Player Profile: Mandy Marchak (Hijacked!!!)

Hello! Julianne Zussman here, casual blogger, part-time rugby player, and full-time friend and teammate to Mandy Marchak.

I held Mandy against her will, hijacked her laptop and decided it was time to player profile the author herself.

Here we go.

 Mandy has a nickname, “Shamone.” A lyrical interpretation of Michael Jackson’s ambiguous mid-song shrieks, Shamone is also a modern variation of “Moni,” nickname circa Girls Gone Wild U-23 summer 2004.

 Shamoment: common noun; a Mandyism; an event characterized by Mandy’s finest qualities. Gullibility, absent-mindedness, fear, innocence, and humility. It involves a powerful movement. An awkward noise. And people sighing, “Oh Mandy.” Never planned. Always hilarious.

 For example, when I asked Mandy if I could guest write on her blog, she was stoked. Then I told her I was writing about her, and her eyes got wide like saucers, her mouth slowly opened and she went, “hrrrrmphphhphphhphmrr.” So I told her I wouldn’t.

 Shamoment.

 When in Dubai at the World Cup in 2009, Mandy saw an insect on the training pitch, screamed a gargling water sound, and dropped to the ground so fast that her teammates thought they were victims of a drive-by shooting.

 Shamoment.

 Once when Waters was getting dressed up for a Girls Nights Out, Mandy liked her outfit so much that she clenched her fists, squeezed her face, her body trembling, and said, “You… look… (almost moaning) soooo good right nowwwwww.”

 Shamoment.

On holiday in Greece, Mandy decided to stay behind from the group to “work on her tan.” Worried about her fair skin, Ghiz warned her about the hot Greek sun, to which she replied, “It’s ok guys, I’m wearing 4 spf.” A few hours later, her friends returned to find her curled up in a ball, wrapped in a hoodie, hiding under a shady tree, trembling, groaning, shameful and red as a tomato. We think she was blushing but there was no way to tell.

 Shamoment.

This is how her friends know her. Her opponents recognize her when they see the back of her jersey. Powerful, evasive and skilled, you can ask any of her teammates who they least like to tackle at practice… it’s her. The kind of girl that you love the play with and hate to play against.

 I would choose to play beside Mandy because of her skill, but also because she’s an exceptional team player. Mandy has a sincere belief in the ability and specialness of all her teammates. When she leads, she takes her team with her. She loves sharing quotes and fun facts, and staying in touch on bbm. She is one of the proudest Canadians I know, so firm in her national identity that she can tough out 6 months a year of unapologetic British banter. Maybe it’s because she just smiles when she’s confused.

 Mandy, you are humble, hard working, genuine, and one of my favourite peeps (MFP). I love catching up with you and you always make me smile. Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts & reflections with everyone on your blog. Sorry I lied to you and, next time, erase your browser history before you hand me your laptop.

