Rosanna Tomiuk in Toronto

Last month, I went to see Rosanna Tomiuk perform in Toronto. She performed with Jon Rosner, who will be representing Canada at the World Championships this month as Canada's #1 looper.

I first heard of Rosanna last summer when she released a song for the Canadian Olympic Team. She had hoped to be in London as a member of the Canadian water polo team (who had previously won the silver medal at the World Championships). She had started writing a song about her dream to become an Olympian but when the dream died at the Olympic trials, she stopped writing it.

As the Olympics approached, she had friends going to London who did make the Olympic Team so she decided to finish the song and post it on YouTube for them.



She almost didn't post it because the filming didn't go as well as she had hoped, but it led to a lot of wonderful things. You can read more about that experience here that culminated in her performing at the Air Canada Centre at the Olympic Hall Of Fame Induction Gala.

I especially love the album artwork with the Olympic coloured tears.

I started following her on Twitter and a couple of months later, I saw that she was going to perform in Toronto.

The first evening was at Burgundy's Bar and Restaurant at Yonge and Bloor. We were annoyed that we didn't bring our good camera because the lighting had been better the first evening for photo taking. My husband did capture a couple of shots on his iPhone including this great moment.

Just like they would the following night at Alleycatz (that happened to be a couple of blocks from my house), they started with an acoustic set that really showcased Rosanna's incredible voice and charm. Jon's guitar playing really complimented Rosanna's singing. She started the set with a cover of Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers followed by Capable from her EP. Rosanna was very comfortable in front of the crowd and was not shy to introduce the songs and tell us about the songs she was singing which added to the performance.

She explained the french lyrics of Capable "Maintenant t'es dans la merde, car tu m'as montré que t'es capable". Loosely translated as "now you're in deep, because you showed me what you're capable of", it means that once you show your potential, you can't go back to mediocrity. Many of her songs are sports related that I love, but above and beyond that, her words are spoken from her soul and are very touching. This was evident in the next song Walking Dead. It is a newer song that is not released yet. She wrote it when she came back from Haiti where she witnessed people who were not only poor financially but who were poor in hope and spirit.

She continued the set with Escape You with a melancholic longing sound and lyrics that include "I can't escape you, With everyday I die, A little inside".

She then got us singing with her cover of Happy by The Daylights "Only you can make me, Only you can make me Happy".

Before finishing the first set with Christmas carols, Rosanna performed another new song called Every Story Has A Twist that she wrote after going back into the pool for the first time with her Olympic dream over (for now). As much as I love her songs, I especially loved this one and it brought tears to my eyes and goosebumps on my skin as you can feel the emotions she had. It's absolutely beautiful causing me to write a separate post dedicated to it. You can read (and listen to the song) by clicking here.

The following are shots taken by my husband at Alleycatz. You can see the full set of photos by clicking here.

The second set saw Jon bring out his looping equipment and where we really got to see his talent. The set was more upbeat and began with Strong Woman, the Olympic-themed Made It and The Path You Choose from her EP.

I often find myself singing Strong Woman with the catchy lyric, "Pick yourself back up girl, it will be alright".

Made It was as amazing live as it is on the EP and gave me shivers. It's such an inspiring song sharing the feelings of the ups and downs of the athlete's life. "The fire comes back, 'Cause you dared, Even if scared" and the final message for our Olympians "I have made it, I have done all I can so I made it".  It's an amazing anthem for any up and coming athlete.

I love the vibe of The Path You Choose and once again the lyrics "'Cause the destination doesn't define you, the meaning's in the path you choose".

If you're like me and love lyrics, you can find the lyrics to the songs on the EP by clicking here.

The set ended with two songs that Rosanna co-wrote with Jon and a cover of Video by India.Arie. Maybe, Maybe and Hold Me Down really showcased Jon's amazing guitar work and looping. This second set also showed Rosanna's versatility and had a different vibe than the acoustic set did. I loved both of them and feel that the two sets complimented each other.

Like she sings in Video, Rosanna showed that she's "not your average girl" and definitely worth seeing perform live if you get the chance.

Here's Rosanna's set list (thanks for giving it to me!):

Tears and Goosebumps in 2012

As 2012 comes to an end, it's time to reflect on the sports moments that had an impact on me this year. This is not a list of THE "best" moments, you can read the major newspapers and watch sports stations for those. This is a list of moments that brought tears to my eyes and goosebumps on my skin.

I'll start on a sad note with those who left the sports world in their prime.

Much more than a sports reporter to Canada's amateur athletes, Randy Starkman was the fan's looking glass into the athletes' world of training and competition. Husband, father, colleague and writer, he will be missed for years to come. He was remembered this past week in the Toronto Star. You can read the article here.

Canada also lost two Olympic hopefuls in 2012.

Sarah Burke was a pioneer of ski halfpipe.  She was the best at her sport and successfully fought for ski halfpipe to be added to the 2014 Olympics. Winning the first gold medal for Canada was almost a sure thing, until she died doing what she loved to do. Click here to read the article that Randy Starkman wrote after her death.

Nic Zoricic died while racing in a ski-cross race in Switzerland. Since leaving alpine skiing to join ski-cross in 2009, he was climbing up the rankings with two World Cup podiums.  Click here to read the article that Randy Starkman wrote after his death.

On a cheerier note, here are the moments that had me cheering, gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes:

2012 Olympics

Choosing favourite Olympic moments is so difficult because I was thrilled with each and every medal that Canada won. Above and beyond that, I loved seeing the personal bests whether that meant a medal, making a final or semi-final or going faster, farther or higher. I was also proud of the Olympians who came home disappointed that the best they had to offer that day wasn't the best they had hoped for whether that meant finishing a triathlon in tears or on the pavement, flopping on a last dive, stepping on a line, running out of steam or finding the conditions or pressure too tough to handle.

