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Hello team and supporters, I’m just back from an adventure in Finland. My second time there, a place in the Arctic Circle, in Northern Finland called Pyhä. It’s magical… and this time it wasn’t so cold, it’s been quite an off winter for European standards. Last time I was there I had a hard time on this race course and it was very humbling. That’s exactly why I came back, to get stronger as an athlete. It was very positive...
Greetings friends & family! Winter training has been going well, it’s the time of year I increase my training load with the goal of being at 100% by the time my races come. It’s been a lot of balance board training, weights, a bit of running & swimming and making sure I recover well. I went twice to the snow for specific training , and in early January I’ll be off to Finland (World Cup), Spain (Worlds) & potentially Italy (test...
Hello friends, Today I was thinking about the training & racing that happened in Big White, Canada, prior to flying to Beijing for the Paralympics; then thought I would tell the story… My coach Mancha flew in from Portugal and we met in Canada. First days were laser focused for the races at hand (2), which in themselves were incredible. 1st race I got an unexpected 2nd place (!) —anything can happen on Snowboard Cross. That gave me so much confidence for...
My season is bit different, in a way that my races run mostly during the northern hemisphere winter. Even though I blogged every month, it’s worth mentioning that this was the most meaningful sports year / season of my life: I made it to the Paralympics!!! The amount of work that went into me making it to winter Paralympics in Beijing 2022 shouldn’t be overlooked, it took years of hard work, sweat and money. Racing around the world is not cheap. Equipment...
(Preface: My post in March simply vanished from the blog; I’m re-doing this since I haven’t shared my Beijing experience. ——————————————————“You only get one life, and I’m fortunate to still have mine.”We did it guys, I am officially a Paralympian:)))It was about 2 weeks of pure magic and fun moments lived in China. Of course, with the nerves & anxiety & expectations that come with racing as well —all expected. The training camp prior to the Games was crucial, and...
Hello fellas,I was thinking these past few weeks how I got where I am and how I’m grateful for everything I’ve done, and everyone that help me get here. My trajectory in snowboarding was much shorter than it had been in triathlon, but it was not by chance or out of nowhere. It took work to get there. Just as it took work to get where I got in triathlon, and one thing lead to the other. It takes passion....
Hello everyone, I’m here to share this experience that is up there as one of the highlights of my life. First, before the races started, we learned we wouldn’t be attending the Opening Ceremony (besides 4 people from our Federation) because of Covid concerns. We were all shattered, as we felt like that was one of our rights as athletes. But we moved on. Then we all raced, had an immense amount of fun, adrenalin, nerves, anxiety, all that comes with competing in...
Hello everyone, I’m sharing news from the training camp in Big White Ski Resort, BC, Canada. It was a dreamy stay. Even though I know the snow quality here gets better than what it was, for me was beyond amazing. I have not stayed these many days in the snow since I lived in CO in 2004. And my riding showed -I was getting better every day, noticeably improving my technique, much thanks to my Portuguese coach, Mancha. Eat, warm...
Greetings brothers & sisters! I surprised myself here in Big White Ski Resort, Canada. These were the last comps before the Paralympic Games, called Welcome to Paradise Para Snowboard World Cup. The plan was coming here for more racing experience & training. From my category I was least likely to podium, the other competitors were more seasoned & experienced. Still, in SBX (Snowboard Cross) anything can happen! I found myself in the finals heat; 2 guys got tangled on the start...
Dear readers, PossAbilities did it again! They got me two custom made boards for my upcoming Paralympic campaign:)) Some of you probably know that new board feeling, same as new bike for instance. New board new dreams! The difference is that these are race boards, specially designed for me, each one for the specific discipline of Boardercross (SBX) and Banked Slalom (BSL). They are stiffer than your regular snowboard. They have a longer sidecut radius, the nose and tail are more square and...
