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Thomas's Road ReportMarch 16/09 It is with a heavy heart that once again I have decided to step away from the great sport of alpine skiing. I am truly an addict and although I know that the withdrawal will once again be a challenge I have realized that it is the best thing for my family and myself. I came back because I felt the pull of the Olympics and to attempt some things I wasn’t able to on the first go around, a slalom win and an Olympic medal. I started late, I changed ski brands and I set the stage for a disappointing performance. I should have known but inside I have always believed that I could, a positive attitude is the most important athletic ingredient. The second most important is preparation and that was what I was short on. When I look forward to next season I ask myself 2 questions, one do I believe I can? Of course the answer is yes, the second is what will it take? The answer to this one is 100% all in, 100% commitment, 100% attendance at all camps, 100% motivation to follow through on the above. This is the question that I cannot answer affirmatively therefore I cannot go forward. I have been to 4 Olympics, now it is time for the younger athletes on our team to have their opportunity. For me there is a new priority, my family, it’s that simple. My last few days were spent at home with my wife and daughter and watching my daughter experience skiing for the first time. This experience really made me realize that my time as an athlete is over. I now have a greater purpose and that is to be a father and a husband. My wife will continue her journey to Vancouver 2010 and I will be there to support her and take care of our daughter. I want to thank the people and sponsors that cheered and supported me, I will miss you and I will miss crossing the finish and seeing number 1. There are lots of things I will miss, ski racing is amazing, I gave it a great run and I have no regrets. Not unlike my daughter’s first day of skiing, I hate taking my skis off. Dec.24/08 My first points Well it’s funny to think that I am things have come full circle and a successful day for me now is having a second run the same as it was when I started my World Cup career. Let’s hope that the progression from qualification to contender will be quicker than it was the first time around! After 3 disappointing GS’s in a row I knew my best shot was in slalom but I am not going to lie my confidence was definitely starting to slide. I managed to ski a solid first run in Alta Badia, nothing special but since I am hanging to a decent start number it was enough for me to squeak through to the second run. I could barely watch the last few starters of the first run for fear that they would knock me out of the top 30 and send me packing. When the last of them came down I let out a sigh of relief and went straight up to do my inspection. My second run was solid again, I skied the middle part well and was pleased to see I was 3rd in that section on the run. This to me is a great sign, I know if I can ski part of the run fast then I am capable of skiing 2 fast runs. It will only be a question of more race experience and execution. As for now I am in Trieste at my grandma’s place celebrating Christmas. I have Aria my daughter with me;she is a blast but certainly a handful. I will bring her with me to the next training camp in Kirchberg before she goes home with mom when she has finished the Tour de Ski. That’s all for now, merry Christmas to all. Thomas Dec.11/08 OK, You are right it is time to update my blog. Not something that is on the top of my mind after a disappointing result. However I guess when I agreed to do this it did mean I would write good or bad. Well the season is still young and it has become clear that my comeback will be even more of a challenge than I expected. Never have I been one to examine the points and the rules too closely, so it was more than a bit surprising to get my bib in Beaver Creek….65. Ouch, when I retired I was in the top 15 in both disciplines, now I am racing with the kids in the back, and they are hungry. My race in Beaver Creek was eye opening, where as in slalom I was competitive in Levi even though I didn’t qualify, in Beaver Creek I was well off the pace. So here I am at the Europa Cups, demoted, I need to work my way back up. This is my new reality, I am enjoying it, challenge, bring it on. My teammate Brad Spence who endured a terribly broken leg and it is now coming back strong after 2 and half years of rehab said it well “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Those are words for me to live by at the moment, I need to be patient, believe in myself and keep working. Nov. 17/08 The first one is done. A week ago I sat at home pondering my strategy entering the season. Was I ready for Levi? If I didn’t go how would it implicate my start number? It was a big trip for one race, and it would cut into my November home preparation period. November has traditionally been our time to take advantage of home snows and our fantastic preseason training. However the decision was made it was time to get in the game and head for Finland. Arriving in Finland it became clear it would be a challenging week. We were greeted with rain, gray skies and soft wet snow, the first couple of days didn’t allow us to set one gate, but soon the weather turned cold, the snow got hard and confidence built. A great session with the Swiss brought me one step closer to my goal of the trip, which was to show myself that I was in the game. Race day brought perfect conditions, I was super excited to be back in the start, I felt relaxed and comfortable. I skied well, just not quite fast enough, finishing 41st in an extremely tight race only 1.86 behind the leader. It was a little taste of bad medicine however an important step in my