Summer training

Hi everybody !

I just got back in Canada from Switzerland and France, we had a 3 week ski camp in Zermatt, the weather has been amazing, and snow conditions were great, even the Italian side was open. The glacier was in great condition. We jumped in  with the swiss Europa cup team, that I thank for the lane space. We had a couple good days, adjusting to the new radius, and a few less good days. I have been skiing on the new equipment and am on Head now, whom I thank for they great service.  The knee handled the training pretty well. After the 3 weeks of training, I had the chance to visit some old high school friends in South of France, it was a lot of fun catching up with them after 2 years. Had a good trip, and now for the next month will be working on getting in better shape and find a few more sponsors.
I wanna thank my trainer Shelley and all the people behind for supporting me !!!

After 3 weeks of sun the last day was powder day !!! 

Cheers ! 

A weekend at the cottage

Hi Everybody !

I had my first Canadian cottage experience last weekend in Muskoka. It was amazing, very relaxing, beautiful landscape and it was my first time on canoe. It was a perfect place to spend a weekend with my boyfriend. :)

For the update the recovery for me knee is almost fully completed, 1 more week and I'll be ready to give her !!! :)

Enjoy your week !

Cheers !

trip to Belgium, meeting with the federation

Hi everybody !

A little update, the training is progressing well, I should be able to go a 100 % within the next few weeks, my knee has been recovering well.

I went for a 2 day trip to Belgium to meet with the Belgian federation taking place in Antwerp, the meeting went well, a lot of things have been discussed , they were definitely willing to listen to different opinions and I hope for a few changes and some support. The will for the federation to be more united and to make some changes is there, within this olympic season I hope for a good solution that will satisfy the majority of the A team racers. It was a very short trip but definitely worth it, because of the meeting and I had the chance to spend 2 days with my best friend I didn't get to see for a long time.
 Being originally from Middelkerke, Oostende I never had the chance earlier to visit the town of Antwerp, it is a very nice town, lots of old buildings with history. Of course I didn't go to Belgium without having ate some french fries, waffles and a beer. To conclude this little trip was a successful business trip.

Thank you for reading !

Cheers

news

Hi everybody !!

I hope you are all doing well and are enjoying the spring.
In Canada the spring is slowly settling down with a couple days of snow here and there and some nice sunny days.
I have been able to take my bike out a few times and enjoy some beautiful scenery.
I have been starting to use some light weights during training and my knee is handling it well so I am really glad to see some progression that way. I had my first painting experience by painting the gym last saturday. Thank you Active Life Conditioning, you guys are the best !!!

Opera last night !

Enjoyed the opera with a friend last night. Le dialogue des carmélites in French at the COC. Great and intense performance ! :) 

Recovery and other

Hi everybody !

My apologies for this late update.
I am at this time preparing for the next season, getting this knee back to normal, the knee is recovering well and in about 4-5 more weeks I should be able to get my full strength back and enjoy the harder training. :) We are also getting a equipment change done for the next and I am excited to see how this works out. I am trilled to continue working with Javelin performance coatings and POC.
In Canada finally the sun is starting to show a little glance, and it is very enjoyable, I can't wait to get into bike rides this summer. I finished my final exams at university so now I am working on paper work, training and finding some more funding for the upcoming season. :)
If you'd like to follow me a little more closely you can like my athlete Facebook page Isa-Isabel Van Buynder.  https://www.facebook.com/IsaVanBuynder?ref=stream
Thank you.

1 year of freedom

Hi everybody !


Saturday, I celebrated my 1 year of freedom, it was exactly 1 year ago I left my family and their "prison".
It was the best decision I could make and have no regrets regards that. This year has taught me a lot and made me realize multiple things. The more you take distance from things, the more you realize and understand the situation you were in. I have realized that it wasn't a way to live a life. I have taken big chances regarding the future, but you never know what can happen anyway, finally nothing is ever sure. When jumped on the plane for Canada, I didn't know what was waiting for me but I knew it would be better then home; taking this chance has changed my life and made me more happy then I have ever been. Of course I won't forget the past and my family, but it is not because someone is your family that they have all rights over you comprising abusing you. Nobody deserves that sort of treatment. My parents always told me not to trust anyone unless they are your family, but so far I have trusted many people and have been nicely surprised, I haven't been disappointed, I actually expected way less from them. I will be forever thankful to them for giving me the chance to have a life, I am also lucky to have great friends who give me the mental support to keep on going.
This year has gone by very quickly, and I am glad of what I have accomplished in one year, still skiing, training, going to university, which has kept me really busy. I can finally make my own decisions, such a great feeling and making a big difference.
Anyway this hasn't been a easy year but definitely the best and most happy one of my life.
Now I have 2 more weeks to go with school, a few exams and then can spend some time on finding more sponsors, rehabilitate this knee, train on some core and stuff, and get ready and strong for next season ! :)



Thank you for reading my blog and enjoy your week :)

End of the season/ injury

Hi everybody !!

