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The Olympics of 2008 have very likely taught me more about myself as an athlete, and why I'm an athlete, than any other experience of my life. A great friend told me yesterday: "Our time in the valleys helps us truly appreciate the views from the mountain tops", so I'm fortunate and grateful for two things, above all else... I have had some really great mountaintop views throughout my career, and there are more to come - because nothing helps me appreciate victory, more than failure. All of that aside, I am not disappointed with my performance here in Beijing. I am proud of my Olympic silver medal, it was tough to bounce back and rise from the ashes after the 1000m - but I managed to pull off a pretty good race in the five despite feeling like I got hit by a train the day before. 
The Olympics are really tough, they've got to be. Olympic medals are not boyscout badges or participation ribbons, they're Olympic medals. I cherish mine with pride and distinction as a representation that I work really hard, believe in myself, and love and respect my sport above all else. Sharing the podium with guys like Tim Brabants, Ken Wallace and Eirik Veras Larsen is an honour, and a privilege... all of us are Olympic Champions, and we're great friends. Per Aquas ad Fraternatum indeed, gentlemen!Instead of taking a break from my kayak, I'm heading out to Dartmouth, NS to race it around on Lake Banook for a few days, at the Canadian National Championships. I'm stoked to see everyone, share stories and hang out for a couple days... and it'll be super awesome to be back in Canada.
See you in Dartmouth!
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Speaking of the Olympic Village I had a wander into Beijing yesterday after training to meet with Right to Play, the athlete-driven humanitarian organization of which I am a huge fan and supporter, and Lenovo, one of my sponsors, and one of the biggest Olympic sponsors worldwide. Lenovo is generously sponsoring Right to Play's online memorabilia auction, where some one of a kind Olympic items donated by athletes get auctioned off 100% in support of Right to Play. If you're unfamiliar with what Right to Play does, and are interested, please check out their site. I donated two packages; the first is an opening ceremony package with the shirt and hat I wore while carrying the flag, as well as the sash which held the flag when I wasn't waving it frantically. The sash is signed by all the Canadian athletes that marched into the Bird's Nest Stadium that day, which makes it totally one-of-a-kind. The second package is an experiential one, kayaking lessons with me, including a boat anyone can enjoy for keeps, which can be custom designed by the one most generous bidder who wins! Check out the auction!
In concentrating on my upcoming races and prep, I've declined every chance to comment on what people are referring to as disappointing results from the Canadian Team thus far. In keeping with that, I will only say that if one looks beyond medal counts and Phelpsian standards of success, you'll see a lot of incredibly talented young Canadians who deserve your support and gratitude for trying their absolute best.
We've seen some awesome results; one just needs to educate themselves a little on the circumstances of the competition. My friend Mike Brown from Perth, 200m breaststroker, broke his Canadian records repeatedly to finish 4th yesterday in his final; he was 6th in Athens, and while 4th is always a difficult place to finish, I'm proud of him, and I look up to his performance, and view his effort as one of the best a Canadian swimmer has ever put forth. The men's 4x200m freestyle relay is another example; they finished an awesome 5th with a big Canadian record, and Brent Hayden swimming one of the fastest 200m out of the whole field. A new Canadian record, a personal best or a top 8 performance represents a huge accomplishment, and unless you're top three in the world at sitting on your couch complaining about Canadian performances, I'd recommend you consider where you're coming from before telling someone who's top eight in the world at what they do, that they are a big disappointment.
To quote my good friend Sherraine Schalm, who lost her fencing match on Wednesday to the woman who later won the bronze, "For all the journalists who print, 'Canada stinks, we're not doing anything right,' there's a hundred thousand Canadians who are like: 'We're just so proud of you... Those are the voices I'm choosing to listen to." Same here Sherraine, and congrats!
See you on the water.
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What an absolutely incredibly amazing, awesome experience. There is no string of adjectives which can possibly do justice in describing just how special the opening ceremony was. All the diversity, beauty, community and enthusiasm of the Olympic movement all packed into one place and time. I waved the Maple Leaf as high and hard as I could all the way around the Olympic Bird's Nest Stadium; every time our red and white horde passed a group of Canadian fans waving a flag of their own, a rush of familiarity reminded us all that millions of Canadians back home are watching and cheering us on every step of the way. The diversity of the world Olympic stage is a thing of distinct beauty and wonder. The multicultural diversity of our own team and country, reflected by the broad racial spectrum of athletes representing Canada was a true thing of beauty for me. Members of our men's field hockey team donned their red turbans as a sign of the personal significance of their Olympic experience, and athletes such as Jujie Luan who have competed for other countries and now call Canada home, proudly representing the Maple Leaf. Jujie won China a gold medal in fencing in 1984 and is so well known by the Chinese that the Olympic volunteers leapt out of their queues for the chance to have a photo with her, many of the volunteers recognizing a woman who won before they were born. I myself am first-generation Canuck, born from Hungarian and Dutch immigrants. The opening ceremony show was an amazing spectacle, I hope everyone back home caught it on TV and felt a patriotic chill up their spine at the first site of our red and white. I'm still in awe and filled with gratitude, pride and honour to have been a small part of something so great.We've still got a week before racing starts, so we're keeping busy training and enjoying ourselves at the Dragon Villa. I might take another trip into the village between now and next week to people watch and soak it all in a little bit... We're all having a blast.
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Ok, the first two things everyone wants to know, I'll clear them up first. YES, I saw Kobe Bryant and LeBron James at the cafeteria. And YES, they are a very big deal. I like basketball a lot, but I didn't scream and freak out and grab my camera and lose my junk just cause they're on tv all the time. That said, if Steve Nash was here, I might lose my junk... since he's so rad.So we made it safely to Beijing, and it's great here. There are about a bajillion friendly happy Chinese volunteers here anxious to help us out in any way possible. Got out on the water twice today, which felt great after a couple days in transit over the North Pole. Staying out at the Dragon Villa in Shun Yi is perfect because we're close to the canoekayak venue, and we've totally got it made with great food, lots of space, a nice pool and everything we could need. A few trips into the Olympic Village, one tomorrow for the Opening Ceremony, should give us a decent enough dose of O.Village life. Can't wait for the Ceremony tomorrow, it's gonna be crazy!! They INVENTED fireworks here... so they better bring it! See you at the Bird's Nest!
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