlon family was on Canadian soil. The first Canuck World Cup biathlon event since ’99, and in western Canada to boot! Our team was stoked and ready for the test. It was a great help to have my family and friends roaring out encouragement as I left the start, the range, or bombed into the finish. I can’t wait for 2010 to roll around! Have your cowbells at the ready!
Immediately after throwing down another huge 9th place result in the Whistler relay (this time we were SO close to a ‘flower ceremony’6th place), we inhaled some pasta, changed out of our race suits, and checked our luggage in, all from the ‘comfort’ of our favorite 15 passenger van en route to yet another (sigh) airport.
Trondheim, Norway was the final stop of the World Cup for me. Located in a college town on the sea, it was beautiful despite the coastal weather. I had heard that Norwegian waffles were worth the trip themselves, but now I am truly a believer!
Setting boots back in my home soil never felt so good. Although I still wasn’t home-home. Championates du Canadien et Championates du Nord Americain était á Valcartier, Quebec cette anée. After leaving everything I had on the course, I managed to take home the title of North American and Canadian Champion 2009.
So that takes me full circle around the globe, and back to the psychadelic spandex of yesterday’s hot doggin’. I am pleased with the improvements from the year, and I know I can be ready to do tougher training in this pre-Olympic year.
To all my fellow hot dogger’s out there, have a great spring, and I look forward to keeping you up-to-the-minute informed on my home stretch to 2010!
Thanks for your support! Without you, my dreams would not be possible!
Yours, living in color,
Megan