I am proud of all our Olympians but here's an attempt at some of my favourite moments:

Leading the Team
One of my favourite Olympians, Simon Whitfield led Canada into the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Watching Canada walk in is always one of my highlights and recognizing so many of our athletes walking into the stadium in 2012 was amazing.

The Sprinters
Brent Hayden 100m freestyle bronze and Mark de Jonge 200m kayak bronze
Short distances are exciting because everything has to be perfect. There's no time to come back from a poor start. It's all out for the full distance and we won bronze in the water and on the water.

The Long Distance Swimmers
Ryan Cochrane 1500m freestyle silver and Richard Weinberger 10k bronze
The beauty of the long distance swimmer (cyclist, runner, skater or skier) is that a surprise is harder to come by. If you're one of the best, you have a lesser chance of not winning a medal. So although Ryan and Richard didn't surprise me with their medal wins, it's amazing to see them maintain their positions as some of the best in the world.

Meeting Silver Expectations On The Water
Adam van Koeverden, Men's Eight Rowing and Women's Eight Rowing
Winning a medal wasn't a sure thing as anything can happen in sport as we saw many of our favourites stumble so it was wonderful to see our successful rowing tradition continue along with Adam winning his fourth Olympic medal.

Overcoming adversity
THE call during the Women's soccer team's semi-final was a pivotal play that sometimes overshadowed Christine Sinclair's amazing hat-trick against the United States. Overcoming the letdown of their dream being crushed by a referee's call put them in our hearts. They could have also lost that bronze medal match, but they didn't. They kept fighting to the last whistle and came home heroes with a last minute goal by Diana Matheson. Christine Sinclair would be named flagbearer for the Closing Ceremony.

Our First Gold
Rosie MacLennan won our first and what would be our only gold medal at the Olympics becoming our golden girl for 2012.


Give Your Everything
Clara Hughes didn't win her 7th Olympic medal, but she was the epitome of Give Your Everything when she led the road race in the first half of the race and then finished a wonderful 5th in the time trial. Clara's Olympic career will be remembered for her medals but also for her smile as well as her grit and determination.


Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat
4x100m relay - even if we didn't get to keep the bronze, the moment when I realized Justyn Warner was going from 5th, to 4th and finally to 3rd down the final straight of the relay had me jumping up and down with excitement. Watching Gavin Smellie, Seyi Smith, Jared Connaughton and Justyn Warner celebrate was an amazing moment that I will not forget. Click here for a blog post I wrote about the race and their journey. Click here to see an early celebratory reaction.

The Reactions
There are moments that stick in your mind for the athletes' reactions. My favourites were:

Mark Oldershaw's shocked hand on his mouth look when he realized that he won the bronze medal in the 1000m canoe. Click here.

Christine Girard coming off the stage after missing her last lift thinking she was not on the podium to reading her lips say "J'ai une médaille?" and her reaction afterwards. (translated as "I have a medal?" I am going by memory of what she said since I can't find a video of that moment)

Antoine Valois-Fortier's tearful celebration when he won the bronze medal in Judo. Click here.

Diana Matheson scoring the winning goal giving them the bronze medal and the celebration happening in front of my husband's parents and uncle and aunt. Click here for a photo that includes his uncle (in white shirt and Tilley hat) and aunt and mother partially blocked by Christine Sinclair. Great seats!

Brittany MacLean hugging her sister Heather at the Canadian Olympic trials when Heather qualified in her last race and would join Brittany at the London Olympics who had qualified earlier.

2012 Paralympics

The television coverage for the Paralympics was disappointing but the team's performance wasn't as the competition at the Paralympics gets tougher and tougher.

Although the major networks made it difficult to catch the action, there were still some amazing moments for our Canadian Paralympians.

Leading the Team
As mentioned above, nothing gets the tears in my eyes like watching Canada enter the Opening Ceremony. Garett Hickling, a five-time Paralympian in wheelchair rugby led the team in 2012. His team would go on to win the silver medal.

Veteran and Rookie Success in the Pool
Benoit Huot won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal in 2012 with three personal bests and a world record. The three medals increased his overall total to 19 Paralympic medals including 9 golds for his four Paralympic Games.

At her first Paralympic Games, Summer Mortimer won two gold, one silver and one bronze. What will her total count be when she has competed at her fourth Paralympics?

Basketball Gold
Winning gold at basketball isn't something Canada does at the Olympics, but at the Paralympics, Canada won gold in 2000, 2004 and now 2012.


Milestones

I have a special place in my heart for the Olympics, but 2012 saw Canadians achieve some amazing milestones and firsts. Here are some of them:

Ryder Hesjedal (cycling)
1st Canadian to win a Grand Tour when he won the Giro d'Italia. Click here and here to read my posts. He also won Male Athlete of the Year.

Jean-Philippe Le Guellec (biathlon)
1st Male Canadian to win a biathlon World Cup. Watch the race here.

Eugenie Bouchard (tennis)
First Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles championships when she won the Junior Wimbledon Championships.


Filip Peliwo (tennis)
First Canadian to win Junior Wimbledon and U.S. Open. He was finalist at Australian Open and French Open ending the year ranked #1, a first for a Canadian singles player. The future for Tennis Canada is very bright.

Kaillie Humphries (bobsleigh)
Streak of 8 wins, including the World Championships, started at the end of the 2011-2012 season with Jennifer Ciochetti and continued with new partner Chelsea Valois.



I can't imagine 2013 being as wonderful as an Olympic year, but I look forward to seeing the Winter Olympians gear up for the 2014 Games as well as following the summer athletes' journey for the next three and a half years.

Happy New Year!

It's About The Journey

Last week, TSN2 showed a 30 minute program about the 4x100m relay at the London 2012 Olympics.  In a post in August, I explained why I didn't blog during or following the Olympics. You can read it here. I had a lot of thoughts, but once the Olympics were over, I thought it was too late.

Seeing the relay again last week, I was compelled to write my thoughts. It was one of the highlights of London 2012 for me.

