Competing in the 2019 Pan American Games was an unreal experience that has been difficult to put into words. Now that I've had some time to reflect on my experience, I want to fill you in on every detail - unfiltered as always!
Arrival
As soon as I walked onto my flight leaving for Lima I was overwhelmed with relief. It finally felt like it was really happening - I was going to my first major games. There had been so many bumps along my journey to Pan Ams, and many times when I thought this moment would never come. Once I was seated and ready for take off I knew it was real and I couldn't wait to arrive in Lima.
Once I had arrived at the Lima airport I was greeted by a Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) rep who gave me a SIM card for my phone with data on it so I could communicate when wifi was spotty. This really made me feel safe; I knew I was going to be in good hands. Lima itself was quite cold, around 15 degrees and almost always raining.
The Main Village
My first stop in Lima was the main athlete's village for my welcome session from the COC. When I arrived I got my accreditation laminated and was cleared to go through the security checkpoint to be allowed into the village.
As soon as I arrived inside the village I was greeted by another COC rep who was waiting to show me around. It was early in the morning, and the village seemed quite empty. There were a few apartment buildings where the athletes were living, a huge dining tent, a gym, pool, and a few entertainment buildings where athletes could play video games, ping pong and more.
Next I was escorted to the Team Canada house - the apartment where the Canadian athletes were staying. The front of the building was decorated with all things Canadian including camping chairs with lots of flannel and maple leaf graphics. Inside there were rooms available for physiotherapy as well as an athlete lounge and meeting rooms. In the athlete lounge there was an unlimited amount of Canadian snacks - from granola bars, to fruit, coffee, and more! The most popular snack was frusations by far. The sailors in particular seemed to be obsessed with these candy-like gummies.
I was amazed how everything was provided to the athletes for free - I couldn't believe it. Everywhere you looked there were COC reps waiting to help you and free snacks to help fuel your performance.
My welcome session was organized by the COC and included other athletes from the sailing team who had arrived on the same day. The COC reps congratulated us on making it this far in our athletic careers and welcomed us into the Team Canada family. We then entered a changing room that had a suitcase for each athlete. 4 identical suitcases each labeled with our own name - this part felt like a gameshow! We were then asked to open the suitcase and try on every article of clothing provided, ensuring everything fit perfectly. If it didn't fit just right, they had more sizes on site and tailors standing by to make alterations.
The team kit was unbelievable - coming from an athlete that has rarely had the opportunity to collect team gear. We received pants, shorts, t-shirts, a long sleeve, socks, shoes, a backpack and many jackets. Lots of red and white items that will ensure I never go another Canada day underdressed!
It felt like Christmas - only 1000 times better because I know how hard I had worked over the past 8 years to make it here.
We were told what to wear from our team kit and when. There were specific outfits that had to be worn for certain events such as opening and closing ceremonies. Around the village and when competing it was required to wear at least 1 piece of the team kit, preferably a jacket, and all other competition wear had to be unbranded (or covered with tape). Our competition attire had to be approved by COC months before we arrived in Lima to ensure everything fit the branding regulations. Most other nations had similar rules, so it was very easy to identify the nationality of every athlete in the village.
Along with the team kit we were given dozens of Canadian pins to trade with other athletes. One of the Canadian pins was an alpaca - and was very popular to trade amongst the nations. Because there was no money being used in the village, often athletes would trade pins for other items. Additionally, athletes would donate their pins to exceptional volunteers in the village. It was not uncommon for staff at the hotel to not speak a word of English except for "Pin? Pin?"
Next we hit up the dining hall to grab lunch. The dining hall was in a big metal tent and had various food stands that athletes could grab food at - cafeteria style.
The first 12 hours in the village were surreal. It felt like I was in this futuristic movie where we were in space eating meals together with the last delegates from our respective countries.
The food in the main village was not that great, but considering how many athletes they were feeding they did a good job on making sure all the bases were covered. They had traditional caf food like pizza, pasta and burgers but also some traditional Peruvian foods consisting of fish and rice.
I was surprised at how friendly everyone in the village was - no matter which country they were from. It was such an incredible feeling to be so connected with every athlete competing, living very similar lifestyles, yet in totally different sports. It felt like I was back in first year university where everyone was very friendly and open, wanting to make as many friends as possible. I felt I could sit down with any athlete in the dining hall and they would welcome me into their conversation. I met a ton of athletes during my first few days, and learned a lot about different sports like pentathlon and surfing!
Opening Ceremonies
The opening ceremony preparation started ridiculously early at 4pm on the day of the event. We first had a Team Canada send off outside of the Team Canada house, and promptly were loaded into buses by country in alphabetical order. The buses then drove to the arena where the ceremonies were being held. This process took around 2 hours.
