«Tes

der to be lofty goals for the future,
but teens say they can make it, What do you
think it lakes to he successful in fife? What
does being successful migan tu you?

it will take hard

ere.

Work and spirit .,
to be successful

WHAT DOES it take to

_ become a successful athlete

in the 90s?

You always hear people on TV

talking about the years of hard work :

and dedication that athletes put in to
reach their goals. How-ever, most
people don’t really realize how
much hard work it really takes.

Let’s take ski racing, for exam-
ple. 1am a 16-year-old racer who
puts in four days of on-snow train-
ing and two days of weights, cardio-
vascular, and agility training per
week,

Most people think that when I go

away, I’m going ona holiday. Well,

if your idea of a holiday is getting
up at 6 a.m., running before break-
fast, skiing all day in -1° to

".50° weather, and then doing an
hour of dry land training and ski
preparation before getting to go to
bed, I’m glad I don’t go on holidays
* with you!

This is the routine on road trips,
sometimes for.10 days straight. | am
also a Grade 11 student with grades
to keep up.

Strength, agility and training are

. not the only things that make a racer

a winner. The mental preparation
and focus must be there on race
day, or everything feels a little out

- Of syne,

‘Being focused is probably the
hardest aspect of ski racing. There
‘are so many distractions that can
break your concentration.

My goals for this season are to

= make the B.C. provincial ski team, ©

and to get my points under 60 in
Giant Slalom and Slalom. Goals are

,, what I base my progress on and

shoot for. As a final result of all the
hard work, I want to be the best.

- T suppose there is nothing like
winning a gold medal and standing
on the podium knowing that you
were the fastest and the best. { also
know the overwhelming feeling of
disappointment, the discouragement
of having a great run and then just
before the finish line, catching a tip

and crashing,

Not only do I feel I let myself
down, but then I have to call home
and tell my parents that they spent
hundreds of dollars to send me toa
race that I didn’t finish. I feel
incredibly lousy.

I also get these feelings when |
know that I could be skiing better,
faster, and with more confidence,
but it’s just not happening.

These are the hard days when I
know I’m not performing to the
level I could and should. In the
game of ski racing, if you are not
competitive with the fastest skiers,
you change your style or retire.

The one thing that keeps me
going is that when everything
comes together and I start racing
clean, fast turns, it makes all the
training, the hard work and the dis-
appointments worth it.

A cling to my life-long dream of
racing for Canada in the Olympic
Winter Games and realize that there
will be pain, hardship, and disap-
pointment on the road to success.

Jared Lay is a 16-year-old
Grade 1] student at Argyle sec-
ondary. school. Besides being into
ski racing and hoping to ski at
World Cup level, he is into other.
Sports, cars, and wants to travel to
Europe. :

Ph VAL, IM
AWING You THE
FINKLE ACCOUNT |
TO WORK. ON.

SO HELEN HAS
STOPPED PRESSURING
YOU ABOUT MARRIAGE ?

| wae. sorr of

WE WILL PAY TOP DOLLAR FOR our

NP OF

IS THAT? THIS (SAN |
A EXCITING ACCOUNT. J

hor
VERBALLY,
BUT IT's
IMPLIED,

Does SHE
EVER TALK
ABouT ir?

You Know...

How? CERTAIN “THINGS

SHE GOES AND
DOESN'T Do.

© Val Costantino

PREVIOUSLY PLAYED GAME CARTRIDGES!”

* Parsons under the age of 16 will be required to have parental/guardian authorization.

SUPER NMNEND). GAME BOY

TWO
MEDICM PIZZAS

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sauce, ham & pineapple

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sauce, pepperoni &
mushrooms

: pickup
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«@ Good until Aprit 30, 1994
Not valid with any other
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ee Ree Re ee |

* Good until April 30, 1994
Not vatid with any other .
promotions or specials on any 2 for } medrurn

pizza order from req. menu

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