There have only been a few blue skied days since we arrived a little over a week ago here in Shun Yi, so I'll celebrate them as they come and go, and hope for more during our regatta next week. There really is nothing to complain about out here, training is going well, and living outside of the village certainly has its pros, some cons too... but I try not to worry about them.
Speaking of the Olympic Village I had a wander into Beijing yesterday after training to meet with Right to Play, the athlete-driven humanitarian organization of which I am a huge fan and supporter, and Lenovo, one of my sponsors, and one of the biggest Olympic sponsors worldwide. Lenovo is generously sponsoring Right to Play's online memorabilia auction, where some one of a kind Olympic items donated by athletes get auctioned off 100% in support of Right to Play. If you're unfamiliar with what Right to Play does, and are interested, please check out their site. I donated two packages; the first is an opening ceremony package with the shirt and hat I wore while carrying the flag, as well as the sash which held the flag when I wasn't waving it frantically. The sash is signed by all the Canadian athletes that marched into the Bird's Nest Stadium that day, which makes it totally one-of-a-kind. The second package is an experiential one, kayaking lessons with me, including a boat anyone can enjoy for keeps, which can be custom designed by the one most generous bidder who wins! Check out the auction!
In concentrating on my upcoming races and prep, I've declined every chance to comment on what people are referring to as disappointing results from the Canadian Team thus far. In keeping with that, I will only say that if one looks beyond medal counts and Phelpsian standards of success, you'll see a lot of incredibly talented young Canadians who deserve your support and gratitude for trying their absolute best.
We've seen some awesome results; one just needs to educate themselves a little on the circumstances of the competition. My friend Mike Brown from Perth, 200m breaststroker, broke his Canadian records repeatedly to finish 4th yesterday in his final; he was 6th in Athens, and while 4th is always a difficult place to finish, I'm proud of him, and I look up to his performance, and view his effort as one of the best a Canadian swimmer has ever put forth. The men's 4x200m freestyle relay is another example; they finished an awesome 5th with a big Canadian record, and Brent Hayden swimming one of the fastest 200m out of the whole field. A new Canadian record, a personal best or a top 8 performance represents a huge accomplishment, and unless you're top three in the world at sitting on your couch complaining about Canadian performances, I'd recommend you consider where you're coming from before telling someone who's top eight in the world at what they do, that they are a big disappointment.
To quote my good friend Sherraine Schalm, who lost her fencing match on Wednesday to the woman who later won the bronze, "For all the journalists who print, 'Canada stinks, we're not doing anything right,' there's a hundred thousand Canadians who are like: 'We're just so proud of you... Those are the voices I'm choosing to listen to." Same here Sherraine, and congrats!
See you on the water.
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Tuesday, September 23, 2008 
A few months ago I was fortunate enough to acquire a lease to some land in Algonquin Park, Ontario. The site was totally overgrown, and the old spruce log cabin is unfortunately way beyond repair. I've spent the last 8 days up there in the woods working away to make the place enjoyable. With the help of a whole bunch of my friends the place has seen some great progress, thanks to all my friends that have leant a hand... but don't go anywhere, it's only just begun. The project of turning Stan Greben's 60 year old log cabin into the "Lagom Lodge" I know it can be one day, has only just gotten under way... (above: Jamie, Corey, Ian, Mark Tiera, Andreas, Gab Adam and Me... missing work crew members include Kyle, Anders, Luke and Joe, Mathieu, and of course the visionary - Don)
The Olympics are really tough, they've got to be. Olympic medals are not boyscout badges or participation ribbons, they're Olympic medals. I cherish mine with pride and distinction as a representation that I work really hard, believe in myself, and love and respect my sport above all else. Sharing the podium with guys like Tim Brabants, Ken Wallace and Eirik Veras Larsen is an honour, and a privilege... all of us are Olympic Champions, and we're great friends. Per Aquas ad Fraternatum indeed, gentlemen!
