OLYMPIC BUZZ

With the Olympic torch passing through my hometown (Mission, B.C.) today and the opening ceremonies only days away, there is an Olympic buzz in the air throughout the Lower Mainland. Seeing other athletes training, pushing themselves in pursuit of their dreams is such a huge inspiration and motivation for me. The Olympics may only come around every four years, but it is what you do every single day, and the choices you make that determine your fate at the end of those four years. There is a very small percentage of elite athletes who ever have the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of sport...the Olympic Games!

Looking back on my Olympic experience, the feelings and emotions building as you march into the stadium with other Canadian athletes, is indescribable. You put your heart and soul into striving for your dreams for years and years, and literally in seconds or minutes the competition comes to an end. Some people may wonder...are the countless hours of training and hard word really worth it? There isn't a doubt in my mind, that the memories and relationships you build along the way make it all worth the grueling hours of sweat, pain, tears and laughter.

This summer our team will go to the World Championships in Prague. What an amazing experience it is going to be for each and every single one of us. With only a few of us having ever been to the biggest woman's basketball tournament in the world, we are looking to continue to make our mark on the international basketball scene. This tournament is going to be a great opportunity for us to test ourselves and see where we need to be in order to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London. With our short term goal of making a more significant impact on the international basketball stage this summer, and our long term goal of qualifying for the 2012 Olympics', each and every single one of us continues to be motivated and inspired by our vision of achieving our dreams. Keep working ladies...our dreams are merely inches away!

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision."

Cheers, Teresa.