I was so excited that Canada qualified for the final. Not to take anything away from the team, but with Canada having only one runner (Justyn Warner) competing in the 100m event, I didn't realize how great our team could be.  I remembered Jared Connaughton from the 2008 Olympics and had seen Gavin Smellie, Seyi Smith and Justyn compete at the Toronto International Track & Field Games in July. You can read the post about that here.

It's sometimes difficult in a 400m race to really know who's leading. You look at the staggers between the lanes to see if there's a runner making up a stagger, but it really only shows the difference between those lanes.

With Canada on the lane to the inside of the Jamaican team, it was difficult to gauge how well they were doing. Jamaica are so strong that they were pulling away from Canada on the back straight, but where was Canada overall?

As Jared Connaughton makes the final turn and passes the baton to Justyn Warner who finishes the turn, we realize that Canada are in about 5th. I was so excited and then Warner passes 4th and is running down the runner in 3rd.  I was jumping up and down watching his incredible run.

For those minutes when we thought they won the bronze, I was so excited. When the disqualification was announced, my heart went out to them and for days and weeks later.

I have often thought of this race since.  You wonder why it happened the way it did.  When I do, I am reminded of the quote: "everything happens for a reason, even if we don't understand the reason at the time".

I also find it ironic that if they had won the bronze medal, there probably wouldn't have been a 30 minute special about the race.  Sportsnet Magazine wouldn't have run a full page story on Connaughton (see November 5th issue).

But then, this is sports: "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat". This is what makes sports so compelling.

The reason we compete in sports and the reason that the Olympics are so special is that the winner is not determined until we compete. The Olympics are every four years.  Dozens of athletes want to win and believe they can medal in dozens of sports. Only three medals are won in each one.  This means heartbreak for hundreds of athletes.

At the Olympic Heroes parade this fall, I was speaking to a swimmer who downplayed his celebrity status. We were discussing whether he wanted to be on the float or walking beside.  I commented that on the float, both sides of the street could see him. If he walked, he should try to be visible on both sides so that if someone is in the crowd was wanting to see him, they would. He made a joke about who would be wanting to see him in particular because he came in 17th.

So much attention is given to medals at the Olympics, but to me (and countless others) it's more than the medals. Each person on Team Canada is an Olympian!! There are millions of people who dream or have dreamed of becoming an Olympian who never did or never will.

People who lined the streets of Toronto to cheer our Olympians' homecoming came to see our Olympic Team, not just our medallists.

Part of the Olympic experience is the journey that gets you there.  I recently thought we had messed up my son's course selection. It looked like he may not get his bilingual certificate at graduation (without some reshuffling of courses). My first thought was, imagining all those years of french courses and he doesn't get the certificate, but it didn't take me long to correct myself. It's not the certificate that's important, it's that he learned a second language. Which brought my thoughts to the Olympic experience.

Competing and training for an Olympic Games is a journey. It's pushing yourself and seeing how great you can be. It's the lessons learned along the way. Being an Olympian is a huge achievement. Performing your best at the Olympics is amazing. Winning a medal is rare and stupendous.

The 4x100m relay team from Canada crossed the finish line 3rd. The disqualification took away the bronze medal, but it doesn't take away the achievement or the journey.

Call Me Maybe

In my last post, I mentioned that the Swim team sang a lot of the song Call Me Maybe while on the parade float for the Toronto Olympic Parade.  You can read that post here.

The result of this singing was a video posted on YouTube by the Canadian Olympic Team.

On a personal note, I have to add that I did make the final cut of this video by singing "But here's my number" at the 1:57 mark.  Pretty memorable for an Olympic enthusiast to be in a video with the Canadian Olympic team.

Toronto Olympic Parade

My day volunteering at the Toronto Olympic Parade started at a breakfast and briefing (you can read that post here). I was assigned the swim team for the Olympic parade.

Afterwards, we walked to our float where we had half an hour waiting for the parade to start, which meant posing and taking photos. With everyone's cameras out (and the athletes out in the public), I felt okay taking photos (unlike at the breakfasts which to me were private moments).

One of the best moments from the Olympic trials was the moment when Heather MacLean qualified after her sister Brittany had already qualified for London 2012.  The joy and tears that flowed were felt throughout the country. I was thrilled to get a photo of the two of them together.

Richard Weinberger (bronze in 10k swim) was a highlight during the parade ensuring he (and his bronze medal) were in every photo that fans were taking of the float. He also took every opportunity to encourage the fans to go out and "swim". He took a moment to pose before the parade.

Taking a walk along the other floats, I spotted one of my favourite Olympians Jean-Luc Brassard (1994 gold medal - moguls) who was gracious and posed for a photo.

The women's soccer team (with their bronze medals) posed with a young fan.

Five minutes before the parade, the Olympians are onboard and ready to go.

The crowd was overwhelming, it gave me goosebumps.  There were so many people cheering with flags and wearing red and white.  There were countless signs.  I especially loved that the swimmers called Richard from the other side of the float to make sure he saw this sign (I was a little late getting my camera out, but the moment was priceless).

The swim team was so much fun. I loved how the men would raise a woman who would swim in the air. 

They also sang a lot of the song Call Me Maybe which would end up on a video (more on that in a later post).  There were also countless times where the crowd came up to the float to high-five the athletes.

There were a few quiet moments when there was time for photo ops.

I thought this was a lovely spot for a photo with city hall in the background so I took a photo of the beach volleyball players who were in the truck behind us.

At one point, I realized I didn't have a photo with me in it, so I asked the other volunteer to take one (without asking the athletes to pose). There is a better one of me, but I love the energy in this one (thanks to Savannah King for making this photo memorable).

As we approach the end of the parade, my sister is in the crowd and took a couple of photos.  I especially love this one that shows pure joy in my face as I try to get back to the float.

One of my favourite Olympians Simon Whitfield was just a couple of trucks behind me.  I had seen him at both breakfasts (and lunch) but had kept my distance. As we approach the bottle neck at the end, I walked back to take a photo...just to prove that I had seen him (and Paula Findlay).

