Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs
i spent the weekend a coaches conference listening to the trainers, psychologists, dietitians of our OLYMPIANS! it was awesome- i learned so much. i have INCREDIBLE goals for my athletes and children (yep, one of THOSE moms)

i learned great ways to make athletes Olympic material while still allowing them to have a life and be a kid.
true- it takes a special kid to become Olympic material but it also takes amazing coaching to do it in a positive way.
I feel like i can be amazing!

We have all kinds of awesome stuff in store for our athletes, even CIRCUS SCHOOL.

did you know synchronized swimming is classified as a acrobat sport? check out this video for some cool acrobatics in the water http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNNkS7rNhH0. (russian team 2007)

I couldn't find the 2008 Russian team on youtube. They won the Gold in Beijing. absolutely amazing acrobatics. the world is baffled on how they do it. USA got 9th - thats not good. we need more strength, lots of cross training in dance, gymnastics, pilates anything for strength. (if you have a daughter not loving dance or gymnastics bring her down! (http://www.azdolphins.com/)

The government funds synchro in Russia, the athletes in Russia are idolized like football players are here ... that's a lot to compete with!

this kid is 11 (ripped isn't he?). he was there with his parents from Washington. He's one of the top 20 kids in the country. he was there competing for a position on the Olympic Training team.
I talked to his parents for a long time, they were both athletes- track and basketball- they LOVE traveling with him. Sports have always been their life. He's in a private school that works around his gymnastics schedule- up to 5 hours a day.
He was a awesome kid. Great manners, awesome focus. He loves gymnastics. His parents told us they want to give him all the opportunities they can to help him excel, as long as he enjoys it.
he's a only child but the parents- ones a teacher and one is a strength coach, they weren't rich. They just worked hard for their son.


here i am in the rings,
why did i give up on my olympic dream?????
lack of money. i actually got up at 5am 2 days a week to go work at a retirement home as a waitress to make money for synchro. (while in school and swimming 12+ hours a week)
I MYSELF paid for synchro for a year. I REALLY wanted to do it.

Then i realized it probably wouldn't happen so i quit when i was 17, gained 15 pounds almost instantly. i spent my afternoons thinking about boys and being BORED. (yes- i did all my church stuff and student council- still wasn't enough)
I'm still not over it (if you can't tell)
Even now I can't sit still. I see absolutely no harm in having your kids in sports.

It is SO GOOD for them, keeps them out of trouble. i'll argue with you till i'm blue in the face about this.
(last time i posted a little speech like this i got quite the comment from a anonymous blogger about my lacking parenting skills- so go for it...i dare you)

the unlit torch. i tried out my running in the high elevation- i didn't do as bad as i thought, you know...throwing up and passing out.

turkey trot- here i come.