Thursday, May 27, 2010

I am having a really hard time putting the link up. I don't know why it keep redirecting all weird.

Please copy and paste this link:

Barabus.TRU.ca/gymnastics


Thanks!

Enjoy the webcast:)

Kyle

Updated Webcast Site

Barabus.TRU.ca/gymnastics

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Canadian Gymnastics ChampionshipsI

Hey folks,

I am off to Kamloops tomorrow for the Canadian Gymnastics Championships.

I am excited to announce that I will be hosting a live webcast with coverage of the Men's and Women's AA competitions tomorrow night at 6pm Pacific. I will also be hosting the Event Finals on Saturday at 2pm Pacific as well.



And here is the link for the Championships themselves: www.canadiangymnastics2010.ca





There are a lot of new faces on the Senior scene and there are also a lot of faces missing this year.

Of note on the men's side, 2009 Canadian All-Around Champion Casey Sandy is missing in action due to a torn achilles tendon suffered at a training camp in Mexico in early 2010. Also missing is 2008 Olympian and 2005 World Championship Silver Medalist, Brandon Oneill, who suffered a devastating injury to his ACL at the same training camp which requires a full reconstruction. This injury will keep him sidelined for quite some time which is a huge disappointment for the program.

There have been a couple of retirements as well with Canadian great and 2 time Olympian, Adam Wong, making the tough decision to chase his professional goals and Jared Walls, a strong member of the Senior Canadian National team for almost a decade, deciding to hang up his grips and pursue life after gymnastics as well.

Look for Nathan Gafuik to dominate the Senior Men's category. Coming off a recent win at the Pacific Rim Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Nathan is hungry for his first Senior National title. And it is a title that he deserves. After being an alternate on the 2004 Olympic team, Nathan has slowly moved up the ranks and is finally starting to prove that he has the potential to be one of the best All-Arounders in the World. He has his sights set on an Olympic Medal in London and he has the goods to do it. In my opinion, this National title is his...the real question is, who will be second?


Other guys to watch for: Jayd Lukenchuk (so much potential, but can never hit...let's hope this competition is different!), Anderson Loran (Beautiful high bar as of late), Ken Ikeda (Um, like his brother Richard and a fine wine, Ken just keeps getting better with age) Jackson Payne (His World Champs experience really opened his eyes to the possibilities) and Kevin Lytwyn (BIG Gymnastics! He is really starting to come in to his own after his first season as a Senior last year).







On the womens side, notably missing from action is Brittany Rogers. She suffered an injury at the recent Pacific Rim Championships and has decided to save herself for the World Championships this fall. Good choice.

2009 Canadian Champion, Sydney Sawa, has a chance to make it 2 in a row, but she has some tough competition from young stars who are on the rise. Sydney has matured into a leader of the team, but hasn't really competed much this season which could play a role in her readiness.


Madeline Gardiner has long been known as that junior who people want to watch. Well, folks, she is here and she looks great! Interesting combinations, creative choreography and clean consistent routines should keep her in the top group. I'm excited about this athlete because she represents how innovation and attention to small details can make everyone take notice.


Dominique Pegg has competed a lot this year and she is starting to make a name for herself on the International gymnastics scene. She is powerful and dynamic and she has a presence on the floor that exudes "gymnast". She is clean, crisp and precise and if she hits all 4 events on Thursday night, she could come home with the title. I think this year is really teaching Dom how to compete and I think she will make an amazing addition to the World Championships team in Rotterdam and beyond.


Someone who I am super excited about this year is Kristina Vaculik. She took a long hiatus from competition to heal a nagging elbow injury and this year she made a triumphant return to competition with new sophistication and maturity. I am so impressed with her evolution. She looks poised, strong and confident and she matches those attributes with an incredible outlook and intelligence. She is my pick to emerge with the title of 2010 Canadian Champion. Welcome back, Kristina.