There was a large crowd waiting at Maple Leaf Square where some of the athletes would be interviewed onstage.

With my volunteer duties finished, I managed to catch the end of the parade where Mark Tewksbury and Sylvie Bernier were in a convertible just ahead of the Hall Of Fame float.

One more photo of Jean-Luc Brassard with Rory Bushfield (Sarah Burke's husband).

I stayed in the square to hear some interviews where I saw Adam van Koeverden on stage, another favourite Olympian of mine, and interestingly the first time I had seen him in my two days of volunteering.  When a friend had said to me that I might see him (before I volunteered), I had replied that since I had seen him race last year, and seen him with his 2012 silver medal at a store appearance a few weeks ago, he wasn't top priority. I was hoping to see Olympians I had never seen before. So I found it funny that I didn't end up seeing him up close.

I left with a huge smile on my face not believing that I had spent the last two days volunteering with the Canadian Olympic team.  I'm hoping that it won't be my last.

Olympic Volunteer Day #2

After an incredible day volunteering at the Olympic Heroes Tour (you can read that post here), I was back with Olympians for the Toronto Olympic Parade.

The day started at a breakfast and briefing where once again Olympian spotting was at its best.  I kept my distance and respected their space; but I was smiling on the inside (and perhaps on the outside too). There were a few instances where saying hello or congratulations to some of my favourites was possible and I did take advantage of those moments.

There was an awkward moment for me though, not involving an Olympian but in our volunteer duties.  The day before we were assigned Olympians for the school tours.  Today, the head of our group asked us who we wanted to be assigned to for the parade and wouldn't you know it, I was the first who was asked.

Just like at the Olympic Block Party in June when I was interviewed by a journalist (who would later write - I'm including the whole segment for context, but the important part is the highlighted lines):

With her signature freshly scrawled on the board, Suzanne Sewell walked away and smiled to herself. To say she is an enthusiastic supporter of Canada's athletes would be an understatement.
"The Olympics are every day for me," said the Toronto woman.
She was first bit by the Olympic bug in 1988 and since then has turned the Games from a pastime into a passion.
"I'm here to support the Canadian team and wish them luck. I'll be watching every minute," said Ms. Sewell, who attended the Vancouver Winter Games in 2010.
To prove her passion, Ms. Sewell was asked to name her favourite Canadian athlete.
"Just one," she asked, before listing five.
Ms. Sewell follows the highs and lows of Canada's amateurs day-in and day-out, keeping track of their personal bests and following them on Twitter. She's even got her own Olympic-themed handle: olympichearts.

I couldn't pick "just one".  Names rattled in my head and I couldn't name one knowing I was not saying another. Next thing I know, the other volunteers pick up the signs we had brought over that said which athletes were in which groups.  There it was, I hesitate and I don't have a group.

I still felt okay, because there were volunteers who really wanted a specific group, so I was happy that they were getting the ones they wanted. When they were looking for a second volunteer for athletics, I raised my hand along with another volunteer. When she was picked, she gave me her sign that said "swimming".

How serendipitous that I was "assigned" swimming. I watched every moment of the National Championships on television in the spring that were held at the Montreal Olympic Pool. I was so excited for the swimmers who made the Olympic team and at the same time so sad for those who didn't. I was almost more emotional about the Olympic trials than I was for the Olympics. Athletics would have been cool as well since I saw many of them compete in Toronto before the Olympics (you can read that post here), but back to swimming.

Knowing I was going to a small town 30 minutes from Montreal in the summer for a family reunion, I vowed to go to swim (and dive) in the Olympic pool.

I had previously visited the Olympic pool, but had never been in it. The week before the London 2012, I arrived at the Montreal Olympic Pool (on my birthday).

It was a quiet Friday afternoon, so there was no problem taking photos (they don't allow other people in your photos so if it was busy, we would not have been able to take photos).

I can't remember the last time I was on a diving board so I was pretty nervous at first. I jumped in from the end of the board (the water is so warm and the pool is painted this beautiful deep blue colour). So many times in my diving days and even years later, I would dream that I missed the board on my last hurdle. I was a little nervous taking those steps for the first time, but eventually, it came back to me.

We almost forgot to document me swimming in the pool, but luckily did for my last couple of laps (we could only swim the width of the pool, not the length).

A happy girl in the Montreal Olympic Pool.

Before the Olympics, I had planned to post about the athletes and when they were competing.  I posted about the swim team (you can read it here), naming every Olympian with their races (including predictions) but then got too busy watching the Olympics and reading about them to post any more.  So once again, it's funny that this is the team I ended up with for the parade.

Well, that was quite the tangent I went on, but I think it was just to explain that although I didn't end up with one of my five all-time favourite Canadian athletes, I was thrilled to spend the day with the Canadian swim team.  Silver medallist Ryan Cochrane wasn't there, but bronze medallists Brent Hayden and Richard Weinberger were.  I was also thrilled to be surrounded by so many Olympians, because for me, realizing the dream to attend an Olympic Games is as valuable as winning a medal.

This post is long enough, so I will continue the parade part in a separate post.

Olympic Heroes Tour

A couple of weeks ago, the Canadian Olympic Committee sent a call out for volunteers to assist with the Olympic Heroes Tour this past Thursday and the Olympic parade yesterday.

I was thrilled to get a phone call confirming that I would be volunteering for the events.

I started my day thursday at the Olympian breakfast in the old Maple Leaf Gardens where they spent time with kids from the KidSport and Boys and Girls Club programs.

There was a period where the volunteers didn't have anything to do but look around and spot our favourite Olympians. I was so happy to see some of my favourites in person.

It was also interesting to see them interact with each other. You get reminded that they don't all know each other. They meet in competition once every four years where all the sports are featured at the Olympics.