 MCX

You can learn more from a loss then a win

I just thought I would spend a little time talking about our recent tour to Hong Kong, our two week break, and us as a team moving forward.
We recently, well 4 weeks ago now, were in Hong Kong for the second of the IRB Challenge cup series. I hadn't really wrote about it because I think I needed time to reflect rather then react on emotions. Now your probably curious why I just told you that. In Hong Kong this year we placed 3/4. After just over a year and 5 tournaments later we were the team to beat. We placed 1st on every occasion given the opportunity. In Hong Kong, day one, we beat Brazil in what coach had referred to as the perfect game. With minimal errors we nailed the game plan, and came off that one with a high. Moving on to our second pool game we faced Russia. I would say they would have been the second fittest team, next to us, competing in the tournament. Not only were they fit, but they didn't lack in size, skill or speed! That was a tough game, even though we had a good lead on them, it was a fight to the finish. If we let off at all, for a second, they would have had the potential to over take us. I can honestly say that was one of the harder games of 7s I had ever been involved in. A mixture of the physical nature, the heat, humidity, and pace of the game made it very challenging. Its good to be challenged, its why we play. That point brings me to our next game. Doing well in our pool put us at the top and gave us our game against England in the Semi finals the next day. Now playing in a stadium, with 30,000 screaming fans is an amazing experience one thrives for. With women's rugby on the up, what a better way to show case the game with two of the top teams in the world right now. Hong Kong, one of the most popular 7s tournaments there is, is a great place to get people talking about how amazing that women's match in the stadium was. The word gets out, and the women's game is starting to get seen in a different light. Being compared to the men's game even. I can say that about some of our previous tournaments, but this time around it was a bit of a different story, a different outcome. Something was about to happen that nothing could have really prepared us for. We lost to England in the semi finals. We were beat. For the first time in 5 tournaments, Canada would not be playing in the final for the top spot. England went on to play Aus in the final and won. That game got people talking. What a final! Those two teams played their hearts out. The saying leave everything on the field, no regrets. Well that was literally what happened in that game. The final could have went either way with a fight to the very last second, and England takes home the cup. That was a very hard feeling to deal with. That feeling of not being recognized as winning that tournament, not getting the same response we usually had gotten after every occasion of over a year of success. The way I see it is we started off playing 7s with no track record. Canada not usually being known as the best in the world, or for winning in general. Then coming away with a clean sweep of 2011, winning 5 out of 5. We all knew, an unspoken thought, that there was going to be a point when we would lose. Now when that would happen no one knew, or really wanted to think about, especially happening so soon. Our streak had come to an end. Our heads were down, mentally I think most of us were a mess. The thoughts running through our minds I bet you can only imagine. What was going through my mind was we lost, do people think we are a joke, does this mean we are a bad team, where do we go from here, what happens now? My confidence was totally shot. My head was down, and for weeks I couldn't get the game out of my head. The game was haunting me, literally eating me alive. We had a two week break, and I honestly didn't feel I rested at all because my mind was so active. Now these are normal reactions for any competitive athlete, its an obsession. But in the end, the difference between a good team and a great team is the one who can overcome the mental barrier they put up, use what they learned from the loss, and rise to the challenge to come back stronger. After weeks of consuming myself with this loss, I started to realize we are a great team. One loss doesn't make us a bad team. We know our skills let us down, and now that is something we can go back and work on. It will only build our program and make it stronger. They say you learn more from a loss then a win, and I truly do see that side of it now. As much as it was an awful feeling to go through, to experience that loss, I am also thankful for it. We all are. The team moral is up. Coming back to our first week of training, with our new programs, our new training groups, and a new attitude we are back on track. You can tell the fire is lit and everyone has embraced this challenge, this gift. We are gearing up for London 7s in 4 weeks time. Another opportunity to put our hard work into play, and really test our skills. This is something we are all looking forward to, as selections have not yet been made.
Moving forward we have a lot of work to do. Taking one tournament at a time, looking to grow from every experience. The opportunity to play the best in the world, and challenge our skills. We have a 4 year plan and perfection doesn't happen over night. We are working on it, and as a team we are committed to the program, the process. We have bought in, and wont settle for anything less then greatness.

Kelly "the love muscle" Russell

After a 3 week break, post Hong Kong, we are back on the scene here with Kelly Russell.
Kelly grew up in Bolton, Ontario. She has a dazzling family who supports her, and can usually be found at most event scattered across the globe. She was two sisters, one of which is here centralized with her. When I asked her about Laura, this is what Kelly said, "I'm really lucky to have Laura out here and experiencing this all with me, we are super close and it's very fun to be able to play together and push each other to be better everyday." I think that is extremely special, and nice to have being away from so many loved ones, which Kelly has mentioned being one of the greatest challenges faced to date. Growing up in Bolton and attending Humberveiw Secondary, Kelly plays rugby with the Toronto Nomands. When I asked what playing for the Toronto Nomads ment to Kelly she responded with this.

"I am a second generation Nomad after my dad who I grew up watching play for them. I started playing with them myself when I was 15. The Nomads have been phenomenal in the support they have given me throughout my rugby career. Their support means the world to me and has helped me develop into the player I am today. I'm so happy to be part of the club and represent them on the International stage."

Kelly where was your first cap? Tell us how you felt?

"My first cap was against Scotland in 2007. It was a surreal feeling. I can remember the game like it was yesterday. I was really excited and nervous, but couldn't stop smiling when I came off the field. We won too! Today I have 23 15s caps and 11 sevens caps, I've been to 2 World Cups (7s in '09 and 15s in '10) and I still feel the same pride every time I step on the field for Canada."

No only that, but adding to  that list she has recently Captained Canada in both the Las Vegas and Hong Kong 7s Tournaments this year. Something to be very proud of.

