We Made It To Pyeongchang Korea
Here’s the thing about adventures—they rarely go exactly as planned.
I’m a real estate agent, which means I usually have a flexible schedule and can work remotely. Selina is a full time nurse and her schedule is set and not always flexible. But this was my first competition, and I wanted us to experience it together. So, after she finished her last shift that week, we headed straight for the airport…on a red-eye flight. Korea, here we come frantic and slightly delirious.
We landed in Korea in the early hours of the morning, bleary-eyed and waiting for our rental car. Have you ever rented a car in Korea? They’re incredibly nice, but…they don’t open until 9 AM. And when they do, they try to help several customers at once before giving everyone all the instructions as a group. Long story short, we were jet-lagged, hungry, and anxious to get to Pyeongchang. We were supposed to arrive by 10 AM…only to arrive at 3 PM.
On the bright side, Korean gas station travel stops are amazing. I mean, amazing! Snack bars, coffee, fresh food—you feel like royalty fueling up for the journey. Selina and I felt like royalty on our way to our destination, which definitely softened the pain of the delays in our travels.
Finally, we made it to the Pyeongchang Alpensia Ski Stadium. Where I got to meet the guys from the Morong Nordic Ski Club for the first time—my coaches Carl and Lennard—and they immediately got me on the asphalt to skate, gave me advice, and generally coached me up.
And then…while I was putting on my skis, one of my fellow Filipino teammates took a nasty fall down the big hill. Roller ski road rash is no joke, and as I looked around, I started noticing other skiers with scrapes on their thighs and arms. Most of them were wearing nothing but spandex shorts and tops, basically zero protection. Suddenly, the graceful-looking sport I’d been learning on YouTube felt a lot more intimidating, and I had a few misgivings about what I’d gotten myself into.
I was then curious and asked, What Big Hill? As I looked across, I gazed up at the size of a hill that I have never dared to go down. I had no idea I would face a hill like that. To make matters worse, there was a slight S shaped turn and another short down hill following the Big Hill. Coach Lennard and I derived a plan to try going down the hill. I would try it at 40% part of the down hill, then 60%, 80% and then to 100% to the top. I skated up the hill going against traffic and other skiers going down. I clicked in my skis held my body and legs tight and went down the hill. Now it was time to do it again at 60%. Keep in mind I have not built my endurance levels yet. I turned around exhausted from going up hill. I screamed at Lennard "I'm just going to go to the top". I did not want to climb that hill two more times. I got to the top, screamed "Here I come!" tucked my legs tight, crouched down into a chair position and tucked my arms and head low for aerodynamics. I was FLYING, I was scared! I was imagining myself eating crap, but I just focused on holding tight to my balance, completing that S turn and cruising across. As I hit the first part of the S turn one of my skis lifted up and I balance on my opposite foot until I could equalize my balance on both skis again. I got both skis on the ground and held it together, stayed on my feet!
Coach Lennard let me know. He said, "You almost lost it, but you kept control. You have good control, You're Ready."
Next up: my first run on Korean asphalt in a real competition—nerves, adrenaline, and trying not to eat concrete.
To be continued.
