July 18^th, 2012

Tea and Crumpets….

Well, I haven’t written a blog in ages.  It’s almost embarrassing actually.  I don’t even have a good excuse other than the fact that it’s too easy to just get caught up in the whirlwind of life.

What has inspired me to write again is our Canadian Olympians heading to London.  I was looking at my calendar and I realized its single digits until opening ceremonies.  8 days to be exact.

I was thinking back to 8 days before my 2 Olympic Games and how different they were.  My first Olympics in 2006, I had no idea what to expect. I spent a lot of time day dreaming about what it would be like, how I would feel when I competed…and ultimately what it would feel like to stand on an Olympic podium.

4 years later after missing an Olympic podium by fractions of a second I felt much more prepared.  Instead of daydreaming, I could actually picture myself perfectly, competing with ferocious intensity to earn something that I had waited 4 years to have hung around my neck.  In Vancouver, there was an overwhelming amount of pressure, and we could feel it every day.  I remember hearing a very good friend of mine, Jenn Heil say that pressure is a great thing.  If the country is talking about the Olympics and expecting medals, it is because they care.  They are supportive and believe in each of us and what we are capable of.  Pressure can be good or bad merely depending upon your interpretation.  I loved competing in front of a country painted head to toe in Red & White and screaming at the top of their lungs for me and for all of my Olympic teammates.  I know every athlete in London feels the same way.

I learned something important in Vancouver though.  What we have accomplished to earn the right to march behind our flag is a source of huge pride for our friends, our families and our country.  It is who you are, the strength of your character and the fearless ability to relentlessly pursue a dream that inspires.

I watched friends have heartbreaking performances in Vancouver and this is inevitable at every Olympic Games.  These so called “disappointments” are intertwined with the most inspirational of moments.  We cheer for your resilience. We cheer for the elegance you demonstrate in victory and defeat. We cheer because you inspire us to be courageous and to put everything on the line to pursue a dream.  We cheer because you make us proud to be Canadian.

Just know that

We Are Cheering!

Goodluck in London,

Helen

If you know me at all, you know that I always have some kind of elaborate story to tell.  People keep asking me what I have been up to since the Olympics Games.  I’ve been up to a lot!  Since reading long blog posts is awful, I’ll tell you a quick tale about one of the cool projects I’m helping out with these days.

Here’s how the story starts:

I met Tony Dilawri for the first time in 2007. He was one of the many silent donors that helped back the non-profit sport program known as b2ten.  I knew Tony and I would get along great the first time I met him.  He is an avid adventure seeker with an abundance of energy and an endless supply of great stories.  He is one of these business leaders that is quick to jump on a new idea, frequently of his own creation.  Tony is a father of three and believes strongly in the messages that amateur sport delivers to kids: follow your dreams and stay active and healthy.

Tony Dilawri has been involved in supporting amateur sports for years.  However, what he and the Dilawri Group have committed to now isn’t a “typical” athlete sponsorship involving the exchange of money for logos plastered all over my speedsuit and bobsleigh.  The Dilawri Group has given me a car that I’m allowed to drive for 1 year.  In return, I have to visit schools and talk to kids about setting goals, pursuing your dreams and having a “Passion for Excellence.”  I joined my Olympic teammate Mellisa Hollingsworth in this unique initiative and between the two of us, we have spoken to thousands of kids this year.

This is how the program works: kids had to submit an online entry addressing what it means to have a “Passion for Excellence.”  In it’s first year of creation, selecting the 13 winning schools was a challenge due to the program receiving an overwhelming large number of entries.  It was such a wonderful and rewarding experience for Mellisa and I and I sincerely hope that the kids we spoke to felt the same way. If you want to read about the contest or check out some of the winning submissions then go to the passion for excellence website! http://www.passionforexcellence.ca

The positive benefits of sports at a grass roots and community level can never be overlooked.  I know first hand the impact that sport has had on my life, and on the lives of all of the athletes that represented Canada at the Olympics. Sport teaches us to set goals, follow our dreams and shows us how to be leaders.  We acquire confidence and communication skills and begin to implement the tools that will allow us to remain healthy and active throughout our lives.  One of the greatest accomplishments of my life was standing on the Olympic podium in February of 2010 but one of the most rewarding outcomes of that medal has been the platform it gave me to share my story with the youth of Canada.  Providing kids with the inspiration and opportunity to be involved in sport and active healthy lifestyle will benefit Canada for many generations to come.

Maybe meeting Tony Dilawri was an accident, or maybe everything happens for a reason.  Either way I feel truly fortunate to have met a local Calgary businessman who has the financial resources to promote and facilitate a program like “Passion for Excellence.” It’s pretty rare to find a company that believes in the core values of amateur sport as much as I do.

Have you ever noticed that the people driving MINI’s seem to smile a lot?  Look how happy I am in this photo.  This is me and Jack-o…as in Jack-o-latern.  I was given this mini last October just before my birthday, which coincidently falls on Halloween.  It seemed a little too perfect.  An early birthday present, in orange and black, with a super charged engine on Pirelli tires.  It was love at first sight for Jack-o and I.  This car was part of a sponsorship formed with the Dilawri Automotive Group as part of the Passion for Excellence Program.

