It is with great pride that I get to tell you I am going to my second Olympic Games!!

To secure this qualification, it has been a battle through and through, but I couldn’t be more thrilled to represent team Canada in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this August. From setbacks to comeback, it has taken all my strength to fight it out on the international circuit against the best athletes in the world. I am so proud to have earned my spot on the world’s biggest stage again under those Olympic rings.

The unwavering support of my coaches, training partners, family and friends have pushed me through the ups and downs and helped me to achieve my goals.  I am still letting it sink in, but I am busy preparing for the big day in 2 short months.

Rio here I come….

So, where do I begin? There’s so much to write and so much that I don’t want to write at all. One of the best things about my journey through this sport is being able to share my story with those who care to follow because sport is something that can enrapture and thrill anyone and everyone. In my opinion, sport is a great display of the human spirit, compassion and the limits that the human body can withstand.

The Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games was an event I had been waiting for since the closing ceremonies of the 2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara. I knew this would be probably the only chance in my career as an athlete to compete at this level on home soil. In pentathlon, the Pan Am Games double as our continental qualifier for the Olympic Games, so I had been dreaming of securing my berth in Toronto.

Not to my surprise, my family and friends rallied together and boarded two coach buses full of team McCannCAN supporters from my small community to cheer me on. I was humbled that so many people wanted to come and see why I have been so pentathlon crazy for the last 10 years.

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I’m just travelling home from Sarasota, Florida from the first Pentathlon World Cup of the 2015 season. This competition marked the beginning of the qualification period for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, so it was highly anticipated by everyone in the sport. With a full Canadian contingent and a few Canadian supporters, I was eager to compete and see how all my base training would pay off. The women’s field was very strong with 85 competitors and only the top 36 making it on to the final, so I knew every point would count. Unfortunately, I started out with a sub-par fencing event, which is usually where I set myself up for the rest of the day. I was a little bit nervous and struggled to find my comfort zone on the piste. There’s always another event, so it was on to the pool where I held my own in the 200m swim and then it was off to the combined event to climb the rankings. The combined event (run + shoot) was set up right along the beach. Along with gusting winds, the sand made the running conditions extreme which I didn’t mind, hoping I could tough it out better than the rest. I moved up a few spots in the ranking but it was not enough. Of course, all the athletes were close, and I just missed out on the final. It was a disappointing finish, but I would not let it discourage me as the mixed relay was yet to come a few days later.

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After a well-earned break at the end of the 2014 Pentathlon World Championships in Warsaw, Poland I was ready to get back into my base training season and prepare for 2015. At this time of year, I generally focus on fitness and putting in lots of bulk miles and meters. I also make a point of participating on the Canadian and Ontario fencing circuits, which recently provided the opportunity to fence internationally. Read more »