Today is Olympic Day. June 23. Celebrating the Olympic Movement, and all that is good about the Games, and the positivity they create.

This morning, somebody asked me how I felt about Olympic Day.

Here was my answer:

“Today we should celebrate the pursuit of the Olympic Dream, admire those who try, and realize that whether we pursue or admire, we are all a part of something truly magnificent.”

To build on that, I want to imagine a place where people understand that being a part of something bigger than themselves is the most rewarding of memberships.

I used to have a coach who said that the most important thing we can do is be a part of something bigger than we are. To strive for it, and fight for it, even when it gives us no return or reward. We are most effective when we embrace that “big” thing, and join its supporters.

So today, to celebrate Olympic Day, remember that you don’t have to stand out from the crowd or do something worthy of applause. You just have to do something. That is the beauty of it. You might support a local athlete, cheer for a team on TV or just spend the day happier, because you know that every other Olympic supporter out there is doing that little “something” with you.

Happy Olympic Day. Thanks for your cheers, big and small.

Singapore 2010.

If this doesn’t mean anything to you right now, it will in less than 3 months.

This is because Singapore will be the site for the first EVER Youth Olympic Games!

August 14 – 26, 2010.

26 sports, over 200 countries, thousands of athletes, coaches, support staff, officials, volunteers, sponsors, media.

It’s the Olympics folks. Just for Youth aged 14-18. And it’s going to be really special.

Canada is sending a team of over 50 athletes. The absolute best youth athletes our country has to offer. Just like Vancouver, they’re going to be reaching for the top of the podium.

Strong and proud Canadians, unafraid to stand up next to the best in the world, and confident enough to beat them all.

I am going to go help them out. Anything I can do, because as much as this generation of athletes will forge a new definition of Canadian confidence, we’ll also be classically humble and helpful, as always.

Follow the dream right here. There will be a Facebook group and plenty of tweets, just for the Canadian Youth Olympic Team, launched in the next week or so.

The other cool thing is that the athletes will get the chance to take part in the Culture and Education Program, aimed at teaching athletes about Olympism, Skill Development, Healthy Lifestyles, Social Responsibility and Expression.

Go Canada Go – Allez Canada!

Learn more:

http://singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en.html

http://www.olympic.org/en/content/YOG/

Recently I have been going through a pretty major transition with one of my businesses. No, not NG Farrell, that one is awesome. Yes, the other one, my exterior cleaning company.

It has been a fairly exhausting process. Let me be perfectly honest, things that suck the life out of you are:

-       reading legal documents

-       filing with the corporate registry

-       a bad business partner

-       reading more legal documents after working out the specifics of the last set of legal documents but drafting new ones to reflect all the changes as a whole, but not displacing those initial objectives set out in another entirely different set of legal documents created at an earlier date

It has become clear in the past two weeks that while I might painfully learn what does not inspire me, through this, I can also discover new sources of inspiration.

I think that it is crucially important to remember what we live for, what ignites our curiosity and what is so worthwhile that we can’t wait to start each day.

This might seem a little elementary. It probably sounds terribly obvious.

What isn’t so easy is keeping these inspirations present, and well watered, so that they might fuel us in our daily living.

Here’s an example:

I am inspired by my brother, his methods are different from mine, and he dreams lofty. So I talk to him when I feel deflated.

I like to read about really smart ideas, so I flip through blogs and my favourite pages at least once a day.

You can’t say enough about sunshine and fresh air.

So my advice would be this. When you’re feeling low, take the pulse of your tried and true inspirations, then find a way to bring them back.

Don’t let yourself go another day without your passion. Your world needs it, and so do the rest of us!

Last night I had the chance to check out Sport BC’s Athlete of the Year Awards.

The swimmers did well, and there was an amazing speech from Mr. John Furlong.

It was a pleasure to attend. Oh ya, have a great long weekend!

If there’s anything that usually irks Canadians, it is getting made fun of. I must admit, in the past few days, with all the missteps and accompanying negative press, I can’t help but begin to feel a little defensive. The proud Canadian inside of me says, “Hey! Stop bugging me, I’m trying my best, after all, isn’t that what matters?”

But there’s another story that all the major broadcasters miss, especially those that beam their message from south of the 49^th parallel.

The story is that we are doing things differently, we are an innovative country, and we are taking risks.

Should Olympic events be taking place at Cypress, so close to the city heat with balmy temperatures? Maybe not. But is it the absolute best venue for the events hoping to be hosted there? Under ideal conditions, absolutely.