When the Dilawri Group asked me which one of their vehicles I wanted to drive, the words “mini cooper” flew out of my mouth just about as fast as I slide down the bobsleigh track.  I have pined over these cars for years.  Maybe it is my British roots, or the chase scene from the “Italian Job,” or maybe it’s the fact that people who drive these little, zippy, fuel efficient, easy to park cars just seem so darn happy.  My instinct was correct.  Driving Jack-o immediately brought a smile to my face. From the ability of changing my interior lighting system to match the paint job, to the feeling of acceleration when the car is in sport mode, it’s a close second to racing down a bobsleigh track.

This week I had a phone call.  Jack-o had been sold – a.k.a. “adopted” and I had to bring him in to have him cleaned up and ready to be delivered to his new family.  My heart broke, just a little.  I am glad he will have a loving home but I will miss him.  Since last October, we have shared many great moments on the road.  I headed up to Mini Crowfoot and turned in the keys.  I sat and waited patiently for Jack-o’s replacement.  The gang at Dilawri and MINI Crowfoot had yet to tell me which car would be replacing little Jack-o.  My mind raced with possibilities.  Will it be as nice?  As fast?  Have such a cool paint job?  Does it really matter?  I had a chance to reflect on how lucky I am to have a vehicle to get around town in.  Period. But then I heard it: the soft rumble of the engine outside the glass doors.  I turned to see a bright red Mini Cooper S pull up.  “Helen, meet your new mini,” they said.  The Baron….the Red Baron.  He’s bright and fierce with black rims, black racing stripes and black wing mirrors.  Every one of these cars seems to take on a life of it’s own.  I will never forget Jack-o.  He was my first mini and the reason why I am now a devout fan of this incredible automobile.  For now however, please excuse me. The Baron and I have some driving to do.

Helen Upperton

Bobsleigh Pilot, Olympic Silver Medallist

So I’m sitting on a plane right now on my way to Moncton New Brunswick.  Thanks to the Canadian Olympic Committee, we have the honour of attending the Olympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony that is being hosted by the beautiful province of New Brunswick.  I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of Canada on my travels and I’m always amazed at 3 things: How huge it is, how beautiful it is, and how much different each of the provinces are. I don’t spend a lot of time out on the east coast so I’m really excited to spend a few days surrounded by great people, amazing Olympic athletes, and the lovely east coast of Canada.  A few neat things are happening this weekend.  First, one of our bobsleigh alumni is being inducted.  Congrats Dave Maceacern! Secondly, the guests are a mix of summer and winter athletes.  It is always so amazing when we get to spend time with Olympians from the “other” season.  We always discover how much we have in common, how much we inspire one another and how we always feel like we are part of a big maple leaf wearing, anthem singing family.

A few of my teammates will be there and it will be great to see them.  Shelley will not be joining me because she is busy training….and this is an interesting story!  Shelley was an amazing track athlete.  She went to college in Nebraska where she earned both a bachelors and masters degree while competing in hurdles and sprints.  After 5 years of sliding and training with a focus and determination that none of us possessed in our early 20’s, she realized that she is both stronger and faster than she was back in Nebraska, where, by the way, she was one of the top ranked hurdlers in the NCAA.  The thought of using her full athletic capability to pursue the sport that she has loved since she was a little kid is overwhelming for her.  She has so many dreams and plans for her future and her passion for kids and community outreach programs but there is this nagging question in her mind.  The dangerous “I wonder….”

I say: dream of impossible things Shelley.  I will be cheering.  It doesn’t matter where it leads you, it will be an amazing journey.

We will miss you so much in Calgary, and the program will not be the same without you but I can’t wait to watch you run.  Good luck and thank you for the 5 years you spent elevating our teams push times and spirits.  Most importantly, thanks for the last 2 seasons.  You are an amazing person, a great friend and an incredible teammate.  I was so lucky to have you next to me week after week, all winter long.

Hels

Today is exactly one year to the day that I flew home from the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.  I still vividly remember feeling so exhausted and broken both physically and emotionally.  The negative effects of surviving another Olympic season however were masked by the elation and joy of accomplishing a goal I began chasing 8 years earlier.  It was a much different feeling than the one I had leaving the Olympic Games in Turin in 2006.  My fatigue there was overcast by the deep regret of knowing I underperformed.

