This Sunday, Jenn Heil and teammate Alexandre Bilodeau are guests on Radio-Canada's ''Tout le monde en parle'' tv show. Tune in this Sunday, March 22 at 8 p.m. For more info, visit
http://www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/tout_le_monde_en_parle/saison5/ (available in French only).
It seems our culinary adventure did not end in Japan. Upon our arrival in France we spent the last couple of days enjoying the Lyonnaise cuisine. I have very hospitable cousins in Lyon, France. We spent the last two days recuperating from our jet lag by eating all afternoon and evening. We are now headed to the ski hill with the cleanest and nicest smelling clothes we have had in months thanks to Evelyn!
This Wednesday is the last World Cup Race of the year in La Plagne, France.
Cheers,
Jenn
P.S. This is me sitting in a Roman amphitheater constructed in 15 B.C.
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When we arrived at the Inawashiro ski resort I questioned whether there would be a race at all. There was absolutely no snow in sight. After spotting the competition site I realized how much work the Japanese organizing committee had gone through to truck in enough snow to cover the mogul course.
The Japanese media and fans came out in huge numbers to support us. There were over 300 accredited Japanese media and 7,000 fans who cheered us on for the mogul event. Neither the media nor the fans left disappointed as Aiko Umuera from Japan won both the single and dual moguls events. She skied really great both competitions. I finished second in the single moguls. Overall I was happy with my performance. The main difference that separated Aiko and I was the speed. I am looking forward to really focusing on this aspect in my training this summer.
After the event my coach Dominick and I traveled to the region of Toyama to coach thirty young up-and-coming Japanese mogul skiers. I shared with them my Olympic experience and how I prepare both on and off the hill to perform to my best. Of course I didn’t speak about all of this in Japanese! We had translators who worked very hard all weekend. At the end of the camp many of the young skiers shared how they had new goals and a new focus for their training and next season’s competitions.
But the real adventures of the two weeks in Japan took place in the restaurant and not on the ski hill. In Toyama, live octopus and other questionable sea creatures appeared on the plates in front of us. We squirmed like the octopus as we closed our eyes and chewed quickly to the thunderous approval of our Japanese hosts.
Judging by the cheers both on and off the ski hill you could say the trip was a success!
Cheers,
Jenn
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I couldn’t wait for my plane to touch down in Tokyo. Japan has always been one of my favorite stops on the World Cup Tour. I find the Japanese people so kind and welcoming. It is so much fun to navigate through a spoken and written language that I unfortunately don’t understand. Doing simple things like taking the subway becomes an adventure when you can’t read your ticket or the subway signs. The technique of holding out my ticket and asking someone to point me in the right direction seems to work every time.
We arrived a couple of days early to get over our jet lag. Between naps and sipping coffee to stay awake we visited Yokohama City. The first day we took the subway to Japan’s largest Chinatown where we stopped for lunch. It was a beautiful day and many people were eating outside including the couple in the photo below with their dog. From there we wandered to the harbor and watched a street performer entertain the crowd. We walked all along the sea wall and stumbled upon a miniature car race. Despite the tiny engines these cars reached incredibly high speeds as they raced around the track steered by remote controls.
The following day I indulged in a little shopping. The choices and styles in stores were endless. I even had time to enjoy a traditional Japanese spa before catching the train to the competition site. I soaked in natural spring water, herbal steam rooms, and a salt sauna. My trip in Yokohama left me refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to go for the World Championships this weekend.
Cheers,
Jenn
(click on the image to enlarge)