Other faces to watch: Jessica Savona (who's bars is an outta control trick fest concluding with a world class full twisting double layout!), Bianca Dancose Giambatti (Who, I must confess, I don't know much about...) and 2008 Olympian and soon to be Utah NCAA athlete, Nansy Damianova (This will be her last Nationals so I hope she can end her Canadian Elite career on a super high note).


See you in Kamloops!

Kyle

Kyle Shewfelt Invitational and Festival of Gymnastics - March 25-27, 2011

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Shewfelt-Festival-details.jpg




This is going to be AMAZING! I am super honoured to have a competition named after me, but I am also going to play a huge role in the planning, organizing, marketing and promotion. It's going to be an exciting project!


The main focuses of this event are to celebrate the sport gymnastics and to raise funds for Right To Play. It's a perfect fit!


More info to come....but until then, email kyleshewfeltinvite@gmail.com to get on the mailing list.



Through and through I have always believed that two of the most important things in life are to affect others in a positive way and to create a legacy. Operation legacy building = in action!


Kyle


Friday, May 14, 2010

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

28!

Holy crap! I'm 28!

I had my birthday last week on the 6th and it just occurred to me that I am indeed Twenty Eight Frickin Years Old! Weird.

I can't quite remember what I imagined, as a young kid, I would be doing or who I would "be" when I was 28, but I do remember thinking that 28 was OLD. I also thought that I would have a hairy chest. haha.

In reality, I don't feel old at all...and I only have a few manly chest hairs ;) In fact, I have never felt younger. I am absolutely ALIVE right now and I am growing and playing more than I could have ever imagined.

What IS a person supposed to feel like when they are 28?

I feel ambitious.
I feel fast.
I feel like I can do anything.
I feel happy.
I feel playful.
I feel like trying new things.
I feel like I am learning.
I feel like pushing myself.
I feel like I recognize the person in the mirror.

These are all great things. 28 appears to be pretty awesome.

One new thing that I have been trying since my birthday is to live by the quote, "be who you want to be starting today".

I sometimes struggle with motivation, self-confidence, getting along with myself and my thoughts and getting myself going. When I don't feel that sense of purpose and organization in a day then I feel like it's very easy for me to let those negative thoughts win the battle and destroy my day.

So, I have been trying to be super proactive and live each day being the person I want to become. That person is someone who get's things done, has a plan, always looks at the positive side, believes in their ideas, knows what they want, takes care of themselves (I'm talking physically (biceps curls?), mentally and emotionally), hops out of bed in the morning with energy and enthusiasm, reads good books, WRITES blogs, does what they say they are going to do, takes action, takes risks, tries new things, follows through, has an organized space, treats the people around them with kindness, listens really well, focuses on what 'is' rather than what 'isn't', trusts themselves, uses their time wisely, plays hard and can look back on each day knowing that they are proud of the way they lived it.

So, this morning at 6:45am my alarm went off. I didn't have anywhere I NEEDED to be, but I reminded myself that it's important to me to start being who I want to become...and so I sprang out of bed and started attacking my "I've been putting this off and it's renting space in my head and heart so I need to get it done" list. Feels good! (BTW, a Birthday blog and a CSHOF blog were on the list)

I have a feeling that 28 is going to be a Grrrrrrrrrrrreat age. I've started it off well and I just have to keep reminding myself that each day is an opportunity to become more of who I want to "be".

Happy Birfday to me!

Kyle

ps- When I blew out the candles on my cupcakes, I obviously wished for more chest hair! Fingers crossed.


Heading to the Hall O' Fame!

I got the news that I am being inducted into Canada's Sports Hall Of Fame about a month ago, but I had to keep it a secret. It was hard.

When I phoned to tell my mom on the morning it got released, I think she thought that Kristin and I were having a baby because the conversation went something like this:

Kyle: "Hey Mom. How's it going?"
Mom: "Good Honey. How are you?"
Kyle: "I'm fine. Thanks. Hey, I have some news I want to share with you. I've had to keep it a secret for a little while, but it's OK to tell you now..."
Mom (in a concerned voice, almost bracing herself for a life changing moment): "OK. What is it?"
Kyle: "I'm being inducted into Canada's Sports Hall Of Fame!"
Mom (in a relieved, phew kind of voice): "Oh WOW! That's AWESOME! Congratulations sweetheart. You deserve it!"

