Spotlight: Coach Jessie
We caught up with Coach Jessie in Kelowna to chat a little about what makes her move! Jessie is switching it up in her snowboarding style and mentality, a competitive Gymnastics and an air-time specialist who dedicates most days out to pure FUN!
Having been in the Canada BC Gymnastics Team, she knows a thing or two about fear and how to handle the pressure. Get inspired with her interview now!
Proud to have such cool members like Jessie as part of our Crew.
Why (and when) did you first choose your sport?
I started practising Gymnastics when I was about 4 years old, it was one of those ‘I saw it on TV’ scenarios, from then on I started doing cartwheels incessantly and was jumping off of everything in the living room! In all honesty, I get a little rosy in the cheeks saying I saw it on TV because if you know me well now, you’ll know I'm a strong believer in VERY minimal TV time!
For snowboarding, it wasn't until my later teenage years that I really dove into the sport. I look up to my brother a lot, so once he left playing hockey to start snowboarding then I pretty much followed suit.
What is it about the sport that brings you joy?
I love not having to think of anything else except the exact activity I am doing, it’s having that full focus for the task in hand and truly being in the given moment.
The physical and mental advancement, there is always something more to strive for, something new to try, people to meet or places to go. The feeling of grafting for something, even though sometimes it takes longer than you might have wanted, and then one day all of those pieces suddenly fitting together perfectly and you’re a step further in your abilities.
Glory feelings to me include dodging trees on a powder day (feel like a ninja), pow slashes, getting a new trick, watching your friends send it, seeing all ages from young to "old" participating in an activity that promotes confidence and ability. Having a full run of side hits and butterable terrain. No lift line. Having a mental breakthrough. Landing a full turn on the Beam during a comp. Doing flips. Feeling 110% in control of my body!
How important is it to you to achieve your sporting goals?
It’s really important! However, the most important goal is to actually have tons of fun through each and every stage of the sport; The learning curves, the hard times, the awesome times, the boring times. Recognizing that I do not have to do it for any other reason than for the FUN OF IT. It’s my choice, my tricks, my style. If I’m not achieving the goal of full fun, then.... Well, I haven't felt that yet!
What are the physical aspects of your sport that you do well in, and what do you want to work on?
Strength and flexibility can always be improved, a never-ending goal.
Trusting my abilities. Self-doubt can set in from time to time, so I want to get way more comfortable with being uncomfortable.
These days, I’m pretty good at keeping it positive and grateful to be able to utilize my body and my mind, whilst hanging out on this beautiful earth with some really groovy folks.
What fears did/do you have? And how do you help control those in order to progress?
Injuries, and the worst-case scenario at that. After many years of standing up top and waiting to drop in for a trick, or standing at the end of the beam thinking about what needs to be done, the very worst visual of all the things that could go wrong would pop into my head. Once upon a time, I would have run from it, trying to quickly get it out of my head and pretend as I’d never seen it. However, I’ve since learnt to truly look at these straight on, and instead walk through the steps of why this is popping into my head - whether that’s catching an edge or clipping a rail. In doing so, I can then also walk myself through the RIGHT way by taking necessary mental moments to turn that fear into a learning experience.
Lastly, PREhabilitation- and REhabilitation. Set yourself up for success physically as well, prep your body so it is capable.
Can you give a piece of advice either that you’ve been given by someone else or that you would give to others when starting out or progressing in their sporting journey?
You're not nervous, you're excited
You Can
Think for yourself
Fighting hurts even if you win
Do it switch
You are, I am, it is
Lastly, what was it like to compete in the BC gymnastics team?
Wooo that’s a lonnnnggg timmmee ago! Sports in general were different back then, how it was thought to develop athletes has proven to be an absolutely abstract approach to mental and physical growth. Everything in gymnastics is very make it or break it so it felt good to be on the side of making it, although once I got to the Canadian Open with the team, I had a fall on the Beam that took me from 1st to 4th place and that just about sums up the sport of gymnastics! It gives you reasons over and over and over to try harder, push yourself, and be better.