comeback. What is clear is that the field is deep and hungry. Strategy no longer has a place in slalom and it is all about putting it down the hill and keeping it there. Now that I know the rules I am excited to ramp up the intensity and have another shot in Beaver Creek. It was great to have the first race out of the way for many reasons. One big one is that hopefully soon most everyone will know, that yes I am here to race! Oct.3/08 I am Back, Yes I am back. Earlier this summer, Canada day to be exact I decided and then announced my return to competitive ski racing. I spent one season with Alberta Alpine as their president. Wow. Talk about jumping in with both feet. Drinking from a fire hose is one way I could describe it, so much to learn in such a short time. Many of my ideas came to fruition and it was an incredible learning and confidence building experience. I managed to prove to myself that I was capable of more than just ski racing and that I would be able to successfully land and keep a job post athletics. That same lesson gave me the freedom to return to ski racing.  It wasn't all hard work, a day at least year's office! My return to ski racing is not open ended, it has a very well defined window, now until Vancouver 2010. It means 16 months of focus, desire and drive to accomplish my goal of Olympic games #5 and another opportunity to be prepared for the big event. I feel like I am the under dog now and I like it.  My new training partner! I am being coached by Helmut Spiegel, who I have known since my provincial team days. He was the head coach of the BC team while I was on the Alberta Team. When I started to plan my comeback I knew I would need more flexibility in my program then typically and understandably offered by the National team. Having a family and a wife who is also skiing competitively requires some creative and flexible scheduling in order to make it all work. Helmut and I have very similar views of ski racing and of life in general. It has created a great environment in which we can work well together, he has such positive energy that is helping me lift my belief and determination in my quest for Vancouver 2010.  Coaching from the zen master.... Tomorrow I’ll go back up to Farnham, the weather forecast is perfect and it should be a great 3 days of training. Ryan Semple has joined us for this block of training, it will be good to have a training partner. On Oct.12th I’ll fly to Europe to rejoin Dusan and the rest of the team. The first race of the season is the traditional stop on the glacier, I will have to earn my place back on the team and I relish this challenge and opportunity.  Family Fun! Sara, Aria and Maiko are in Mammoth Lakes California for high altitude training. It is a little unsettling knowing that Aria will be getting the same high altitude performance bonuses as Sara. I guess when they get home and Aria bolts for the river I’ll have to remember to get on my bike to chase her down. They are both doing great, Sara is an amazing athlete and an even better mother. That’s all for now and I do promise I’ll try to keep my site updated more than once every couple of years. Thomas Sept 27/08  Are you concerned about climate change and want to send a message for change? We need 350 cyclists’to join us on October 4 for a bike ride that can make a difference. Why 350: 350 is the most important number in the survival of our planet. 350 parts per million (ppm) of Carbon Dioxide is the safe line for our global climate. Currently, we are at 387 ppm and we need to inspire Canadians to act. For more info check out 350.org. Who: You and your friends. What: The bike ride will start at the Bison Courtyard in Banff and continue around the Minnewanka loop. This ride is not a race. The ride is approximately 20 km long and reasonable fitness and bike handling skills are required. Proper helmets and highway safety rules apply. Ride at your own risk. When: Saturday Oct 4th. 10:00 am. Where: The ride will start and finish at The Bison Courtyard, 211 Bear Street, Banff. For Canmorites: Cyclists who wish to bike from Canmore to join the official 350 ride in Banff must use extreme caution on the TransCanada highway. Canmore cyclists will meet at 8:30 am at the Canmore Civic Center to bike to the Bison Courtyard. May 22/07 It's official, I am officially a dad and unemployed. Yeehaa! It was with mixed emotions that I announced I was retiring. Mixed because I am leaving a team that is so strong and fun to be around. However, the time is right and there is no doubt in my heart that I am ready to move on. The arrival of Aria has brought a new priority and perspective to my life. I have given everything to my sport and have recieved so much in return! I'd like to thank my family, coaches, friends and sponsors for all the support over the years. It has been a blast and I would do it all over again in a second. Sport certainly is an awesome way to make a living!  (Clothe diapers! Not as bad as you think!)  (Bath time at the Cabin with grandparentals) So now it's time to bring you up to date on the next chapter of my life and more importantly our life as a family. As I am writing I am already at Sara's 2nd training camp in Silver Star. The 1st one was at Mt. Assiniboine lodge and it was fantastic. We had Grandma babysitting which meant I was quite free to chop wood and ski tour with Andre. Sara started her training again and is feeling quite good. Here in Silver Star we didn't bring Grandma, but that's ok because Aria comes along for training sessions. We have a great Chariot with ski and bike attachments. She loves riding along and pops is getting the best workouts ever! Mom is feeling fitter by the day!  (New dads, Andrew and I in Vernon)  (Pops and his little sweet heart) Next we are off to Vancouver to visit Astrid and gang and then to Tofino for a beach break. So far life is great. It does pose new challenges but is it ever worth it.  (What a Cutiee!) March/07 Well it's been a whirl wind season! It hasn't been easy juggling a skiing carreer, a brand new baby, and a stubborn injury. However it has been an amazing experience. The last couple of weeks were amazing with Sara and Aria joining me on the road. The 'little mouse fart' as Nat affectionately calls Aria is a little sweet heart. She was awesome to have around, she slept well (except on night before the final's GS, ooops!), she loved to travel and likes the boob even more. 6 countries in 6 weeks, must be some kind of record!  The racing hasn't been great, there have been moments of brilliance but far too few to put together a great race. My finishes have been consistently in the teens, not exactly where I like to finish. My injury, a torn calf muscle from earlier in the season feels great now, but missing almost the whole month of January didn't really help my cause. I feel like the fire inside is starting to flicker and with the arrival of Aria it may be time to move on......  My young team seems to have arrived and I am sure they will be all right with out me. I feel like I have helped them rise faster and given them some direction when they needed it. My goal was always to leave a strong team behind when I left, I think the mission has been accomplished. As far as my carreer is concerned, I am satisfied and proud of what I have done. I knew all along I had an amazing opportunity to become the first Canadian to win a tech event. When I did it in '04 I knew that no matter what, my career had been a success. The podiums that followed were icing on the cake.  My 11 Canadian titles will surely be challenged but difficult to beat since the competition on our team is so tough right now.One more nationals to go and and then, well I won't hang them up because I love to ski. But I won't be showing up for training camp, yeah that's a relief. I can't wait to spend time with my family, relax a little and maybe start a new challenge.  Feb.3/07 Our Website, is ready, hallelulja! It hasn’t been easy to organize, ourselves (hopeless computer dweebs) with the computer nerds that be. The communicaion channels become heavily damaged when html and flash are the things they are talking about and moving this picture here and those mountains there is what we want. However the project is now complete and we are thrilled with the end product. Flash or not, www here we come! Just the way we envisioned it, simply cool! Up to this point I was planning to have written more than a few updates but since I have been delayed I’ll have to bring you up to speed in one poorly written giant entry that takes you from August in Argentina all the way to the end of January, which is now. Right now, I am sitting in our little cabin, at the end of January you ask? What the hell I am doing relaxing in my cabin when there is a World Cup to conquer in Kitzbuhl? Well I’ll get to that, come with me on our latest adventures. Our camp In Argentina started middle of August, we were introduced to our new coach, Mika Gustaffson. I have known Mika for years as he coached both the Norwegians including Kjus and Aamodt and the Swedes (Mika is Swedish). We had paired off against each other numerous times on the hockey rinks across Europe! He was quite good…. For a Swede! Mika is a great new addition to our team, Scandinavians are by the far most similar to Canadians than any Europeans. He quickly became one of the group and we bonded in those days in Ushaii, which is the further most Southerly city in the World! The skiing was average but the team spirit was awesome. We talked often about our image and who we were as a team. 007 is who Mika liked to compare us to. We never give up, ever even if we are sunk and 10 bad guys are shooting at us. We are professionals who work hard chasing our dream, but we have fun doing it and never miss a party although we never get drunk. Mika is a character, and he has passion for skiing.   In Portillo we joined the speed team and we ourselves morphed into speed skiers. We skiid several days of DH and started slow and built up the speed until we were gunning it in a discipline we didn’t think we were capable of skiing. Hilited by Stutz’s Sturz, when he attempted an accidental front flip off of the biggest downhill jump I have ever been off! Incredibly he was skiing the next day but is still feeling the effects to this day. From time to time I see him sucking his thumb!   Next we returned home and to a momentus camp. We actually skiid a camp in Canada! Camp Green at Farnham Glacier was a project undertaken by CODA and Alpine Canada. The end product was a tent camp, all be it a deluxe tent camp perched in a remote valley, 60 clicks from Invermere BC. The skiing was fantastic, without a lift we used snow cats to get us up to the top of the mountain. We were lucky with the weather and snow conditions and we had one of the best camps of my carreer. After skiing one day we built a huge innukshuk that will represent our teams push to the 2010 olympics! I hope it hasn’t blown over!     Mike and I managed 7th and 8th and Biggs was 18th, it was a successful start to the season. The Canucka debuted, The Canucka is a plastic cowboy hat that is given to the racer that best represents the qualities of the Canucka, our version of the All Black’s Hacka and in ours we promise to ski with fire and no regrets.   Hold the presses! This stuff is not so important any more! We just had a baby. Yes, a baby girl named Aria, born on Feb.1/07. She is sooooo cute! Mommy's doing great. Aria she is all consuming. Oh, gotta go, diapers to change. I guess the remainder of the update will come later.  |
Official website for Sara Renner and Thomas Grandi
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Quick Link :: Make sure to check our latest adventures