Last summer, Shelley and I were faced with a tough decision: whether we wanted to walk away from the sport after the Games in 2010 or continue.  I still had so many goals unfulfilled in the sport and Shelley felt the same but we were both tired, and satisfied.  We spent a few weeks weighing our options and then with the help of our coaches and sponsors, decided to give it one more shot. We were lucky enough to have the full support of so many wonderful people (BCS, B2ten, Jennings Capital, to name a few)

I have won my share of World Cup medals, but due to bad luck and bad timing, I’ve never had a solid run at winning the overall title, and after 8 years of racing, I was still missing one medal: World Championships.  So that was the plan setting out.  We took big risks this summer, changing a lot of our training (thanks to Q and the boys at b2ten) and starting the preparation much later than usual.  The season started out great, the sliding was going well, we were both feeling pretty good physically and we added some great new girls to the program to help us slide and compete this past winter.

I have come to realize that for some people, certain things are just not meant to be.  For me, having a chance to win the overall just doesn’t seem to be in the cards.  After our first World Cup week of the season, Shelley had subluxed ribs and I was left in a sling with a badly separated shoulder and a badly bruised ego.  Did this really just happen on our Olympic track? The track that we know better than everyone else!  Are you kidding me?  I had to skip the first World Cup race and tell myself that winning the Overall World Cup title isn’t that awesome.  I’m such a liar.

The season was ok.  Our worst result was a 7^th.  But some great things happened this winter.  Shelley and I earned a few more World Cup medals for Canada, one of those being a gold.  Shelley’s first World Cup Gold medal!  I was so happy for her! It was the last World Cup race into the 2011 World Championships, the real reason why we came back to race this winter.

I was expecting big things.  Training went great and we had just won the World Cup in Italy.  Our coaches, mechanics, physios and chiros worked tirelessly to prepare us for 4 great heats.  And when those 4 heats came and went, we were left once again just off the podium.  5^th place.  I’m still not really sure why.  I was pretty happy with my runs, I was really happy with our start times.  We just weren’t fast enough.  Its hard walking away from a race satisfied when you can’t quite put your finger on what went wrong.  It was a tough week. The good news is that Canada still came home with hardware thanks to a great performance by Kaillie and Heather and I got to watch 2 of my closest friends retire from the sport with a silver medal to round out an amazing and inspiring career in our sport.  Now, some time to rest, reflect and figure out the next 12 months of my life.  Thank you so much for everyone who has been cheering, and following us.  Your support is so appreciated. I will write again soon…

Hels

February 6^th, 2011

What an ending to the World Cup season…

The second half has definitely not lived up to my expectations. 4^th, 7^th, 5^th…  It has been a bit disappointing to say the least.  I suppose its because every time we race we are aiming for the podium. I think my problem is that most of the time, I’m just trying too hard.  How can you not be frustrating when in a race like St. Moritz, you feel more as though you are a part of the German Championships rather than a world cup.  It’s horrifying to see one nation sweep the podium with such domination.  Every other country is over half a second behind…in bobsleigh, that is a lifetime.  So you start looking for answers, everywhere.  I have tested everything from rubber in my sled, to runner carriers.  And nothing seems to stop the slow bleeding of time that happens as we go down the track.  So this week in Cesana I decided to just change sleds completely.  Poor Fernando, resigned to sit in a dark cold garage for 3 days while I tried my luck at another sled.  The new sled was actually not too bad.  The problem was that the steering system is completely different than the one I have used for so many years.  After smashing my way down the track for 4 runs, I gave up.  And with excitement and a feeling of comfort, I returned to my trusty ole’ steed.  I had 2 really bad days of training in Fernando.  The guys jokingly said he was jealous.  He is a bit high maintenance after all.  So that was it, heading into the final world cup race with some big questions marks, not one good run to my name all week in training.

On race day we woke up in the morning to clear blue skies, surrounded by the beautiful Italian mountains.  With tones of snow and weather well above zero, I took some time to reflect on how lucky we are to do this sport.  These past two weeks in both St. Moritz and Cesana (two of the prettiest winter resorts I have ever seen) we have been surrounded by snow and sunshine.  I am a professional toboganner.  I spend weeks with great people, laughing, and doing something I love.  I am very lucky.  I remember feeling quite similar at the Olympic games last winter.  Very fortunate and very thankful for all of the people that allow us to do something we love and be successful at it.  My team these past few weeks have put up with a lot.  The mechanics are always changing and working on my sled, my teammates and coaches have to put up with me complaining about being slow all of the time.  It turns out, in the end, all I had to do was forget about trying to go fast and instead try to enjoy what might be my last World Cup race in Cesana.  Apparently the bob track that saw me though my first Olympic Games in 2006 might not host another bobsleigh World cup race.  So Shelley, Diane and  I just enjoyed the track, enjoyed the sunshine and enjoyed the runs…straight to the top of the podium.  It was Shelley’s first World Cup Gold medal and my 6^th World Cup victory.  I was so happy to finally get Shelley on top of that podium.  She deserves it so much!

Now we head off to Germany for 3 weeks.  The first week is international training because they have changed the bottom three corners at the track in Konigssee and the pilots are all being given a few extra runs to learn the new corners.  The final two weeks are the 2011 World Championships.  Week two will be the Women’s bobsleigh ,  2-man, and team events.  Week three will be men & women’s skeleton along with the 4-man.  Stay tuned!

H