The theme this month, in which Fast and Female is celebrating our 10th birthday, is "Fearless". Fast and Female has fearlessly expanded all over the world and boasts a roster of 125 athletes that do every sport from sailing to snowboarding. Every single one of them has trained their ability to conquer fear. Here’s how they do it:
1. Sometimes talking to someone about your fear can drain it of its power over you.
– Claire Carver-Dais, synchronized swimming, Oakville, Ontario
2. No matter how scary an obstacle looks when I’m on my bike, I know I will feel amazing if I find the guts to do it. Thinking about that feeling is a big motivator!
3. I visualize myself doing it (whatever I’m afraid of) successfully! I repeatedly practice executing the skill in my head, and soon enough I feel ready to conquer it with my body.
- Haley Smith, Mountain Biker, Uxbridge, Ontario
4. I conquer fears by thinking: what are the opportunities in fear?
5. My favorite saying, “Never fear failure, fear not having the opportunity to fail!”
- Kristina Ejem, Boxer, Toronto, Ontario
My advice? I treat the feeling of fear as a signal to my body and brain to get ready. I breathe in on a count of 8 and out on a count of 8 to calm down. I sing my favorite song in my head to stay loose and happy, and then I stare down the trail to clear my mind. I get ready because fear always precedes an act of guts and greatness.
Have a fun and fearless month, my friends!
Kikkan's Fast & Female USA Update
Greetings from the Far North in Alaska! We’ve just wrapped up a successful month with some exciting US events and our first snow has just hit the ground! Now that we’re transitioning into a new season, it’s a great time to dream up a few fun adventures to get us pumped for staying active and fit!
Some of my favorite winter adventures include gathering together some friends and tackling a new challenge. This might be trying to conquer a burly hill on your snow bike or bombing down an intimidating hill on your skis. Your challenge could be indoors too, like trying to break your pull-up PR.
Whatever challenge you tackle, the feeling of exhilaration you get from putting yourself to the test is always such an amazing reward for stepping outside your comfort zone.
This month at Fast and Female we are celebrating being fearless in all things we do. So look for fun opportunities to celebrate your confidence. Go out and tackle this awesome winter season! Be sure to share your adventures with us on Facebook!
Enjoying a ski adventure with a good buddy, Chandra!
Hope to see you out on the trails!
Cheers, Kikkan J
Having a blast on skis wearing costumes!
Thank You Park City Utah!
We built a sisterhood, empowered 200+ girls through sport, and surrounded them with positive female role models! Thanks to the Guylay family for creating this powerful video!
Thank You Calgary Alberta!
Thank you all for joining us at Winsport for an adrenaline pumping day of empowering girls through sport! 200+ young female participants, 50+ parents and coaches, 30+ Fast and Female Ambassadors, 5 Fitness Instructors, 5 Expert Speakers, 15+ Volunteers! We will see you all next year!
Fast & Female's 10th Anniversary Fundraiser
- Presented by Jupiter Resources -
This summer I explained to our new Calgary-based sponsor, Jupiter Resources, that I would really love to have a fundraiser for our 10th anniversary of F&F, BUT with my wedding, 2 Fast and Female full-day Summit events, school, and new job at the bank I didn't have time to organize it.
The staff at Jupiter stepped up to the plate to organize and I told them the goal would be to fundraise $5000. "We're going to blow that number out of the water," said Jupiter's Office Manager Tracy McNulty to her staff, after I'd left.
Jupiter Resources gave their time and energy for months and did exactly that. With ticket sales, the silent auction and merchandise sales we raised $31,000 and had no costs! This much-needed injection will go towards increasing Fast and Female's event coordination capacity as we continue to have more demand than we have woman-power to create more events. So exciting!
Their VP Patrick Elliott, brought his classy band The Rythym Barons which immediately took the vibe to the next level. Engineer and super-friend of F&F Chad Holowatuk found a venue (Local 522 downtown), 40 silent auction items and more sponsors for the party to cover the food costs. Blakes law firm and Horizon Drilling came through with generous contributions. CEO Simon Bregazzi got free beer from the Village Brewery.
Fast and Female staff M&H Thibeault and Alyson Coleman worked super hard on the event, Sara Fotheringham was a key volunteer. My Dad Glen shot testimonials at Sunday's Summit event, edited a ton and 48 hours later showed our guests exactly the difference their donations make to our participants and their families. My Mom Louise volunteered to run the merch table, as she has done for 6 years now and sent many people home with new Buffs, LL Bean T Shirts, Lululemon hoodies, and Skida hats.
Jupiter invited all the other companies they work with, the networking was fantastic! The event was sold out at 185 guests.
We greatly appreciate our F&F Ambassadors who joined us for an evening of celebration and fundraising!
Back row: Jess O'Connell (5000m runner), Erin Yungblut (biathlon), Maria Samson (rugby), Emma Lunder (biathlon), Rosanna Crawford (biathlon), Danielle Wotherspoon (speed skating). Front row: Jessica Furlan (steeplechase), Chandra Crawford (xc skiing), Stephanie Vetch (friend and participant in the first ever F&F event back in 2005. She's wearing the first ever T Shirt!).
FAST AND FEMALE EVENT RECAP
October 4 - Champ Chat - Multisport
(Park City, UT, U.S.A) Photo Credit: Sarah Brunson & Jeff Guylay Event Photos >>
Support Canadian Female Athletes On Their Way to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea!
Purchase a team calendar and help the Canadian Alpine Women's Ski Team raise money to attend the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Visit http://www.canadianalpinewomen.blogspot.ca/for details.
8 Healthy Ice Cream Recipes You Have to Try!
Sale Season!!! Everyone at BUFF® Canada is super excited for the beginning of the December Sales! From Original BUFF® to Knitted Neckwarmer BUFF® there is a style and colour to suit everyone this Christmas – from your dad to your dog – BUFF® have got you covered! Go to buyabuff.com to see all our sales items!