So tell us about the last year, pretty successful. Where did you see yourself in the 7s scene moving forward?

"Looking back on last year is pretty crazy. It was a busy year. A lot of work and preparation went into developing our game both as a team and as individuals. We are very proud of what we have accomplished so far and looking forward to challenging ourselves even more."

What does being centralized mean to you?

"It means having the freedom of really being able to just focus on rugby. We have the opportunity to train as professional athletes with a whole wack of resources at our fingertips. It's a really amazing opportunity for us. Something that I never would have thought, even just a few years ago, that would've happened in my playing days."

Kelly, what sports you have been involved in the past?

"In high school I was involved with almost everything from basketball to throwing javelin and discus in track and field. And I also played a lot of baseball growing up as well."

So I guess we all want to know, why rugby?

"Rugby encompassed every aspect of sport that I loved. The challenge, physicality, teamwork, and fun."

You have Charlie here, your companion, would you like to share his story!?

"Well Charlie is my wolf hound mix pup. Clayton and I picked him up in December right before coming out here. He made the drive out here with Laura and I and has really been an amazing companion to have. He is extremely funny and like I said before he can get into a bit of trouble sometimes but everyday he makes us laugh cuz he's a little nutty."

How are the dynamics in your house?

"Our place is awesome and couldn't ask for a better roommate then Burk. Whether or not she's annoyed by the multiple times we have come home to a house full or ripped up recycling that Charlie has gotten into, she stays pretty cool and I appreciate it haha."

Typically you can be seen eating, what is your favorite post training food? Of all the gold medal meals what has been you favorite?

"Always up for a good snack I will really have anything. But right now I stick to my recovery shake, a piece of fruit and a granola bar usually. I'd say my favorite gold medal meal has been the pulled pork sandwich we used to get."
Scrunch or fold?

"Seriously I used to be a scruncher but have now turned into a folder."

Can you share some of your fav moments? A funny story?!

"Honestly this is so cheesy but really just laughing everyday with the girls. Something happens everyday that cracks me up."

Whats your biggest pet peeve?

"Bad drivers and traffic, and bad drivers causing traffic..."

Lastly, and because I think this is something very important to any athlete. The road, the people involved, the support, the emotion.What has it taken for you to get to where you are today?

"Definitely the support and love from my family and friends. I have also been really lucky to have had some amazing coaches, and learnt early on that hard work pays off."

Kelly is an outstanding teammate, captain, athlete and in general genuine person. There isn't a session she doesn't come to switched on and ready to give it everything she has. Her passion for the game, and desire to learn is one of her most admirable qualities. Something I feel I personally have shared with Kelly through out the years has been the final minutes before running onto the pitch, i turn to Kelly and she gives me this nod. I know this nod, very well. Its a nod saying were ready, we know what we need to do, lets just go out and do it. It has actually been the one thing I feel I look forward to, as it calms me, and gives me that last ounce of believe.
Kelly, your world class. I have no doubt in your ability to succeed! You will achieve this with your never say die attitude. Not only I, but us all, are very lucky to get the chance to play and perform beside you. Thanks Kelly.

And one for the record, Kelly also attended Western University, something we all know very well!

66 days, A celebration of half way through "the good life"

Its been a really amazing 66 days into the program. On Friday March 16, we reached the half way mark in our program. We celebrated the day with a hike up Mount Finlayson, followed by a Lunch at Jacks up Bear Mountain. It was the perfect day, we can all agree with that. The day started off with meeting the coaches for an activation session at Goude field. Now not only do we have an amazing team, but we definitely have personality. The personality of the day awards go to Andrea Burk and Barbara Mervin who showed up in their Friday best. Andrea Burk looking like she had just parked her skies and strolled onto the field in her very dated two toned fuchsia and purple wind breaker, dressed with a head band and tights. Barbara Mervin graced us with her presence wearing a very flattering Blue with Yellow trim and print track suit, worn by the Kazakhstan team at the 2010 World Cup.
There was talk at lunch the day before of wearing tight and bright as a theme for our hike, but those two decided to get the day started early, and practice that theme for our activation session. Defiantly put some light on what started out to be a very rainy and miserable morning!
After the activation we had a video session in the board room. The video session was followed by a compilation of a lot of our success's in the past year. It was a great compilation made by Sandro. He did a very good job, we truly appreciated that, thank you.
For those of you who may not know Mike Chu, he is the High Performance Director for Rugby Canada. He joined us at the end of our video session to say a few words. You can often find Mike coming around to lunch or a session asking "how you are doing, are you enjoying everything, is there anything we can help you with?" Mike is a very genuine person and we are all very pleased to have him with us, sharing his vast knowledge and driving us forward. Your kind words sending us off to Hong Kong were greatly appreciated by all. Thanks Mike.