After the breakfast, I accompanied kayaker Hugues Fournel and Paralympian judoist Justin Karn to a high school in Scarborough where they told stories about their childhood, their love for sport and their achievements of becoming 2012 Olympians.

In the afternoon, judo bronze medallist Antoine Valois-Fortier and swimmer Charles Francis joined us to visit a middle school in Mississauga.

Once again, each Olympian took their turn telling their inspiring stories and Antoine thrilled the kids when he showed them his bronze medal.  The Olympians then went around to each classroom to give the kids a chance to see them up close and take a class photo.

The kids at both schools were thrilled to have Olympians visit their school. I'm sure that the Olympians helped the students to be more inspired to follow their dreams.

You would think that driving to Scarborough and back, then Mississauga and back would make for a boring day, but sharing a ride with Hugues and Justin made the time pass so quickly.  They are both funny and personable. I especially loved hearing about their experience in London 2012 - the incredible highs as well as the less than ideal experiences.

I was thrilled to have spent the day with Olympians and seeing the difference they make off the playing field (and out of the water).

Give Your Everything.
Giving Back.

Best of London 2012 by IOC

This doesn't include all of MY best moments of London2012, not even all of my best British or Canadian moments but it's still a great video, with a great song by Newton Faulkner.

The Need To Write (Or Not)

I began this Olympics-themed blog because I love the Olympics and wanted to write about it more than I thought the readers of my regular blog would want to read about it.

I couldn't wait for the London 2012 Olympics. I thought that I would write every day being so excited to share my thoughts and opinions.

So what happened? Where have I been?

The television coverage was so extensive that for the past two weeks, I would wake up and try to catch up on the coverage I had recorded. Often times, I wouldn't catch up until dinner. I would try to avoid the computer because I didn't want to find out results before seeing the events - but unfortunately often I did. Either the station I was watching would tell us results of events on channels I was recording or I would find out when I would try to post a Facebook or Twitter update.

The evenings were spent catching up with email, Facebook, Twitter, Olympic blogs and articles.

At the last Olympics, there weren't as many athletes on Twitter or with blogs so I really felt like I wanted to say what wasn't being said.

This time around, I am following over 300 Olympic athletes and enthusiasts who are tweeting 140 characters at a time, but also sharing photos and blog posts. I spent more hours reading during these Olympics than I could have writing.

There is still so many articles and blogs that I would love to read, and my preference in the past few weeks have been to read and absorb the Olympic fever rather than writing about it. Reading athletes' experiences and tweets was far more interesting than writing my own thoughts.

If I think about my goal for this website though, it was also to follow the athletes year-round not just during the Olympics. I wanted to know who our Olympians were before the Olympics and I did succeed at that.

I was not surprised when Richard Weinberger won bronze in the 10k open water swim. I knew he had won the test even in London last year and the Pan Am Games. When most people were talking about Karen Cockburn, I was expecting Rosie MacLennan to do better (although hoping for a double medal).

I am happy that I knew about most of our medallists before they won.

But more importantly, I knew who our Olympians were. I was cheering the personal bests and I was sharing in the heart break when the legs didn't have it, when we hit speed bumps or simply flopped.

One of the advantages to not winning as many medals as our neighbours to the south or the host country is that I (along with many Canadians) can tell you each medal that we won.

Gold:
Rosie MacLennan (trampoline)

Silver:
Adam van Koeverden (1000m kayak)
Women's 8 rowing
Men's 8 rowing
Ryan Cochrane (1500m freestyle)
Tonya Verbeek (wrestling)

Bronze:
Brent Hayden (100m freestyle)
Women's soccer
Mark Oldershaw (1000m canoe)
Mark deJonge (200m kayak)
Antoine Valois-Fortier (judo)
Richard Weinberger (10k open water swim)
Emilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel (3m diving synchro)
Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion (10m diving synchro)
Christine Girard (weightlifting)
Women's team pursuit (track cycling)
Carol Huynh (wrestling)
Derek Drouin (high jump)

Here's a great article summarizing in chronological order our medallists with a description of each. Click here.

So although I didn't write as much as I thought I would during the Olympics, it was for a good reason. The television coverage and the writing was so extensive that my days were filled with Olympics without me needing to write.

Canadian Swimmers at 2012 Olympics

Wondering who will be swimming for Canada and in which events in London?

Here is a list of our swimmers, their events and the date. If there is more than one date, the medal race will be on the last day with preliminaries and/or semis on the first day.

Our medal hopes include Ryan Cochrane, Brent Hayden, Richard Weinberger, Martha McCabe and Erica Morningstar. Other swimmers could follow Mark Tewksbury's lead saying "Why Not Me?" and be surprise medallists as well.


Brent Hayden
50 m freestyle - August 2-3
100 m freestyle - July 31 - Aug 1

Blake Worsley
200 m freestyle Aug 29-30

Ryan Cochrane
400 m freestyle - July 28th
1500 m freestyle - August 3-4

Charles Francis
100 m backstroke - July 29th-30th

Tobias Oriwol
200 m backstroke - August 1-2

Scott Dickens
100 m breaststroke - July 28-29
200 m breaststroke - July 31-August 1

Joe Bartoch
100 m butterfly - August 2-3

David Sharpe
200 m butterfly - July 30-31

Andrew Ford
200 m individual medley - August 1-2

Alec Page
400 m individual medley - July 28th

Thomas Gossland
Brent Hayden
Richard Hortness
Colin Russell
4×100 m freestyle relay - July 28th

Tobias Oriwol
Alec Page
Colin Russell
Blake Worsley
4×200 m freestyle relay - July 31st

Joe Bartoch
Scott Dickens
Charles Francis
Brent Hayden
4×100 m medley relay - August 3-4

