I've always dreamed of this day. The day I'd be able to say I was selected into the New Zealand team for an Olympic games. There's so much to write but so little at the same time. This is one of those selections that truly means you have to sit back and just appreciate what has just happened. I still feel like the 12 year old boy sitting in front of the TV in Auckland watching the Olympics and dreaming of going there one day. Now that dream, well the selection has come true.
There's no hiding it has been a bizzare year, but honestly, it has been my best ever year. Without question. An Olympic Selection, debut world championships, founding a business with my good mate Callum, starting what I hope to be a mental health movement in HP sport using a platform I created along with Callum and our mind coach DG (you should come along to Tales of the top two inches, Tuesday 8th December @ Avantidrome, it's free food and coffee) and in a few weeks I would've finished the Post Grad Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Yeah. She's been a busy one. I bloody loved it.
But now, 8 months out from Tokyo I'm sitting here in Whangapoua in the Coromandel enjoying some down time before we head back to Cambridge to go full head down for the run into Tokyo. A mountain that I feel like I'm, but also the team are ready to climb. Kiwis tend to do things no one thought we can do. This Kiwi team is no different. So mark my words, the kiwis will fly in Tokyo.
I could write an entire post thanking everyone that has been apart of this journey but you know who you are. My family, you're amazing and couldn't ask for anyone better. My friends, wouldn't trade you for the world and everyone else who I've has an association with along the way, you're bloody epic too.
Time to chill out for a bit before it's crunch time!
Cheers,
Sam
Photo Credit: Cullen Browne
