On her coaching plan…
For me, the longevity, I don’t essentially practice as many hours or I don’t do essentially as many reps. I believe it’s figuring out your physique, figuring out what number of reps you should do, when you should take a step again, figuring out that relaxation is definitely a precedence, fueling your physique is a precedence, doing what’s greatest for you. Everyone seems to be completely different. So not everybody, not each athlete goes to fall into the identical field. You must do what works for you. And as you grow old, I believe you be taught loads about your self and you understand that. And also you change into an grownup, and also you need to have the ability to make numerous these choices your self, clearly together with your coach as properly. However I believe it’s far more of a partnership. So I believe as I’ve gotten older, it’s nearly managing, having a extremely good work-life steadiness, too, as a result of we’re an grownup within the sport, so that you wish to just be sure you’re nonetheless having fun with your life in addition to gymnastics, as a result of I believe that’s going to assist elevate your gymnastics in the long run.
On what number of hours every week she trains…
Truthfully, I in all probability practice about… What number of hours did I do in 2012 in comparison with now? Identical. I in all probability did a little bit bit extra, however I’ve by no means actually skilled loads. I in all probability skilled, what, 20 hours within the week all my profession, after which I do energy and conditioning and harm prevention on high of that. So there’s just a few further hours there, nevertheless it’s 20 hours.
On her balanced method to coaching…
I’ve been doing energy conditioning…for over 10 years now. And I believe we see numerous athletes doing that, really getting ready our our bodies for the load that we put by means of it, gaining muscle. You too can be inventive whereas nonetheless being robust. I believe that’s one thing we’ve seen within the improvement of the game, particularly as the talents get so onerous and the talent degree is so excessive. Coming into this Olympics, we now have seen so many accidents. So we would like the women to be robust. We would like them to have the ability to deal with what we’re doing and never be overtraining. So I believe it’s simply discovering that steadiness, ensuring that we’re robust, and we’re not overtraining. We’re not doing an insane quantity of reps. We’re additionally not spending our complete full lives within the gymnasium as a result of numerous that then is draining. And also you gained’t keep within the sport lengthy if you happen to don’t have a superb steadiness.
On her ankle harm and the way it’s feeling now…
Truthfully, this previous 12 months has been actually good for my ankle. After which only recently, once more, you need to discover ways to handle in coming into the Olympics. There’s numerous numbers, numerous competitions, {qualifications}. So I’m coming in perhaps not with my ankles the best way I ideally wish to be right here, however I’m nonetheless in a position to be right here for the staff, working with the physios to make it occur. So it’s perhaps not the perfect prep, however generally we will’t assist a few of these issues that occur. However on the finish of the day, I’m actually grateful to be right here to assist my staff, to take pleasure in my fourth Olympics, and simply profit from it.
Gymnastics takes a toll in your physique, so you need to try to simply handle all of it. However we’ve obtained one of the best staff behind us making it occur, once more, being sensible with what number of reps I’m doing, what I’m doing out and in of the gymnasium, and simply going to return in and provides it my greatest shot.
On sponsorships which have allowed her to have such an extended profession and concentrate on the game…
Love that query. That’s the one approach I can do that. So lots of people don’t actually perceive that. I do sport as a result of I like it. I do Gymnastics as a result of I like it, and I need assistance, and I would like partnerships, I would like sponsorships to have the ability to do this. It’s not a job, a minimum of in Canada, the place you simply receives a commission from the federal government and you can also make a residing off of that. So for me, I would like that assist, and I’m actually fortunate that I do have these individuals supporting me. However I believe it’s simply making that a little bit bit extra conscious, and particularly in gymnastics, as a result of it’s not usually a type of sports activities the place we now have had numerous sponsorship. So I’m very grateful for that. And like I stated, I wouldn’t be right here immediately if I didn’t have these partnerships and that assist. So I believe it’s simply opening the dialog to that.
[Growth is] occurring. And I believe the extra we normalize that, and have conversations about it, individuals can perceive why it’s so vital. And we have to assist the Canadian athletes, particularly the feminine athletes, to remain longer within the sport and have the ability to make it a profession.
