I’ve been with her on a daily basis since day one, providing care and arranging for her needs to be met.

My Brother, Morgane, and some of her friends pulled through with excellent support, offering companionship, love, meaningful conversations and someone who is willing to listen. Doctors, nurses, and personal support workers have delivered excellent treatments as well as timely, real and practical support.

Priorities in my life have shifted since my Mother’s illness came to light over two years ago. As much as racing, training, SSW, and other involvements in skating (TISC, RSC, coaching) have remained important to me, I haven’t been able to devote enough time to truly contribute or excel in any of these departments. And I’m fine with that.

I haven’t made her struggles public, nor, except for a few friends,  have I really made anyone aware of why it’s difficult for me to truly focus on skating.

The truth is, the priorities have always been focused on giving her the best best chance at beating this cancer. With getting her to daily radiation treatments, arranging the plethora of an ever-changing cocktail of prescriptions, doing work around the house for her, helping her with her toileting, maintaining ongoing communication with doctors and taking her to her appointments, helping to secure medical devices, making her buy me lunch and tell me stories, arranging her food, helping to get her out of the bed and moving while in extreme pain, it’s been a rough road.

She was admitted to hospital yesterday morning and the truth is, I fear she is approaching the end of her life.

Our Family and Loved Ones are dealing with supporting her and each other. We are trying our best to cope with and understand what may be coming soon.

She has been through more pain than the combination of a wingate test, Athens to Atlanta, New York 100k, 500-meter repeats, CN Tower Climb, plyometrics and jump workout, and 24-hours solo. And she still has a ferocious appetite for life.

She taught me to live and to love living. But as one of her personal support workers rightly said earlier yesterday, ‘We’re not here to stay‘. If this is really her time to leave and she cannot stay with us any longer, I am sincerely proud to say she will leave this World after having blazed a hell of a life!

With all of that in mind, I expect to give less attention & time to SSW and other skating commitments. I know you will respect & understand this. I also know that she has everyone’s love and support in this difficult time.

A couple of goof-heads at the oncology clinic

Photo from Francois & Marie

Photo from Francois & Marie

Photo from flickr_photographer

The girls spent a day with the Stanley Cup as well as with many famous Canadian performers, entertainers and athletes.

See if you can spot them in the video.

A small and dedicated group of TISC skaters participated in today’s Trillium 10k in Mount Forest.

The event, usually marred by cold and wet conditions, was held in enjoyably dry and mild weather. Skaters zoomed along rural roads in and outside of Mount-Forest. The wind gave skaters a boost in the first 5k, but after the ‘u-turn’, skaters had to face the wind that slowed them down!

Continue reading: TISC Skaters Compete, Support Local Mount Forest Event

• Results

Photo by Graeme Tickner

De langste ijsbaan van Nederland is failliet. De rechtbank in Zwolle heeft het faillissement van FlevOnice dinsdag uitgesproken. Onlangs verleende de rechtbank nog uitstel van betaling aan de 5 kilometer lange buitenbaan.

Lees meer: Langste ijsbaan failliet

Foto hier

The reason for this is that you need to get low in order to generate speed. And getting low involves bending the knees, lowering the butt and bending forward.

Continue reading: Nose, Knees, Toes … Really?

Photo from Jesper Færch