"Sometimes in the waves of change we find our true direction" - unknown

13925419_642380189257524_1142457431044327139_n-1

People keep asking me what it is like to leave the demanding world of competitive sport behind. What do I miss? Is it hard to return to a day-to-day life? What will I do next? I have been struggling to answer these questions.

I do recognize that my competitive drive and love for sailing fueled me to spend four years training to be the best I could be. Competing at the Olympics was always the goal -- and I fulfilled it. But now what?

It has been just over a month since the closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympic Games. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. It feels like just yesterday that Erin Rafuse and I were gearing up for our first Olympic race. Now I sit in a classroom at St. Lawrence College learning about marketing and digital media-- a drastically different landscape than the boat park.

This month and a half has definitely been a transition. For me not being able to spend most of the day outside has definitely been the toughest part. Being on the water, being connected to nature and its forces, was the most exhilarating part of our sport. I miss the ocean and all it has to offer. I miss the rush of screaming downwind in our boat, surfing the ocean rollers, hanging on at the edge of control. That feeling is now hard to capture. However, in no way have I left sailing behind completely.

In March of last year Simone Larose, president of the Queen's University Sailing Team (QST), approached me to be their new coach, starting in September. At the time, I had no idea what I wanted to do, or even where I was going to be living. However, after some time I came up with an arrangement with my old training partner and good friend, Arielle Morgan, to co-coach the QST. Since we are both taking classes, we agreed to split the time: I am the morning coach (Tuesday-Thursday), and Arielle takes most of the afternoon practices.

Although I consider myself a morning person, waking up at 6 a.m. three days in a row every week is not my favourite routine--especially as the days get shorter and the sun is nowhere to be seen at 6 a.m. And yet these are my favourite days! I cannot forget that being on the water is a part of me, 'mother nature' is a part of me. Starting each morning with a dose of fresh air and the feel of Lake Ontario beneath me helps me power through the day's school work and classes for the day.

I am not leaving the water behind. I am not leaving sailing behind. And I am too competitive to leave competition behind.

I may not yet know if Tokyo 2020 is in my future yet, but I know with absolute certainty that sailing and sport is. My passion lies there, and it fuels me to be better each day. Whether that excellence is in sport or in marketing, my passion for the water will keep me moving in my true direction.

Riding the Waves of Change