Richard Weinberger
10 km open water - August 10


Victoria Poon
50 m freestyle - August 3-4

Julia Wilkinson
100 m freestyle - August 1-2

Samantha Cheverton
200 m freestyle - July 30-August 1

Barbara Jardin
Savannah King
400 m freestyle - July 29

Brittany MacLean
Savannah King
800 m freestyle - August 2-3

Alexa Komarnycky
Sinead Russell
100 m backstroke - July 29-30

Julia Wilkinson
Hilary Caldwell
200 m backstroke - August 2-3

Sinead Russell
Jillian Tyler
100 m breaststroke - July 29-30

Tera van Beilen
Martha McCabe
200 m breaststroke - Aug 1-2

Tera van Beilen
Audrey Lacroix
100 m butterfly - July 28-29

Katerine Savard
200 m butterfly July 31-August 1

Erica Morningstar
200 m individual medley - July 30-31

Julia Wilkinson
Stephanie Horner
400 m individual medley - July 28

Samantha Cheverton
Heather MacLean
Victoria Poon
Julia Wilkinson
4×100 m freestyle relay - July 28th

Samantha Cheverton
Barbara Jardin
Brittany MacLean
Amanda Reason
4×200 m freestyle relay - August 1st

Victoria Poon
Sinead Russell
Katerine Savard
Jillian Tyler
Tera van Beilen
Julia Wilkinson
4×100 m medley relay - August 3-4

Zsofia Balazs 10 km open water - August 9th

Olympic Schedule

Olympic action for Canada is about to start. It's two days before the Opening Ceremony but women's soccer starts today.

I remember in 2008 being overwhelmed trying to figure out the schedule and when events were televised.

This time, the CTV website has a great viewer's guide that makes it easy to see which events are being shown at what time and on which channel. You can see it here.

There is also a world feed available online for the events that are not being televised.

Go Canada Go!

100m Hurdles Team

I have needed a few days to absorb the 100m hurdle result at the Canadian Olympic trials.

My first reaction was Noooooo! How do our two best Olympic hurdlers fail to qualify for the Olympics? How do Perdita Felicien and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep not qualify for London? They were medal hopefuls. They were included in the CBC torch bearer tournament which included only eight women.

Once my shock subsided, I realized that the three women who did qualify are three women that I already follow on Twitter. They're not nobodys. Next week when Toronto is hosting track athletes, the 100m women's hurdles race (named after Randy Starkman) was the race I knew the most athletes in the starting line.

As excited as I am for Nikkita Holder and Phylicia George (as well as our Canadian pentathlon record holder Jessica Zelinka who won the race), I have to wonder whether we are sending our best to the Olympics.

Yes they were the three best on the day. Perdita Felicien false started and was disqualified. Priscilla Lopes-Schliep hit the seventh hurdle and didn't recover. They weren't their best on that day, but could they be on Olympic day? Their best could win a medal. Can Holder, George or Zelinka win a medal with their best performance? Maybe not, but I would have said the same thing about Lopes-Schliep in 2008 when she won a bronze medal.

Holder and George are heading to their first Olympic Games. They are perhaps the future of hurdles in Canada. Isn't this what I don't like about judged sports, that sometimes the best on the day doesn't get the marks? Or do I like that my favourites may get the marks on their less than ideal days?

On the night, I was thankful for the sports where they accumulate results during the year to determine who makes the Olympic team. I was thankful for the COC who name athletes to the team so they don't have to worry about that "one day".

For me, it's a bummer that we have such a depth of talent in one event. I would love to see them all go and represent our country. My heart aches for Felicien and Lopes-Schliep but the way they have handled the disappointment has increased my respect for them both.

Olympic Block Party

Toronto hosted an Olympic Block Party as a send-off to Canada's Olympic team to the 2012 Olympics.

I didn't know what to expect before arriving. I had seen tweets from past Olympians who would be there, but not much from current Olympians. I knew Hedley would be playing, but besides that, I wasn't sure what to expect.

A few hours before the party, I did see a tweet saying that Olympic torch bearers were there. I was especially hoping to see an Olympic torch (and possibly hold one).

Within a couple of minutes of entering the party, the first thing I saw was an Olympic torch. The torch bearer was more than happy to let me hold it, and just like that, my day is made!

My kids also took a turn:

There was a large banner for everyone to write their well-wishes to the athletes:


After signing the banner, a reporter (Chris Hall) asks me questions (more on this later):


Meeting another torch bearer:


PJmixer getting a close-up of the torch:

Writing Cheerios cheer postcards to athletes (just like I did on Opening Ceremonies day in Vancouver in 2010):
The rhythmic gymnastics team poses for a photo (by pjmixer):

2012 Olympians gather on stage:

One last chance to hold an Olympic torch:

Headley takes the stage:

My daughter recognizes swimmer Brittany Maclean, so we ask for a photo. We had watched her emotional experience when her sister qualified for the Olympics at the National Olympic trials.

Mark Tewksbury, Olympic gold medallist and 2012 Chef De Mission gets the crowd cheering:


Brian Stemmle, 3-time Olympian gains younger fans:

Earlier, I mentioned that I was interviewed. Here is what Chris Hall wrote for DurhamRegion.com (you can read the full article here)

A short stone's throw from Ms. Tutty was a large, sprawling white banner emblazoned with Canadian flags and the Olympic rings. A crowd of people, four or five deep, were eagerly waiting, with a marker in hand, to scribble their own well-wishes to Canada's athletes.
With her signature freshly scrawled on the board, Suzanne Sewell walked away and smiled to herself. To say she is an enthusiastic supporter of Canada's athletes would be an understatement.
"The Olympics are every day for me," said the Toronto woman.
She was first bit by the Olympic bug in 1988 and since then has turned the Games from a pastime into a passion.
"I'm here to support the Canadian team and wish them luck. I'll be watching every minute," said Ms. Sewell, who attended the Vancouver Winter Games in 2010.
To prove her passion, Ms. Sewell was asked to name her favourite Canadian athlete.
"Just one," she asked, before listing five.
Ms. Sewell follows the highs and lows of Canada's amateurs day-in and day-out, keeping track of their personal bests and following them on Twitter. She's even got her own Olympic-themed handle: olympichearts.
"I want them all to do well," she said with a smile.

