I will start by giving a quick recap of my Olympic Games experience. With me having my best sprint World Cup result in Canmore finishing 19^th, I was excited with my Olympic start a little over a week away. I felt that if all things came together just right I would have a shot at moving through the quarterfinal and having a top 12 result at the games. Unfortunately things didn’t really come together. Instead of my shape continuing to peak following the Canmore World Cup races,  I had trouble recovering from the weekend of racing and all that had happened in the last month (traveling to Russia and Estonia, plus the emotional rollercoaster of qualifying for the Olympics). I started feeling sick a week before the sprint at the Olympic Games. Without dwelling on things too much, it ended up that I was kept home in Canmore until the day before my race. It was a little surreal to be doing my pre race intensity workout at COP to get ready for my Games debut. So arriving less the 24 hours before the race and having the week of stress prior up to my Olympic sprint left me feeling pretty flat. I was happy with how I skied the course but I didn’t have any speed in my body and finished a disappointing 41^st, not what I was hoping. That being said I felt as though I had made the most of a far from ideal situation.

With the sprint being finished and my only other possible start being the pursuit where I was the spare, it was a great opportunity to be a fan. I continued training hoping I would get the call for the pursuit but also knowing that it was a bit of a long shot. It was great to be able to see firsthand my teammates achieve Canadian best results every day they were at the start line. I felt more nervous watching Devon, Alex, George, and Ivan racing than I had for my own race. It was a great couple of weeks for the team and made me feel very proud to be a member of it and also very proud to be Canadian. I also enjoyed having some time to hangout in Whistler and Vancouver, to experience some of the wonderful Games spirit. Seeing so many Canadians proudly donning red clothes more often than not with CANADA across the chest was very cool to see, and made me feel as though the Olympics had accomplished their goal of bringing people together regardless of who the medals were being handed out to.

With one of my life goals being accomplished, I came home and found the motivation to train a little low leading into Nationals. After skiing one morning in Kananaskis country with Brittany, I came to realize that this is where skiing had started for me – it still had a special place in my heart.  My feeling of great insignificance while skiing through the magnificent mountains was very invigorating. This one workout helped me refocus as I prepared for Nationals.

Nationals were fun and I was happy to be skiing well. I finished the week of racing with two 2^nd places and one 3^rd which totaled into the aggregate title. The one overwhelming story of the event was a sort of changing of the guard, with many young guys stepping up and winning in each race. Their success seemed fitting with the Olympics having just come to an end and this next generation showing they are ready to push the older guys. (I am not really sure how I fit into this  - not really old but not a newcomer either so I will just not worry about myself.)  Whitehorse put on a great event and was made even more enjoyable by me having the luxury of being billeted with a great couple, Neil and Judy Hartling. Staying at their home with Sean Crooks and Dave Nighbor (wax teching) was a great change, as were home cooked meals instead of normal restaurant fare. Neil told us a lot about his river expedition company, which sounded very cool and might be fun to do when I am older (and have more$$$). You should check out his website http://www.nahanni.com/.

With Nationals being finished I decided I wasn’t quite ready to end my skiing for the season, so I headed off to Maine for the Supertour Finals. After a terrible 14-hour travel day from Whitehorse to Quebec City I crashed for one night at Alex’s house and then made the drive down to Maine. The three-day race series had a fun “tour” format, with each day’s race counting in overall time for the last stage, which finished by climbing up an alpine ski hill. I skied all right and found that climbing a ski hill was a great way to end my season.

The season was done and I was pretty content with how things had gone, I had accomplished my biggest goal for the season, which was to qualify for the Olympic Games. I was also ready for a bit of a psychological break. The month of April was great, I was able to visit some family, do a little alpine skiing and go on an amazing holiday with Brittany. Now things are winding up again I and I am looking forward to getting back to a normal training routine.

With me competing in an individual sport it is often lost all the people that are there to support me to help me achieve my goals and dreams, I would never be able to do what I do without your help and support. Just to name a few, the support and close relationship that I have with my family helps me keep my life in perspective Thank You Mom, Dad, and Kim! Brian Hunter and Elaine Scott have financially supported me through the years and have also often given me key advice, Thank You! I am lucky to have a coach and support team with the PHTC that is world class, Thank You Louis Bouchard and Sacha Bergeron! The continued support from Cross Country Canada, Fisher skis, Salomon boots, Swix poles, and Rudy Project glasses has also been a vital piece of the puzzle.

The past season has been a great learning experience for me and has left me hungry for more going forward. Bring on 2010/2011!

Cheers Brent