We then proceeded to wait very patiently outside the arena to be called in to walk. We were provided with snacks and water along the way and this gave us a chance to bond with other Team Canada athletes and staff.
The anticipation leading up to the walk was my favourite part. Our team of sailors decided we wanted to be front and centre right behind the flag bearer - and we did a great job securing that spot! There were numerous outbursts of O'Canada, and you could feel the excitement in the air.
When we were called to walk in you could hear the crowd cheering and see so many lights and cameras flashing. The arena was very bright and open - it felt very spacious. The walk itself took quite a while, there was a lot more time then expected to take in the moment.
It felt as if I was floating the entire time - I never wanted the feeling to end.
Once settled in our seats we got to enjoy the show including the Pan American torch being lit and a performance by Luis Fonsi (who sings Despacito). The locals were going crazy the entire night, both inside and outside the arena. Many locals enjoyed waving to us the entire bus ride back to the village.
The Satellite Village
Since the sailing venue was located in Paracas (a 3-5 hour drive outside of Lima), we had the luxury of staying in a satellite village. This village was comprised of an entire 5 star resort of which all the sailing athletes were staying. We were truly blessed with one of the best accommodations and I cannot express how wonderful my stay was. We even got complementary laundry service and an incredible buffet for every meal. The buffet was a bit of a challenge for me as I am always trying to lose weight for windsurfing. The Canadian team ate almost every meal together in the village, giving me the chance to get to know my teammates better. Being an athlete in an individual sport, often separated from the rest of the sailors, I really enjoyed this team atmosphere.
It was evident we all wanted each other the succeed.
Thankfully Paracas was a bit warmer than Lima (13-20 degrees C) and the views of the sand-dunes were incredible. I even got to visit the National Park Reserve to take in some of the Paracas scenery.
Guests were not allowed into the satellite village, so it was a bit odd not seeing my parents but knowing they were watching me race everyday. I was so thrilled to have them along for the ride - it meant a lot to me to be able to share this experience with them. Thanks Mom and Dad, you're the best!
The Racing
The regatta started off with shifty wind conditions around 8 to 11 knots, which are my favorite conditions to sail in. As result, I performed well and placed 3rd after the second day of racing.
These first few days really showed me how competitive I am with some of the top women in the world and have left me feeling hungrier than ever to keep fighting my way to the top.
The wind picked up for the rest of the week to 15 to 22 knots and I achieved several notable finishes in the top 5. I am particularly happy with a few planing races where I rounded top 3 in the fleet.
I am amazed by the high level of my fellow competitors and could not be happier for them to see them succeed. Congrats to Patricia Freitas (BRA) 🥇, Celi Tejerina (ARG) 🥈and Maria Belen Bazo German (PER) 🥉for the podium finishes!
Overall I finished in 6th and I am happy with the improvements I have made to my performance leading up to and throughout the event, especially to my high wind speed. Although I did not make the top 5, I am proud of the hard work I put into this event and am looking forward to pushing myself further and learning from the mistakes I made this past week.
This event has made me addicted to the feeling of representing Canada again at another Major games, and I hope I will have the opportunity in the next Olympics in Tokyo.
My favourite part of racing at Pan Ams was the medal ceremony. Our team got to watch Canada receive bronze, silver and gold medals! Instead of feeling envious of the other sailors success, I was so proud and inspired by them.
I couldn't stop smiling during the ceremony because I was so happy for them.
Singing O'Canada and watching our flag be raised as Sarah Douglas received a gold medal was an amazing experience I will never forget.
Closing Ceremonies
The closing ceremonies were much different than the opening ceremonies. The parade of countries was less organized and more or less a free for all. The vibe was a LOT more relaxed and it seemed like everyone there was happy to be done competing and ready for a good time!
At the end of the ceremony all the athletes flooded the floor of the arena and a massive dance party broke out. It was a bizarre experience as the speakers were facing outwards so no one could hear the DJ's music, yet people were still dancing! The volunteers made this part exceptional - they were so entusiastic and started several congo lines ensuring the party never stopped even if the music had.
It was by far the best sober dance party I've ever been to!
I am so lucky to have been able to attend both ceremonies and to see the Games commence and end officially - a rare opportunity for any athlete at the games. I truly felt I made the absolute most of the experience and was ready to head back home after 3 weeks in Peru. After the ceremony I had a mere 2 hours to pass before catching a group flight home to Toronto with other athletes. There was never a lonely moment from the minute I arrived to when I left, it truly felt like I was part of the Team Canada family.
I'm very grateful to have been able to attend such an incredible event, and am thankful for everyone's support in getting me here - I couldn't have done it without you! Thank you for providing me with these fond memories that I will cherish.
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