So thankful I went to the block party. What an experience. I felt a little closer to the 2012 Olympics and can't wait for The Games to start!

Canada's Flag Bearer

Who should be Canada's Flag Bearer at the 2012 Olympics?

CBC are having a poll to determine Canada's choice. You can see it and vote here.

They have eight men and eight women facing off in four rounds to reach a final poll winner.

Alexandre Despatie
Mark Oldershaw
Ian Millar
Ryan Cochrane
Adam van Koeverden
Dylan Armstrong
Simon Whitfield
Daniel Nestor

Christine Sinclair
Catharine Pendel
Carol Huynh
Catherine Cockburn
Priscilla Lopes-Schlepp
Perdita Felicien
Clara Hughes
Emilie Heymans

Yesterday's vote was between Alexandre Despatie and Mark Oldershaw. Alex won that round.

Today, they pit Christine Sinclair vs Catharine Pendrel.

On a day where Alexandre Despatie has been seriously injured, should he make a comeback of Silken Laumann proportions to compete, I would go with Alex.

Almost every athlete in the poll, in my opinion deserves to carry the flag although for me, the flagbearer should be someone who has had success at past Olympics, is respected by his/her peers, has overcome some challenges and is a good role model for Canadians. I also have a personal preference for someone with past results and without too much pressure to perform this time. An athlete who is poised to win his/her first medal would not be my choice...save their highlight for their medal winning performance (no I don't believe in the flag bearer curse...really!)

My top 4 in the way CBC has selected the draw are: Carol Huynh/Christine Sinclair (I'm going back and forth on this semi), Clara Hughes, Alexandre Despatie and Simon Whitfield. Actually it's quite difficult to choose. There is a good case to be made for most of the athletes.

Overall I would go with Simon or Alex.

If I wasn't so biased towards my favourite Olympians (Simon, Alex, Adam) I would think that Ian Millar would be a better choice. Has he ever carried the flag in his previous NINE Olympic Games? He has been selected to attend his record-breaking 10th Olympic Games (it would be eleven if the 1980 Olympics had not been boycotted). I would be thrilled to see him carry our flag as well.

All I know is that I can't wait to see who Canada chooses in the poll; and who actually gets chosen by the Canadian team.

50 Days to the Opening Ceremony

In 50 days, the 2012 Olympics will be officially open.

Paul McCartney has been announced as the performer who will close the ceremony. I can't wait to see who else ends up performing. Being a lover of British music, I am hoping that some of my favourites will perform, however I am not holding out too much hope. I realize that Britain has an immense history of music that will probably be showcased. Loving music mostly from this century will mean that my favourites will probably not be included.

I imagine it will be similar to the Queen's Jubilee concert which included mostly older musicians but you would think that athletes being young, they would include some current artists in the ceremony. I have my fingers crossed anyway.

The other highlight will be the entry of the teams. I can't wait to see what the teams are wearing...who will make the best dressed list and of course, who will not.

I can't wait to see who will be the flagbearers, especially Canada's.

I am excited to see who will be carrying the torch into the stadium and how they will light the cauldron.

The countdown continues!!

51 days to go: Football

We are 51 days to go until the Opening Ceremonies, but the football (soccer) competitions will have already started.

On July 25th, two days before the Opening Ceremonies, the women will play their first football games, while the men begin on July 26th.

The competitions will start with a preliminary stage. The women's twelve teams are divided into three groups, while the men's sixteen teams are divided into four groups.

Teams will play each of the other teams in their groups. They will receive three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero for a loss.

The best eight teams will qualify for the quarter-finals. The winners of the semi-finals will play for gold and silver while the losers of the semi-finals will play for the bronze medal and fourth place.

This competition will be quite different to the men's World Cup or Euro competitions. Only three men can be over 23 years of age on each team. There is no age restriction for the women.

Women's draw:
Group E: Great Britain (E1), New Zealand (E2), Cameroon (E3), Brazil (E4)
Group F: Japan (F1), Canada (F2), Sweden (F3), South Africa (F4)
Group G: USA (G1), France (G2), Colombia (G3), Korea DPR (G4)

FIFA rankings:

1. USA (Gold medal 2008)

2. Germany

3. Japan (Bronze medal 2008)

4. Brazil (Silver medal 2008)

5. Sweden

6. France

7. Canada

8. North Korea

9. England

10. Australia

Men's draw:
Group A: Great Britain (A1), Senegal (A2), United Arab Emirates (A3), Uruguay (A4)
Group B: Mexico (B1), South Korea (B2), Gabon (B3), Switzerland (B4)
Group C: Brazil (C1), Egypt (C2), Belarus (C3), New Zealand (C4)
Group D: Spain (D1), Japan (D2), Honduras (D3), Morocco (D4)

No need to list the world rankings since most of the players are over 23, and 6 of the top 10 teams aren't represented: Germany, Netherlands, Argentina, Croatia, Denmark and Portugal who are in the top 10.

The venues:
City of Coventry Stadium, Coventry
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Old Trafford, Manchester
St James’ Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Wembley Stadium, London

3 Months to Go!

There are three months to go until the 2012 Olympics. That's 13 weeks!

I am loving the amount of articles and information I am finding about the athletes and the events. I am spending so much time reading that I have not found as much time to write as I would like.

The Globe and Mail featured our medal expectations on the front page of the newspaper yesterday.

With three months to go, Luciano Barra, an "Olympic expert" and deputy CEO of the 2006 Olympics expects Canada to match the 18 medals we won in 2008 for 13th place overall. The Canadian Olympic Committee is predicting a 12th place finish. USA Today has Canada in 11th with 20 medals. It will be interesting to see where we end up.

