The beginning of the road - CTV Olympics

Preparation. Preparation. Preparation.


Today, the journey began for my role as analyst for the 2012 London Olympic Games with CTV Olympics.


Rod Black and I had our first "rehearsal" today and it went pretty well. I wanted to nail it out of the park, but I left with a lot of really constructive things to work on. I am so excited about the next 8 months of prep and I realized today that I have a lot of work to do in order to get to where I want to be.

courtesy of @carolynwaldoCTV

This process is eerily comparable to the prep that I went through as an athlete. I found myself visualizing being in the O2 arena with the 10,000 people in the audience. I could feel the tension and the storyline's unfolding. I also felt thankful that we still have 8 months to go before the big show…


I don't want to just be a commentator. I want to bring excellence to the role. I want to have the viewers at home feel like they are out there on the floor with the athletes. I want them to have the butterflies and I want them to completely understand the sacrifice and dedication it took to get there. My role as an analyst is to explain the WHY's and the HOW's. Simple, right? Well, not so much…


But this is where my focus needs to be. And it's great to have a focal point.


Over the course of the next 8 months, I am going to be vigilantly watching hours and hours of gymnastics on VHS, DVD and youtube. I'll be playing with language. I am going to listen to the best of the best (any recommendations?) and see what they say. I am going to be constantly recording myself while explaining WHY an iron cross is difficult. I am going to make lists and lists of flavourful adjectives that describe certain characteristics of skills and routines. I have a goal of never being tongue tied…I want to be so 'ready' that I don't have to try.


In Athens and Beijing, I remember stepping on to the floor feeling like I couldn't have anything more to be more prepared. I want to feel this same way in London - I'll just be on the other side of the camera.


Today, this incredible role I have with CTV Olympics started to feel a little more real. I have a lot of work to do. But with that being said, I am so psyched about doing it!


Next stop: London. I'll be there in January for the final Olympic qualifier (Go Canada Go!). I apologize in advance to the person who has to sit next to me in the stands. They'll be getting a running commentary of the event whether they like it or not!