On to speed skating from last night. Ok, so the Olympia ice machines were a bad idea. But we are trying to be the greenest games ever, and such a goal means taking risks, like choosing electric ice machines instead of the alternative Zambonis. If the Olympics were all about the athletes, Zamboni would have been the first choice. But they aren’t. It’s about the Olympic values, and using the movement’s power to effect change. So what the athletes had to adjust their warm ups! These guys are pros, ultimately the Games are about more than performance, and the choice of Olympia machines proves that we Canadians understand that.

And finally…the cauldron lighting, well ahem, 75% of it. Get over it. It was an amazing show. Rich with Canadian artistry, history and grandeur. Boiling the merit of an entire performance down to a jammed stage door just shows the shallowness of so many news outlets, both here at home and abroad. I was a part of that show, and I am proud of it. Again, they took a risk by going for the initial lighting inside a building, the first ever, and as we say up here, 3 outta 4 ain’t half bad

Hey! This isn't our fault!

Alright enough about student politics, because let’s not lie, nobody cares anyways.

I want to start the discussion about the Olympics.

Our wonderful little city is slowly but surely putting in the final preparations for the Games. Banners are being hung, tents put up, and in a few days each of the country’s respective Mission Staff will begin landing at YVR.

The village opens February 4^th, but no doubt there are thousands of athletes situated in nearby time zones, staging and acclimatizing for the big event.

While for some, the Olympics are about the sport, and the drama that unfolds therein.

But for others it could be different aspects of the experience.

For me, my Olympic experience will revolve around my, (okay I’ll let it slip), role in the Opening and Closing ceremonies. (That’s all I can say! It’s a secret). For you it may be the simple walk around town, and the spectators, coaches, support staff and athletes you’ll meet along the way.

Do you have tickets? What events are you going to? Where are you going to watch Canada’s athletes?

Let’s get the conversation going…please post below, and perhaps you can get a great idea from someone else about how to best enjoy what will be an incredible, once in a lifetime journey.

For me, other than the Ceremonies, I am looking forward to just sharing time with my friends, cheering for my country, and showing visitors that Canadians and Vancouverites are special, thoughtful people.

What about you!?

12 days ago I figured it would be a good idea to look for some opportunity every day to impact my community in a meaningful way. 12 days later, looking back, it was actually a great but difficult idea. The summaries detail the specifics, but what I really want to express is how absolutely amazed I am at how tightly woven my cocoon of self-preservation and self-betterment really is. Finding the time to pull off my daily actions was too difficult for my own good. Therefore, as a resolution, I am going to look for some way to make a weekly impact on my community, and just, well…find a way to do it. I know that these 12 days have been the catalyst, furthered by my commitment to some sort of organization for 2010. Who or what that is at this moment is yet to be seen, however, the fire for change is lit, and that’s good enough for now. Thanks for reading.

Up until now I have hoped to remain relatively quiet on matters of public politics, whether it is at the federal level or across the board to student politics.

Before I begin, let me say this: I am a proud UBC student. This sentiment is born not only of my involvement in varsity athletics, but also because I have grown to adore, respect and befriend a great number of people in the UBC community.

I want to speak out for them and I want to speak out for UBC’s sterling reputation that we have all worked so hard to maintain, and in my opinion, grow.

The actions of your AMS President Blake Frederick, both recent and past are in the opinion of this young alumnus appalling, utterly unprofessional and downright disrespectful to his student constituents, fellow AMS councillors and anyone connected to the UBC community at large.

If you were intrigued enough to read this, you know that after narrowly avoiding censure on November 4^th, Blake Frederick finally pulled the trigger last week on a tuition related complaint to the United Nations without the knowledge of his fellow 42 councillors. Well, I suppose that VP External Tim Chu narrowly qualifies as a council member, and he knew about it, so we can settle on 41 blindsided members of our student politic. The consequences for these actions were set into motion on Saturday evening, when an emergency meeting took place to request their resignation.

You know, I believe that I am a very open-minded person, and I hope to listen to all opinions and positions prior to posting my own argument. After learning about this latest gaffe, I even e-mailed Blake personally to request a sit down. No reply. After denying any wrong doing, Blake has refused to resign and will now face an impeachment motion next Monday. The issues at hand are accessibility, lower tuition, and ballooning student debt. All of which Blake purports to champion, but with his misguided knowledge base and immature behavior, the only result is an embarrassing and disgraceful tenure as AMS president.

