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POSTED IN 01/10
KIKKAN RANDALL
Contributing Editor
Kikkan is from Anchorage, AK and is a US Ski Team member.
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I am a collector of fridge magnets. There isn’t really any rhyme or reason to my collection. I just like clever and funny magnets.
One of my favorite magnets is a black square with the phrase, “leap and the net will appear.” It’s a good philosophy to remember when you’re an athlete aiming to accomplish something that has never been done before.
No American woman has ever won an Olympic or World Championship medal in cross-country skiing. We’ve had some very talented and dedicated female athletes over the years, but the podium has eluded us on the world’s biggest stage. At this point, the history books are waiting to be written.
In order to make history and win those medals, I believe we have to take a leap. We have to ignore the past and be confident in the future. I’ve had several good leaps in the last month that have reminded me how important it is to take risks, and how good the rewards can be.
A few weeks ago I was at a US Ski Team training camp in Whistler, BC. We were there to train at the Olympic venue and familiarize ourselves with the place we will call home for two very important weeks in February 2010. Even though there was no snow on the ground, we could imagine what our Olympic journey would look and feel like.
Towards the end of the week the whole teamed lined up for 5x4min double-pole intervals. I was just about to let the boys take off when coach Justin suggested we all start together.
Suddenly my outlook on the workout changed. Instead of starting out with an even pace, I decided I would try and hang with the boys as long as I could, even if it meant totally blowing up and not being able to finish.
I took a leap. It worked. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to hang with the boys longer than I thought. Even though I gradually lost touch with their pack through the rounds, I maintained my speed and completed all five intervals.
Later that afternoon, I really got to take a leap. I went bungee jumping! Most of the team had gone earlier in the week, and after sitting out the first opportunity, I was anxious to try it myself.
Walking up to the bridge and across the see-through grating, my confidence began to turn to intense nervousness! I had butterflies in my stomach akin to pre-race jitters.
When I stepped out onto the platform, all hooked up to the bungee, I tried not to look down. They counted down from five and then I jumped. For the first few seconds it was sheer terror. Then, as the bungee slowed me down and shot me back up in the air, I experienced pure exhilaration.
While it was scary to jump off a bridge 180 feet off the ground, it was worth it for the feeling of speed and free-fall.
My third leap was longer in the making. After much planning and coordinating, I left my comfortable training environment in Anchorage and traveled down to Canmore, Alberta to train with Canada’s 2006 Olympic sprint champion, Chandra Crawford. My goal is to be the best cross-country sprinter in the world and I wanted to challenge myself against a proven champion.
It was a bit intimidating at first to jump into a totally foreign training scene and to try new things. Yet, we ended up having a great week of training, pushing each other across all disciplines, and we had a lot of fun too.
Chandra may be one of my toughest competitors on the world cup circuit, but she is also a fellow North American, and we’ve found that we can learn from each other and push each other to new heights.
Taking a leap is always scary, especially when you can’t see the landing. Standing on the ledge is much safer and easier, but if you never leap, then you never get to experience the freedom, the thrill and the exhilaration of doing something you didn’t think was even possible.
I encourage you all to take a leap this season. Go for it! Don’t be afraid of crashing down in failure. Be confident! Leap… and the net will appear.
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