Links - CBCSportsca Blogs Competing with a heavy heart - North River Minor Hockey Association

CBCSportsca Blogs Competing with a heavy heart News Sports Radio TV My Region Watch Listen Member Centre Login Sign UpCharlottetown Change City10c Rainshower Hockey Headlines Scoreboard Standings Stats NHL Schedule Teams Players Hockey Night in Canada Highlights Fantasy Pool Commonwealth Football Headlines CFL Scoreboard CFL Standings CFL Stats CFL Teams NFL Scoreboard NFL Standings NFL Stats NFL Teams NFL Players Video Alpine Skiing Curling Figure Skating Basketball NBA Scoreboard Standings Stats Teams Players Basketball News Feed Baseball MLB Scoreboard Standings Stats Teams Players Baseball News Feed Soccer MLS Scoreboard MLS Standings International Stats Soccer News Feed Amateur Sports Golf Tennis Blogs and Columns Alpine SkiingSubscribe to Blogs and Columns Competing with a heavy heart December 11 2009 0112 AM Posted by Kelly VanderBeek I cant really talk about Lake Louise and last weekends opening World Cup speed races without talking about the passing of my motherinlaw MegAnne FordAlthough I hadnt intended on letting everyone know about her passing I simply broke down in the finish area after the final downhill training run last Thursday unable to finish the interview Id started I had to explain what was happeningMy husband David Ford flew to Victoria to see his ailing mom but unfortunately missed her passing by about an hour Her death left both of us shaken and stricken with grief I was happy when David returned so we could share in this grief and support each other as best we could David did an amazing job of supporting me through these races given his emotional state he was truly remarkableRacing was certainly challenging as I did my best to control the grief that was always so close to the surface On Friday I found myself quite numb to it all but by Sunday at least on the hill I felt more like myself as though MegAnne was there with me in some wayIt was a solid weekend of racing for me I finished 13th in each of the two downhills and 11th in the superG but it was a very strong weekend for the team The highlights were Emily Brydons two downhill podiums along with a superG race in which all six Canadian girls in the field finished in the top30It was wonderful to see the team rise to the occasion and to know that all our hard work this summer is paying off Knowing I finished 11th in the superG despite costly mistake at the bottom is extremely promising as well and finishing 13th in the second downhill with ice blinding one of my eyes for the bottom half of the course was also a strong indication of how Im skiing Even with a few curveballs Im still in the mixGreen burial a fitting tributeI was asked in an interview how I thought this weekend would help me during the Olympics in February as a type of trial run I answered by saying that the Olympics are a massive undertaking that can throw any number of curveballs our way This week ...