What I really want to say is this: the entire situation appears to be simple posturing, a publicity play for Mr. Blake Frederick and his puppy. (Tim Chu = puppy). Human Rights violation? Firstly, by even suggesting this, you spit in the face of every fellow human being who actually suffers from a real human rights violation worldwide. Party to this, Frederick misrepresents talented and promising UBC students by dragging them through the mud behind his personal PR vehicle, with abuse of power and some really goddamn selfish behavior.

Free university tuition? Setting aside all the logical economic counter-arguments and obstacles to that possibility, let me just say that we live in a society that affords anyone the opportunity to make post-secondary education a possibility. I truly believe that a sole student can, with a lot of good sense and hard work, surmount annual tuition fees and living costs. Even without the assistance of a loans program. I did it.

I got myself through, debt-free, without parental support. I did it because I believe in my future and the way that a UBC degree can and will enrich that future. I respond to the indiscretions committed by Blake Frederick and Tim Chu so fiercely because UBC students deserve better leadership, better stewards of their institution, and moreover, simple respect from those who carry the banner of their collective reputation.

So I was a swimmer for 17 years. When I was 7 years old I started at the local club, in my hometown of Calgary. I remember my first swim meet so vividly. I stood at the end of the deck, just inside the backstroke flags and watched every heat, every whistle and gun. I was short. My oversized yellow t-shirt was wet at the bottom from my soggy bathing suit, it didn’t keep me warm and I shivered once in awhile, but I never wore anything else. I was too excited. I wanted to be ready for my next race. That day I swam the 25 Freestyle, the 25 Backstroke and the 25 Butterfly.

I kept swimming. When I was 10 my parents, shocked at the cost of keeping a kid in swim club tried to convince me to try another sport. They took me to McDonald’s. Sneaky folks I have. I remember the way I felt when they said I might have to quit. I was terrified. I think it took about 10 minutes of tears for them to realize that they were stuck.

My mom used to scream from the top of the bleachers in her shrill Scottish accent. People still tell me about the way my mom cheered for me. It’s hilarious actually. My crazy little Ma. But it was special because swimming became a part of our lives. As I advanced into my teens I started practicing more. My mother would have to wake up, at quarter to 5 in the morning , start the car, defrost the windshield. I used to sit in the passenger seat and watch the frozen streets pass, everyone else asleep under a dark prairie sky.

One thing that I’ll never forget is the humid waft of chlorinated air that hits you as the door opens to a pool. Nothing smells nicer than chlorine.

Swimming helped me get over many things. I used to get so nervous before races. When I was 12 I always won the 200m butterfly. I was always scared as hell to lose. One day I lost. That day I realized that it’s just the spirit of the pursuit that means anything.

I failed a lot. I never made a major Canadian team, although I tried a handful of times. It’s hard to fail like that. Putting in a full training cycle, sometimes as long as 6 months. 8 practices a week. 25 hours + at the pool. Not to mention therapy, eating, sleeping.  All those mornings when you can’t move. And then you get to the meet and miss taper, get sick, or just plain suck. And you don’t get a second chance. Nothing cuts as deep as that type of failure.

But you get back up. You always get back up. The harder I failed, the harder I trained next cycle.

My last season, we won CIS Championships. It’s hard to put into words what that was like. I was so damn proud of being a Thunderbird. I mean, I cared more about that team than any other team I’d been a part of. Every night of the Championships I went back to the hotel in a daze, the excitement, anxiety and joy. It was almost overwhelming. We won by 28 points. I could write 28 pages on that meet. I’ll leave it with a sentence.

Standing on the first step of lane four, at the UBC pool, watching Tommy finish the medley relay ahead of the Dinos, pumping my fists, with Rory and Scotty beside me, will remain as my single most memorable swimming moment.

The point of all this, is that major life transitions take time, and occur in phases. Change is simply the definition of X as opposed to Y. Transition is living with the Y, and being okay without the X. I have to be okay without swimming. Truth be told, I still love it, I miss the challenge. But life has to go on. That’s what this is about. Life after sport isn’t just a new schedule, different priorities, a cheaper grocery bill, it means accepting a new identity. It means that what you lived for in the past, no longer exists. All the ways that you viewed yourself, those unique perspectives, are gone.

What remains is the hunger. The fight.

The trick is to divert the pure tenacity towards something else. Something you believe in. A true athlete will never transition to the mediocre, ordinary or status quo. There will be no mundane tasks. It has to be a challenge. It will be a success. Whatever it is that follows will include the same good practice: determination, passion, hard work, positivity, it’s just the application that will change.

Not sure where I am in transition, but I’m dead sure that wherever it is I’m going will have a lot to do with where I’ve been.