A lot has changed since the 2010 Winter Olympics for former 麻豆社国产resident Megan Tandy.
For starters, her last name isn't Tandy anymore. She married her coach Ilmar Heinicke, moved to Germany, had a child and is now gearing up for a return to the Olympics to compete for Canada in biathlon.
Twenty-ten was a pretty crazy year for me, she said from Norway, where she's training. But after getting married and having our son, I made my comeback at the end of 2011 and have been a regular on both the World Cup and World Championships teams. And now I'm a very realistic contender for a spot at the Olympics my qualifying is already two-thirds complete.
Heinicke said all she needs is one more top-30 finish in a World Cup event and she can book a ticket to Sochi. She said she hopes to get a top-30 finish at the next World Cup race in Sweden to lock down the spot.
According to Heinicke, she's feeling as good physically as ever.
I'm in the best shape I've ever been and feeling mentally great, she said. I've been setting some personal bests this year and I believe the challenge for me will be more on the shooting range than the ski trails.
The move to Germany wasn't the Heinickes' original plan, but when her husband's job at Biathlon B.C. was eliminated for budgetary reasons, they had to move on. It's because of that move that Heinicke recently launched a campaign to help fund her Olympic dream.
The thing that makes it super difficult for me is that I don't get the athletes' base salary because Canada has a residency policy, she said.
Athletes must live in a National Training Centre area for 75 per cent of the season to receive the funding and Germany happens to be a long distance from any Canadian training facilities. Heinicke also missed out on her athletes' salary before 2010 as she was living in Squamish.
Sometimes in my head, I think about the five years of funding I've missed out on, but I try not to because I don't like being bitter and angry about the situation, she said. I can't change it but I just want to take positive action and find the funding I need.
In 2009, Heinicke and four of her teammates put together the popular Bold Beautiful Biathlon calendar, which helped them on their road to 2010. She said there were talks of doing another calendar but all the girls were spread out and lacked the time to put it together.
But Heinicke heard about a crowd funding platform called Pursuit from teammates and she has set her goal at $7,500. Those who choose to donate also receive benefits based on how much they give. Fans can get everything from a postcard to Skype calls and even a genuine practice target with bullet holes.
The fact that we're based in Europe makes it harder for me to help raise money, she said. I'm as Canadian as ever and I'm going to race with the maple leaf on my clothes. I'm hoping some of the sports fans in the Sea to Sky Corridor can help me out. Every little bit counts.
She said she enjoyed her years in 麻豆社国产and returned to compete at Whistler Olympic Park during the Canadian Nationals in March. She said after a rough few years directly after the Olympics, it seems like Nordic sports are getting more support locally.
It's tough for me comment because I'm so far away but my first impression after the Olympics was disappointment, she said. So much of the funding died after the Games, but the last few years the legacy of the Games has shone through and the Canadian Nationals was a great event it was so good to be back home.
Heinicke said the eventual arrival of the Sports Legacy Park should also be a big boost to Nordic sports.
It sounded like such an awesome and fantastic idea, she said, adding that she attended some of the initial meetings about the park. Callaghan is an amazing facility but it's a little ways away. If you want to attract more young people, I think it could be amazing to have a facility right there in town.
She said her ultimate goal is a top-16 finish at Sochi. In 2010 she competed in four events, including a 15th-place finish in the 4X6-kilometre relay and a 36th in the 10 km pursuit.
It's a big goal because there's 110 to 120 women competing and I'm sure they all have similar goals, she said. I've proven to myself in the last few years that I can ski fast enough and shoot well enough, but you just have to do it in the same day. The sport can be so glorious and so frustrating, but I dream big and I know I can make it happen.
To donate or for more information on her campaign, visit www.pursu.it/campaign/megan-heinicke.
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