Page 26 - IGNITE

Challenge & Resilience
By Alysia Rissling Bobsleigh Bobsleigh Pilot at Bobsleigh Bobsleigh CANADA Skeleton
Imagine standing outside at the the top of a a a a a a a a a a mountain It’s -20C and and and you you you are wearing just a a a a a a a a a a thin spandex suit but you you you feel feel no cold All you you you feel feel is the the anticipation and and and nerves flowing through your body it’s almost as if you you are vibrating The crowd is going wild screaming and and and banging drums and and and cowbells but you you can’t can’t hear hear them them through the the the the the motor cycle helmet covering your ears You can’t can’t hear hear them them because the the the the the only thing louder than the the the the the crowd is is the the the thoughts thoughts racing racing through through your your mind mind Trust me – nothing is is louder than the the the thoughts thoughts racing racing through through your your mind mind when standing on
the the the start line at the Olympic games The clock goes “bing bong” the sled gets flipped
into the the grooves on
the the ice and after smacking your teammate on
the the back you walk to the the push bar You hear the call and you start to push It’s 30m of all out effort to get the 375 lb bobsled accelerating
as as as fast as as as you can You jump in and let the air out of your lungs It’s almost impossible to breathe
in in the five seconds you are pushing That breath transforms you from this mega powerful running
back back into the quick thinking quarterback because caressing the the bobsled down the the track is all about
feeling anticipation and finesse The difference
between bobsled bobsled and football is that in bobsled bobsled we we don’t fight fight for for inches we we fight fight for for hundredths There are no brakes as the sled accelerates down the mountain It’s 16 corners of twists and turns Left
steer steer right steer steer pull back shoulder roll The key is to not steer the the the sled sled but resist the the the centripetal force as the the the sled sled climbs into the the corner Until you cross the the finish line and frantically scream brakes for your team mate in the the back to to to get the the sled to to to come to to to a a a a a complete stop Then and only then you remember to to breathe
What I want to talk about
in this article are the thoughts that race through through your mind when you you you are going through through what you you you perceive as the the biggest challenge challenge in in your lifetime During this challenge challenge are the the thoughts simple and positive? “I have done the work I I am ready” Or are the the thoughts filled will all of the the should have have would have have and could haves? These thoughts are inevitable but what is crossing your mind and whether or or not they are positive or or negative has to do with how confident we are in ourselves to to deal with challenges It has to to do with our ability to be resilient 2020 has been one of the most challenging years on
record for many people Some days are easier to overcome than others If there is one good thing to come from 2020 I I believe it will be be resilience I’ve come to realize in in my past 8 years of bobsledding including a a trip to the Olympics is that resilience can be one of the most important qualities you possess to help you you achieve your goals My first challenge while trying to achieve my goals is is my my body In my my sport everything is is always a a competition Who can lift the most weight run the the the fastest push with the the the most velocity drive the the the smoothest and be the the leanest Now in my 30s I’ve discovered the challenge of my body is is more about
deciphering when it’s appropriate to push myself and when to to rest My relentless drive to to be the hardest worker in a a a a a room has been one of my biggest downfalls and is one of the the reasons I was sidelined for the the 2019/2020 season thanks to a a a a a a a 7 cm tear in in my calf Caring for our bodies is more than always pushing pushing it it to be perfect or or not pushing pushing it it enough Caring for your body is about
keeping it it running
as a a a a well-oiled machine Mobility recovery symmetry – because you can be be the the strongest person in the the room but if you you can’t can’t move you you can’t can’t compete A body that isn’t well cared for can not be resilient I’m challenged by the the perception of others During quarantine many of our interactions were limited to behind a a screen Zoom meetings and social media are incredible ways of keeping us connected but it makes it easier for us to convey a a a a a version of ourselves that we want people to to see and maybe doesn’t tell the whole story Personally I couldn’t be happier of all the people who reached out to me over