It was fun to deliver the news (And no need to worry Ma, there will be no babies in the near future!).

Being inducted into the CSHOF is awesome! I am super excited about it, and there are 3 reasons why it really means a lot to me:

1. It's a huge honour for my entire family. It's the first time for us:) Represent!

2. I am thrilled with the group that I am being inducted with. Clara Hughes and Chantal Petitclerc are 2 of my faves and I can't wait to celebrate with them. Woot woot!

3. This is HUGE for gymnastics. Lori Fung, 1984 Rythmic Gymnastics Olympic Champion, has already been inducted and I get to join her as the first Artistic Gymnast to be included. This is B.I.G for Gymnastics.

All of the ceremonies, formal proceedings and parties are happening in November in my home city, Calgary...that is a long time to wait! I have to keep reminding myself: Patience Kyle, patience; all good things happen in time.

After getting the news, I am also inspired to nominate my former coach, Kelly Manjak, because he deserves it just as much as I do! Maybe he will be a part of the group soon too.

It's always nice for your accomplishments to be recognized. It also creates a little nostalgia. Ahhhh, the good ol' days! I hope that I am able to sum up what the honour means to me in 2 minutes or less at the ceremonies! Better start writing that one right now:)

I'm really looking forward to November and becoming a member of Canada's Sports Hall Of Fame!

K.

Article courtesy of www.gymcan.org



Kyle Shewfelt is headed to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame!
Posted Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A little more than two years after his last competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Kyle Shewfelt and a star-studded group of five other athletes and two builders will be formally inducted to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony on November 10th in Calgary.

Joining Kyle in the 2010 class of inductees are hockey star Patrick Roy, race car driver Jacques
Villeneuve, wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc, speedskater Clara Hughes, freestyle skier Jean-Luc Brassard, Dr. Roger Jackson, a key figure in the Olympic movement as both an athlete and administrator and the late football legend Bob Ackles.

“It feels pretty damn good,” Kyle told the Toronto Star. “When I got the news, I was thrilled. And to see the group of people that I’m being inducted with, Clara and Chantal are two of my favourite people in the world. It’s a huge honour.”

News reports citing Kyle as Canada’s "first-ever gold medalist" in gymnastics were just slightly off the mark.

Kyle, in fact, is the only Canadian artistic gymnast to win a medal of any kind at the Olympics, an historic accomplishment that put Canada on the map in the gymnastics world in a way that it had never known before and sparked a new era in Canadian gymnastics.

Soon after Kyle’s thrilling gold-medal performance in the men’s floor exercise at the 2004 Olympics in Athens other Canadian artistic gymnasts made their own international breakthroughs: Brandon O’Neill won silver on floor at the 2005 world championships, joining Kyle, Curtis Hibbert and Alexander Jeltkov as the only Canadian men to win world championship medals.

In 2006, Elyse
Hopfner-Hibbs, inspired by Kyle like every other member of the national team, became the first, and so far, only Canadian female gymnast to win a world championship medal, earning the bronze on balance beam.

At the same world championships in
Arhus, Denmark, Kyle led the Canadian men’s team to its best ever finish on the world stage -- reaching the final for the first time and ultimately placing sixth among the superpowers of the sport, including Russia, China, Japan and the United States.

Since retiring after his remarkable comeback from two broken knees to compete at the
Bejing Olympics, Kyle has remained active on the Canadian gymnastics scene as a commentator for CBC broadcasts and as a roving ambassador and spokesperson for Gymnastics Canada

Gymnastics Canada salutes Kyle for his tremendous contribution to gymnastics and his selection to the Sports Hall of Fame.