​Olympian from Lucknow greets KDSS students virtually

A number of classes at Ecole Kincardine District Senior School had the privilege of hearing from Canadian Olympian Julie-Anne Staehli, during a virtual call, Thursday, Oct. 7.

A native of Lucknow, Staehli competed in the 5,000-metre race at Tokyo 2020.

She spoke about her journey to Tokyo, Japan, as well as her experiences while there, and the importance of a positive mind-set. Students also had the opportunity to ask questions.



One student asked what motivates Staehli and were there times when she felt like giving up?

“There are days when I don’t feel like running,” she said, “like when it might be cold, dark or rainy, but I push through.”

Joining the professional New Balance team in Boston brings back the team atmosphere of training she had in university, which helps with motivation. As well, having her goals in mind gets her through the harder days as she looks forward to racing.

Another question was what age did she decide to seriously focus on running?

“I have always done multiple sports,” said Staehli, “but it wasn't until university when I focused strictly on running. I had a background in soccer, swimming, snowboarding and triathlon, but slowly specialized into distance running.”

A student asked how she mentally prepared for Tokyo?

“I tried to take advantage of every opportunity I was given, and felt that I had nothing to lose by giving it all I had,” she said. “You can't control things like weather or other people's performances, so you should focus on doing everything you can to be your absolute best.”
 
Another question was what a typical week looks like for Staehli.

“Since joining a pro-training group, I run seven days a week, sometimes twice a day,” she said. “Each week consists of two work-outs, a long run, and three weightlifting sessions. In between practice, my time is spent recovering by refuelling, sleeping and getting therapy, such as chiropractic, massage and physiotherapy.”

The students and staff thanked Staehli for sharing her story with KDSS!