TEXAS.

Well, with the end of my ski season come and gone what now?
KAYAKING THATS WHAT.
Yep, I have yet again moved my entire life to a new place where I know no one, this seems to be a recurring pattern for me. This time instead of the rocky mountains, I am in the home of cowboys and big hair (which really isnt that much different from Colorado). A few weeks ago I received a message from a man named Ben Kvanli, a former Olympic kayaker who was looking to put together a team this summer. This message came to me in no other way than Facebook! He said he had been searching for me since he saw me compete in last years Extremity Games. After a few messages back and forth, the decision was pretty clear, I was to finish up my ski season and then make the 17 hour drive from Frisco, Coloardo to San Marco, Texas ASAP.
So I did. I saw the beautiful cornfields of  Kansas and Oklahoma (and then more in northern Texas). Lets just say this ride was a lot of me belting out to the radio for what seemed to be endless hours on in. But then I finally made it.
I am lucky enough to be training with some of the most amazing people. Ben is such an elite athlete, paddling with him is such an experience! We paddle on the San Marco's river every day, which is just a few steps outside my door here at the Olympic Outdoor Training Center. So far we have done a lot of white water, I went down a 13 ft waterfall two weeks ago!
We are also focusing a lot of time on our flat water sprint. This is the first time I have ever been in a race kayak and let me tell you it is a whole new experience. First of all, it is so narrow I had doubts I was going to get my big ski racing leg in it at all! Once I finally squeezed in, I learned my next great challenge.. balance. Ben first put me in his old race boat. I literally let go of the dock and next thing I knew I was saying hello to the fishes that swam underneath me. So I got upgraded to a little wider boat, and it has been a perfect match since. Ben explained to me that the boats I am currently practicing in are way tougher to handle than the one I will actually be racing in come two weeks at the Paralympic team trials. So by training in these boats, the others will feel like a walk in the park. Let's hope so!