Modern pentathlon was introduced as a new sport with the resurgence of the modern Olympics in the early 1900s. Pierre de Coubertin (the founder of the modern Olympics) selected pentathlon to mirror the ancient Greek pentathlon, which consisted of running, javelin, discus, long jump, and wrestling.

The events chosen for modern pentathlon represent the diverse attributes of a Napoleonic officer, including:

• Fitness (running and swimming)
• Control and concentration (shooting)
• Agility and speed (fencing)
• Determination, adaptability and courage (riding and jumping on an unfamiliar horse).

Modern pentathlon is five sports combined into four events, competed in the span of one day including:

Fencing

The day begins early with my favourite event. In fencing, each athlete bouts against each other to one point. Fencing is so exciting to watch and there is an incredible amount of pressure placed on each bout. Strategy, skill and quickness are all necessities and some say it’s the most important event.

Swimming

The race is a 200-meter freestyle event. It is scored by time, and I will not only race the other competitors, but I will also race the clock which translates to points. Endurance and strength are important here.

Riding

Since pentathlon is rooted in the military, pentathletes randomly draw the horse they will compete on. Twenty minutes and five practice jumps is all the time I have to acquaint myself with my new partner. We must navigate the course of 12 obstacles and clear the jumps in aim of achieving a perfect score, but this is very difficult. In this event confidence and bravery goes a long way.

Run & Shoot

The finale of the pentathlon is the combined run + shoot event. I must be able to accurately shoot while my heart rate is soaring from the previous 800m sprint. A staggered start has the athlete with the most points in front and the remaining athletes chasing from their handicapped start times. 4 intervals of 800 meters with 4 shooting sessions make up the race. During each shoot, five targets must be successfully shot, requiring immense precision. Focus, concentration, speed and sprinting all factor in the final race to the finish.

My Schedule

Competition Schedule 2014:

World Cup Final – Sarasota, USA, – June 2014
PANAM Championships – Mexico City, Mexico – July 2014
Canadian National Championships – Guelph, Canada – August 2014
Senior World Championships – Warsaw, Poland – September 2014

Results:

London 2012 Olympic Games – 11th (New Canadian Record)
4x Canadian National Champion
2014 Budapest Indoor – 7th
2014 World Cup #3, Chengdu, China – 20th
2014 World Cup #4, Kecskemet, Hungary – 5th