Here is Barra's prediction for the top 10 countries:

1. China (103 medals)

2. U.S.A. (81 medals)

3. Russia (76)

4. Great Britain (59)

5. Germany (55)

6. France (41)

7. Japan (40)

8. Australia (36)

9. Italy (32)

10. South Korea (28)

As the Games approach, I will try to calculate my own Canadian medal hopes. It will be a kind of pool to see who lives up to my expectations and who surprises me.

Although the Opening Ceremonies are on Friday the 27th, competition will actually begin on the 25th with women's football (soccer). Men's football will begin on the 26th while archery will start on the 27th earlier than the Ceremony.

With so much information out there, what's the best way to get informed before the games?

Besides athlete websites and sport federation websites that are great resources for Olympic information, there are many websites that offer athlete and event information leading up to the Games. A few of those include:

Official website for London 2012 www.london2012.com

Canadian Olympic Committee www.olympic.ca

CTV www.ctvolympics.com

NBC www.nbcolympics.com

BBC www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/2012/

12 Reasons To Watch 2012

I wish I had written this. It's so good, it's worth sharing:

(click the link to see the original article that includes photos)
12 Reasons to watch 2012

The Top 12 Canadian Reasons
to Watch London 2012

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium have a stated goal for London 2012, anticipating Canada will enjoy a top-12 finish in the overall medal standings. Looking ahead 100 days, the nation is poised for its best medal performance ever at a fully-attended Olympic Games, and here are 12 Canadian reasons for viewers to watch and experience the London 2012 action.

12: The jersey number worn by Canada's greatest female soccer player ever, Christine Sinclair . As one of 10 nominees for the 2010 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, Sinclair is expected to lead the way for her teammates in London this summer. The women's team will be hoping to win the nation's first Olympic medal in a team sport since the Canadian men's basketball team won silver at the 1936 Games in Berlin.

11: The age of Canada's top-ranked women's triathlete, Paula Findlay , during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games when triathlon made its official Olympic debut. Canada's Simon Whitfield won the inaugural Olympic gold medal in men's triathlon that year and followed up with silver at Beijing 2008. Whitfield will go for the triple in London 2012 and Findlay hopes to be a medal contender despite a recurring hip injury.

10: The number of Olympic Games Canadian show jumper Ian Millar will have attended when he competes in London 2012 this summer, setting the Olympic record for attendance by a single athlete. Millar will lead Canada's equestrian efforts in London.

9: The all-time total of Olympic diving medals won by Canada. The London 2012 team is positioned to add to this count, with five of the nine medals attributed to veterans Émilie Heymans (two silver and one bronze) and Alexandre Despatie (two silver), who both return for their fourth Games. The team is also bolstered by young talent such as Jennifer Abel , Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion .

8: The number of oarsmen in rowing's biggest boats who will once again be expected to produce podium finishes for Canada. The men's eight are the defending Olympic champions, while the Canadian women's eight look for a return to Olympic success, having finished fourth in 2008. Canada's lightweight rowers, led by Beijing 2008 bronze medallist Tracy Cameron , are also projected for success in London.

Eight also represents the number of Olympic medals Canada has won in freestyle wrestling during the last eight Games. The London 2012 team is poised to keep this streak alive thanks in large part to a deep and talented group of women wrestlers across various weight classes, including Beijing 2008 gold medallist Carol Huynh .

7: The date in August 2012 to which Canada can look forward with great anticipation. August 7th will feature several legitimate Canadian medal opportunities, including two-time Olympic medallist Simon Whitfield in men's triathlon, two-time Olympic silver medallist Alexandre Despatie in men's 3m springboard diving as well as Beijing 2008 bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep and Perdita Felicien in the 100m hurdles. Other Canadian medal hopefuls competing this day include the duet in women's synchronized swimming as well as two-time World omnium champion Tara Whitten in track cycling, all making this day one to watch.

6: The number of Olympic Games, including London 2012, since Canada's last gold medal in boxing courtesy of Lennox Lewis at the Seoul 1988 Games. This stat will look to change this summer when Canada's Mary Spencer takes to the ring with the official Olympic debut of women's boxing. Spencer is a two-time world champion in the 66kg weight class and now fights in the 75kg division, claiming the 2010 World title.

5: The number of Olympic medals Canada has won in the men's C-1 1000m event in the sport of canoe/kayak. Canada will be looking to add to this all-time total with Mark Oldershaw , who became the fifth member of the Oldershaw family to compete at an Olympic Games in 2008. Oldershaw will compete as a part of a strong Canadian contingent in London's canoe/kayak sprint events, led by three-time Olympic medallist Adam van Koeverden .

4: The position in which Canada finished in 10 different events at the Beijing 2008 Games. Several of Canada's fourth-place finishers return for another shot at the podium in London 2012, including weightlifter Christine Girard , mountain biker Catharine Pendrel and shot putter Dylan Armstrong , who missed a Beijing 2008 bronze medal by just one centimetre.

3: The number of medals Swimming Canada has gone on record as stating its London 2012 goal will be. The team is led by Ryan Cochrane , the Beijing 2008 bronze medallist in the men's 1500m free. Freestyle sprint specialist Brent Hayden will also challenge for a podium position, while on the women's side, Martha McCabe won a World bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke in 2011.
Three also represents the number of medals Canadian trampolinist Karen Cockburn has won in her Olympic career, making her the discipline's most decorated athlete ever. London 2012 will mark her fourth trip to the Games.

2: The number of the world's top female hurdlers Canada can boast as its own thanks to Perdita Felicien and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep . Felicien is focused on winning the one award missing in her career – an Olympic medal. Meanwhile, Lopes-Schliep is the defending Olympic bronze medallist and continues to work to return to top form in time for London following the birth of her first child.

1: The number of medals needed by the incomparable Clara Hughes to claim the title "Canada's most decorated Olympian" all to herself, as she is currently tied with former long track speed skating teammate, Cindy Klassen, with six career medals. Hughes, who won her first two career Olympic medals in cycling at the Atlanta 1996 Games before turning to long track speed skating, returns to cycling in London 2012 with her sights set on another podium finish.