Sunday, June 22, 2008

Going to the olympics




Just recently, I achieve the Canadian Olympic A+ standard in the JAvelin. I achieved 83.20m in the Kajaks International Track and Field Meeting in Richmond, BC, Canada. I followed that competition up with a 78.90m effort in the Victoria International Track Classic. Both meeting are great meets and I hope to compete in them in the future.

As for what's next, back to training. I have about 9 days before I leave for the Canadian Olympic Trials, which just happen to be in my home town! Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Let me just say what a relief it is to go into our trials and mkow that I have the standard and all I have to achieve is a top four finish. Going into my last two meets, I was worried that I would have to do it under pressure at our olympic trials.

So I've unofficially made the Olympic team. WHAT A RELIEF! However, let me tell you about the stress that lead up to this point.





Let's begin with last season. 2007 was one of my best season's of my carreer. Up until I tore my Lateral meniscus in my right knee in Paris. I continued to compete the remainder of the season with a torn meniscus and a strained right forearm (from a meet in Switzerland). In September I went under the knife of my fantastic surgeon, Jeff Randall (He also did my shoulder in 2001). Apparently, I had a small flap tear in my posterior (back) of my Lateral meniscus. Dr. Randall removed the small tear and VOILA, I'm healed. Not Really. It took me a until December until I was comfortable enough to squat. Fair enough! I still had plenty of time to get ready!

Some time later in January, I managed to strain my hamstring on the same leg. Go figure! I must have still been weak. Next, I strained my right groin one month prior to the start of my season! CRAP! By this time it was late March and I was starting to sweat! Do I have time to get ready? I managed to heal in time to still compete in the KU Relays. This is were I open my season every year. I love throwing in front of friends and family and this is one of my only chances to do so. I tried to throw on the Wednesday prior to the KU Relays (Friday is the day I was to compete). I managed to throw 69m from short approach into an extremely strong head wind. Most importantly, my groin felt good. Two days later, I opened my season with a 81.53m effort. However, it was 34 degrees F and I strained my groin again. All the while I have stayed extremely positive (rare for me when I'm injured).

Two weeks after aggravating my groin, I was squating and I felt a sharp pain in my right knee again. Ahhhh, it couldn't be anything too serious. So I contiued to practice and that friday, was what I thought to be the end of the year. Throwing, it felt like someone had put a Knife into the side of my knee! OH CRAP! MY MENISCUS! Was all that went through my head. Later that week, I went in to get an MRI ($$$) and got the results back rather quickly. Dr. Randall told me that I had chipped a piece of my cartilage off of the front of my femur (directly behind my knee cap). WELL, That's all she wrote! No way am I going to be ready now. I was told that it wound take 8-12 weeks to be 100%. That's when I started to see what I call my Scott's Saviour Team (or Sports MEd team) everyday of the week. I started by seeing my Chiropracter, Rob Jones. He would be doing Laser treatment 5 days a week and ART (Active Release Therapy) 3 times a week. I also started seeing a new massage therapist Brienne and Kinnections Massage Therapy, once a week. Add to that twice a week with my Physical Therapist, Jeremy Zimney (Super Smart, Great Guy and he's ok at Poker too - robs me of my money in the fall). Lastly, I would begin getting a series of injections of Roster Comb (yup male Chicken parts!) into my joint. Miraculously, my team has put me back together. And I am on my way August 1st. But first I wil lhave to spend some much needed time with my coach, Andy Andy Kokhanovsky. If I didn't have him, I'm sure I wouldn't still be throing a stick!