MERRY XMAS....CHEERS TO THE FAMILY!

Merry XMAS everyone and a Happy New Year!!!! The last week I have had an absolute ball, individual training with the ATI gang, meeting up with friends, going out for coffees, looking after my little sis and neice and SHOPPING!!! This morning I was woken up at about 6am to open pressies and I think this year was the best ever! This year was full of hope, happiness, a few tears, few injuries, but most importantly it was a year in which my life turned around for the good of my sport and my health. I went from the idea of quitting taekwondo early in the year, to going to the world championships in Spain, then winning the Korean Open, visiting Turkey for the Universiade Champs, winning nationals...and now with a new focus and new goals I feel its all steam ahead to January and 2008!

To next year! I cant wait to see what it holds!! May it be filled with happiness, love, health, and success! The journey may have already been written, but its up to me to find the right destination!

1 Sleep to Go

Today was my last training session in Melbourne for one week. I will be heading back to Perth tomorrow to see my family and enjoy the Christmas period. Whilst home, Kristy and I will still be hard at training (at least til the 24th) because of the upcoming competition. I'll be heading on down to WAIS to visit the psychologist, Athlete Education Officer and also our program manager, I don't get to see them much so it will be good to catch up and let them know whats been happening! As for me now I have a massive task ahead of me in deciding what to pack...oh i love dresses and its all so difficult to decide which ones to take back....I want to wear everything at once!....

Education Training

Short stance open 1,2,3, long stance open...etc etc.etc...closed long...long short closed backward forward sideways, left right, under my toe and behind my ear...are you confused yet???.......OH MY goodness the amount of educational training we had this week was mind boggling. I felt like my brain was going to burst!!! I guess it hasn't had that much of a work out since my exams! Speaking of which I got my results back this week and finished the year out with A grades thank god and fingers crossed I get into honours.

Training this week was pretty good. Friday was my toughest mainly because I got a fair whack in the head from Daniel. It was probably the first time I didnt feel like crying from getting a head kick (in training), but then again its probably the first time I havent cared so much what happens in training as long as I improve, so any thought of it being a mallice act was dropped and I just focused on trying to open my jaw and checking that I had all my teeth intact. It wasn;t as bad as I first thought and ten minutes later I was back in there sparring again trying to get my own back,...hmm...I failed to get a head kick but this time I managed to stay on both feet:)

Well not long to Christmas, The sign at the shopping centre says 14 sleeps till XMAS which is so scary because I havent done any shopping or though about it. My mind is only on waking up to go to the gym or physio or when training is. i cant wait to see my family and everyone back home in Perth! Its the best place! The picture here is one I found from Spain earlier in the year at the World Champs. Im in front of the bear and tree, which if you would like my translation ....means "trees are only as small as you believe them to be. Nothing is too hard to climb and no dream is uncatchable or unscratchable. Enjoy!

My Buddies

Well here I am with a few of my good buddies in taekwondo, Tumay in the middle and Zarko on the end. We went to watch a final qualifying competition on the weekend in which we had already qualified for. The upcoming comp is scheduled for the 28th of January and it will determine the top 4 seeded athletes for the Beyond Beijing Athlete Squad. I'll be fighting welter weight which is 57-67kgs.