Lisa's Blog: Training Begins in Perth

G'day mate! 

I have made it all the way "down under" to the most remote city on earth, Perth, Australia, the host of the 2011 World Sailing Championships in December.  I am here for just over 3 weeks of intensive training with a strong group of international training partners.  We are all putting in long hours on the water and at the gym in preparation for the upcoming Worlds.

All 10 Olympic classes will be competing here in December as more than 3000 sailors, coaches, managers and supports staff will decend upon the small beachside town of Fremantle, just outside of Perth.  You can feel the excitement building as the town is getting ready for the championships. This weekend, there is also excitement over the royal visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip who are in town for the Commonwealth Nations Meeting.  Today, we will be racing for some commonwealth dignitaries as the Perth 2011 committee has organized some racing on the medal race course for the 470, 49er and Laser classes.  It will be a good opportunity for us to do a little medal race practice. 

On Saturday and Sunday the yacht club is hosting a small local regatta which we are participating in, called the 2011 Ronstan Indian Ocean Dinghy Classic. As a group, the radial sailors have organized to finish off our weekend of racing with a coaches-run regatta on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for a total of 6 days of racing.  The breeze is supposed to be back in the high teens and twenties for the next few days so it will be a good test of endurance and fitness for the upcoming Worlds. 

I have spent the last week and a half training with Marit Bowmeester (world ranked #2 from Netherlands), Sara Winther from New Zealand and some quick aussie and dutch guys. All the hard work I have put in at the gym getting fitter and heavier has paid off as my upwind speed is definitely improving.  I am excited to see how much improvement I can make over this training block leading up to our Olympic trials. 

I would like to send out a big thank you to my gracious host in Fremantle, Lorna Wall.  Lorna is the sister of a good friend of my father's, who I had not met until arriving in Perth (we found each other in the airport only after I had asked a few other women if they were Lorna!)  From Lorna's local advise on routes for my bike rides, where to seek physio treatment, and fun things to do for our day off, not to mention the amazing food she has been treating me with daily, I feel much more at home in this place and that will surely be a benefit during the Trials.  Thank you Lorna!!!

I would also like to thank everyone at home who is supporting me to be here and make a bid for London 2012.  With the trials so close, the excitement of the Games is getting palpable.  I am able to be here training with the best in the world because of strong support. A special thanks to Grant Machum, David Regan and Sean Kelly, who have spent many many hours finding supporting partners for my program at home, allowing me to focus on training.  Thank you for all the support!!

Today is the first day of our 6 days of racing and I am off to do some speed work with Ali Young from Great Britain before the first race. More from Perth and the lead up to the Olympic Trials soon!!!

Best winds,
Lisa

I would like to thank High Liner, DHX Media, the Canadian Sailing Team,
Canadian Sports Centre Atlantic and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron
and my friends and family for their continued support of my campaign towards
the London Olympics in 2012.