DIAMONDS

After the 2010 Winter Olympics, a select handful of Canadian long track speed skaters were fortunate enough to start working with renowned sprint coaches Mike Crowe and Bart Schouten. Mike, coming off of coaching the likes of Jeremy Wotherspoon and Mike Ireland, was in for a surprise when he was assigned fifteen of some of the most raw and energetic skaters Canada has produced. Bart, moving from Germany in the fall of 2010, faced some heavy changes and adaptations to not only his big move, but to the mentality of the team. The team name originated from an impromptu speech that Mike gave before an important on-ice practice. He admitted that he saw us all like DIAMONDS– not simply because of his love for baseball and the St. Louise Cardinals- but because DIAMONDS are formed under pressure. They’re clear cut, moulded, transformed under tension and stress. Although DIAMONDS don’t necessarily come from coal, this illusion was certainly directed at our inexperience and naivety in regards to skating and sporting success. After three years of closely working together and honing our focus- both mentally and physically- DIAMONDS have definitely ‘formed under pressure’ and are looking forward to a very exciting future  in not only Canadian speed skating, but in all of Canadian sport.

Undoubtedly, my training team has changed slightly since our first year in 2010, with a few training partners either retiring or switching teams, while we’ve also gained much needed experience in the likes of teammate Cindy Klassen and new energy with Martin Corbett.