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Meet the Rookie
By:  Logan Hong   (2014/07/27)

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          A sports enthusiast, 5'8, a hybrid (1/2 Chinese with a dash of Dutch in me), and the rookie on XC-Ottawa this year. That's me, Logan Hong! I love to Nordic Ski! In the past I've played soccer, basketball, and volleyball. I also love to run and road cycle but cross-country skiing has always been one of my favourites. I began skiing in the Jackrabbit program at our local ski trails when I was 5 years old. Fast forward 13 years and I'm still skiing and loving it just as much as before but now I've reach another milestone in my life. I have graduated high school and I am now preparing to move to Ottawa this Fall!

          Walking out of my last high school exam ever, was like crossing the finish line of my very first cross-country ski race. In my first race I was overwhelmed and excited at the start line, right before the starter said, "Three... Two... One..... GO!" At that moment I remember my arms flailing around trying to keep up with my legs as I began my pursuit, only to land me in a heap on the ground. Flustered. I was absolutely flustered. In that instant I had to decide to get up and keep moving forward. Before I knew it the finish line was in sight and I was going as hard as I could possibly go at the time. Then... The race was over, all in a whirlwind. I was mostly relieved and feeling pretty exhilarated. That was what high school felt like to me.

          Coming into grade nine I experienced much of the same emotions. While I was in high school there were definitely things that I struggled with and things that challenged me but I had to learn on the go. One of my greatest challenges, and something many others have difficulty with, was balancing life. For me, it was managing a busy schedule of school, training, work, and a social life. As I approached the end, I studied hard for exams, and now... It’s all over. It's both a relief and exciting but just like that, it's gone in a flash!

          So what’s next? Now that summer has arrived I’m still working, still training, but also getting a little more time for myself. This summer has already proven to be an entirely different one from the rest. I already have one awesome training camp at Highland’s Nordic under my belt. Although I was hard at work climbing up Blue Mountain several times and getting lost on a trail called Devil's Glen I actually felt a much needed break. During this camp I didn’t have to wake up once at 5:00 in the morning to lifeguard at the YMCA and I didn’t have to take any schoolwork with me to study. The only thing I did was train and hangout with some pretty sweet company. After that, coming home from camp, I felt fresh and fueled for a summer’s worth of training! Since I am still in Owen Sound until late August and since my former teammates have now moved to different parts of Ontario to start their new chapters, this was exactly the type of energy I needed, in order to carry me through  many solo training sessions this summer.

"There are no happy endings. Endings are the saddest part. So just give me a happy middle and a very happy start."-Shel Silverstein

          With that being said although I will miss Georgian Bay Nordic, I'm looking forward to being on XC Ottawa this year and really embracing every bit of this new experience! It will be a nice change to have other female training partners and to be surrounded with more like minded individuals. But until then happy summer and thanks for reading!


 
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