After graduation in May, I flew home for a day and then went straight to Yellowknife for an exhibition tournament with Nikki Todd, Melina Turk, and Jackie Moss. We were warmly welcomed with some of Kelli Hinchey’s delicious cookies and hot tubbing at the club. Between our matches and training sessions, we enjoyed what Yellowknife has to offer: we went on a private plane ride, did a polar plunge (beside a huge block of ice- it was cold!), then canoed, fished, and picnicked. Overall it was a great week and a fun tournament. I cannot thank everyone who put on the event enough- it was fantastic!
Two weeks later, after getting myself organized and creating a training schedule, I flew to Windsor for a couple days of training and an exhibition against Micaala Seth, then drove up to Ottawa with Nikki Todd, Sam Cornett, Hollie Naughton and Greame Williams for the pre Pan Ams training camp. After the exhibition in Windsor we had a very long car ride up to Ottawa. While an 8 hour drive might not sound fun, we had a great time and even went on an African Lion Safari (who knew you could have an African Safari in Ontario).
Once we arrived in Ottawa the camp began and we got down to business! In the mornings we focused on singles- particularly game play and winning big points. Unlike our morning sessions that had rhyme and reason, in the afternoon we tried to learn the ins and outs of softball doubles with the help of Heather Wallace. At first our rallies were complete chaos, but after a couple days we started to get the hang of the game. While we had lots of down time during the day, I spent most of it at the gym lifting, and doing cardio and movement. It was a great way to clear my mind and keep my physical program going. At night we enjoyed some delicious food (including my first ever Beaver Tail!), played washers, and hung out.
Now that that camp is finished and I’ve been in Calgary for over a month, I am training hard on and off court. For my fitness, I have been working closely with my trainer Richard Gibney. Even though it’s only been a month, I notice a huge difference and am feeling stronger and faster! Squash wise, I am hitting with my brother Dave (who fortunately agreed to coach me), another coach, and many players around the city. Lately I’ve been working on moving more efficiently, high volleys, and my short game. Luckily I have six weeks until my first event so I have lots of time to groove everything.
However, I am VERY excited to start playing WSA events. My first two are back to back in Australia. The first is the City of Greater Bendigo International 2015 in Melbourne, and the second is New South Wales Open 2015 in Sydney. Looking forward to the competition!
Danielle Letourneau 