I know it has been a little while and I apologize for it.

After coming back from world champs, we had a few races in Alpine and Camp fortune, where there were a couple good runs and some positive elements.

Last weekend I had the chance to race the NZ foundation challenge dawn until dusk, it was a beautiful day and a successful event to commemorate the memory of Nick. Although I didn’t know him personally, I could feel the love of the family and the community that was very much present. Everybody was there and gave their best.

Unfortunately injured my knee and this season is over me, I tore my quad tendon but luckily not fully so don’t need surgery, it will take about 2 months to recover.

This gives me some time to focus on university and the upcoming exams, on getting as strong as possible for the next season and on getting financial support for the next season.

This season for me was more of a transition season, getting used to the new environment, not having the negative pressure of my family and combining university and sport. I am definitely figuring out some stuff and it will get better with time.

This season would not have been possible without the support from my coach, Shelley Johnston who has put her heart into it and did an amazing job, Wendy who came with us to worlds and was very helpful with her racing experience and PR talents, my adoptive family for the great support, for the SOD team who gave us the opportunity to do the pre season camps and for us to have the ski passes for the ski clubs, the NSA who let us jump in their courses and with who it was a pleasure to work with on races, Squire’s for the great preparation of the skis and the support with equipment, to active life and SXS fitness for giving the possibility to keep my form and my friends and supporters for believing in me and giving me the mental support.  I have been amazingly surprised by the solidarity, the support that lots of people have given me this year and that I am grateful for.

In a couple days it will be a year that I left home, and have to say that it is a decision I don’t regret, I have met the greatest people, seen that live is not about fighting with people but that you are way better of trusting people and get along, that not everybody is out there to get you, have learned how to take care of myself, making my own decisions, realized how much better it is not having to live in fear and not having to be worried for my health because someone doesn’t want to take you to the doctor or disregard what a doctor says. I also thank my friends because although after being threatened they never let me down and were always there.

There are definitely still some things I have to work on but there is already some progress, just a little more than a year ago I would never have thought getting so far.

Thank you  to everybody who has made all this possible J You are the best !!! 

back from worlds

Hi everybody !

We came back from the worlds last week, it was a great experience and a little adventure.

The second week we had a couple training days with several teams, Sweden, CZE, Ukraine, Belarus, Hungary, Haiti, Israel, Liechtenstein, Libanon …

 We were about 140 at the start in the GS and the SL but it is great to see all these nations making an effort for such an event.

The GS was though, quite bumpy but it was interesting to try out the new radius. We’ll start to do some training on them for next season.

The Audi party was fun, to meet some other athletes and personalities from skiing and other.

The crowd for the SL was amazing, unfortunately I fell at the 5^th gate, was a little disappointed but it doesn’t take away the joy of being there, competing with the best of the world and the satisfying results of the Super combined and Downhill.

I was back in Toronto for a day and then had 2 SL races at Alpine, ON where I came in 5^th the first day and 7^th the second day, there were a couple good runs so I am positive for the upcoming races in Camp Fortune this weekend.

The last couple days I spend them in bed, I haven’t been so sick in a long time.

Tomorrow it is back to university for the next 3 weeks with a couple exams and papers to write.

I thank everyone that has been supporting me and brought me to the world championships, I couldn’t have done it without them.

World Championships in Schladming Austria

Hi Everybody !!

Hope everyone is doing well !!! Here I am one week into my  World championships experience in Schladming,  Austria !!!

The speed events are over and I survived !! lol I had a lot of fun doing speed, I forgot how much fun it was to ski at such high speed and to be in the air.

Unfortunately, the SG got cancelled after bib # 36 due to the fog. Wednesday I skied my first DH in 2 years and the first time with the new skis in the DH training it went quite well, the 2d DH training was better by a second.

On Friday we did the Super Combined (DH and SL), I skied a little to conservatively on the DH run but 7,78 sec behind, with some good speed checks and a couple good sections, then the SL run I skied it quite conservatively as well but made a few mistakes and got caught in the back a few times. In the end came in 29, a top 30, I am really happy about the result. Saturday we took a day off, I spend some time relaxing, working out and studying.

Sunday I did the DH, it was great fun, a little mad at myself for making a mistake in the carousel but the end result still wasn’t bad, came in 35^th. 

The Javelin performance coatings are amazingly fast, I got some good speed checks in.

I have to thank my coach Shelley, her depute Wendy for their great work and bringing some happiness into skiing …

Those 2 ladies are making history for being the first all women coaches at this level ! Chapeau to them !! J

I also thank the amazing Javelin performance coatings, POC, Squire Johns, Active life, SXS fitness for their help and support.

I also thank al the people that have been supporting me to continue… my adoptive family, my friends, supporters and acquaintances !

2 more events to go !!!! GS and SL !!!