There is no bad day in France a ‘pain au chocolat’ (chocolate croissant) can’t fix and isn’t that the truth! Elite sport is tough and unforgiving; for every step forward, there are at least two steps back.
However, the most important trait an athlete can have is resilience, and that fighting spirit!
After my good result in Spain at the first World Cup of the season, Hyeres was a challenging event for me, but there were definitely a number of positives to take away. The Race Committee certainly made things a lot harder, delivering an average race time of just 35 minutes, much shorter than our standard races, of around 60 mins. However, besides having to deal with this, I simply didn’t execute my starts and struggled to get clear of traffic. Although the days were tough, I still managed to keep my head high and stay focused on my goals, keeping my sights on the bigger picture, and as I said before, there is no day a ‘pain au chocolat’ can’t fix!
After Hyeres finished, my partner, Luke, and I parted ways. He was off to Mexico for the ILCA 7 World Championships ( I swear they always get the good venues), and I was heading home for some R&R and to get the fitness back up. After travelling halfway around the world to get home, I was very excited to hop back into the comfort of my own bed. Unfortunately, I contracted the flu on the way, which knocked me around for a week. Arguably worse than COVID, from my experience, but as soon as I recovered, I was back in the gym and on the water, preparing for the next trip in 3 weeks.
I must say, I feel like I am adapting to the cold weather quite nicely. It seems like I am going from winter back to winter again, and I do miss those hot summer days! After all, sailing is a summer sport, right? Although I did experience some glorious Autumn Perth days, they were short-lived as I packed my bags again for Northern Europe.
This trip will be much longer, starting with the World Cup in Almere, then Kiel Woche in Germany, followed by a couple of training camps at the Olympic venue in Marseille, France. Fingers crossed, it allows the European summer to get started and warm me up; I brought my bathers (or swimmers?) just in case!
On a final and important note, just before I flew out to Europe, I had the great privilege of being awarded the Syd Corser Scholarship from the Ron Tough Yachting Foundation. This scholarship is a huge help financially and such an honour to be recognised by the WA sailing community. A big thank you to the Ron Tough Yachting Foundation for their ongoing support and belief in me, on my pathway to Paris.
Stay safe and well everyone!
Elyse Ainsworth Sailing 