Meeting adjourned, and we are off! All wearing tight and bright. Well most of us! It was cold...ish.
We were coming to the end of a tough week physically and mentally. We had done testing the day before, a blow out that morning. Thinking that what they had organized for us was a nice chilled hike up Mt Finlayson, we were all pretty stoked. Then...it began. We all started as a group, chatting away, sharing stories, laughing. Not far into it we started to slowly pull apart and become silent. I know I found myself taking every chance I could to appreciate the beauty, a great excuse for a breather! I think there was alot of mental talk going on. I don't think anyone really wanted to vocalize how they were really feeling, for fear that they might come off as the weakest link. We were all, if not most,  caught our selfs thinking what's with the climb? I really don't know how we didn't see this coming, a hike, up a mountain, just seems obvious. But then again maybe obvious isn't obvious at all! You could hear people saying My calfs are burning, I wont be able to walk tomorrow, I can't decide what on my body was going to be the most sore. Aside from all those thoughts we made it up the Mountain! As tough as it was, it wasn't that bad at all. After a long week, we all welcomed each other one by one with smiles on our faces, to the top of Mount Finlayson!
Up at the top we took a quick minute to take some pictures and take in all that mother nature had to offer us. John lining us all up to take a picture, "not to close to the edge" he says. Then John has us saying macaroni and cheese. What?! Ya, "macaroni and cheese" he says louder. I forgot to mention, 1 hour earlier John had warned us of bear warnings up the Mountain, "stay close, and don't go off alone" he says. Right after he takes his first shot, he takes another, and another and wait...another. Then suddenly we find John pointing behind us telling us there is a bear! We turn around, shrieking and bolting,  to find what we had been startled by, a man in a gorilla suit. A man in a gorilla suit!? "Who is that!?" Taking off his fake mask, Morgan Williams the master of disguise. Morgan had been waiting for 45 min, at the top, dodging dogs and couples, as he hides in the bush avoiding any sort of domestic that may occur if he was to be seen. Morgan calling John about 3 or 4 times "where are you guys?" And the secret word we figure, was macaroni and cheese. What a sport! Thanks Morgan for making that experience extra special!
Here are a few pictures we captured at the top.

Canada on 3...1, 2, 3, CANADA!

It has been a really great 66 days. We have all taken on this challenge and embraced it. This hasn't been easy in the slightest, but a process we are all willing to buy into.

I'm very proud to be apart of something so special.

Here are a few pictures of us going through the process, and taking the time to have a little fun every now and again.

Thank you guys for supporting us through this journey! It has been amazing so far, and in the next 4 years building towards one goal, we will all as a collective do this together. We wouldn't be able to do it with out everyone behind us, so thank you! We are off to Hong Kong on Tuesday so wish us the best. We will be defending out title. Hard work pays off, and we know nothing less. 

Julia Greenshields

I would like to introduce Julia Greenshields.
She is a very fresh new face in the Canadian senior women's rugby scene. She made her first appearance in Barbados with the development team back in November 2011. Julia got into playing rugby in Grade 9. She has two years of club rugby, and 3 years of Provincial rugby in Ontario under her belt. I asked Julia if she has played any other sports previous to rugby, and she replied " I didn't get into playing sports till I was about 12, but I played travel basketball for 4 years and volleyball in highs chool. I still love playing basketball and volleyball, but for fun. I have always wanted to try tennis and skiing!"
Something you might not know about Julia is that when she was young, she use to pretend she was a dog, her name, it was Pepper. Embarrassing? I think not Julia!
You could get away will calling Julia by just a few of her nicknames like Jules, Julsie, jay, ju, hoolia, Julia Goolia, Greens, Greehshields, Jub Jub. Im sure she would happily welcome anyone of those.
Jub Jub can also be found jamming to tunes in the weight room between sets with her parnter in crime Kayla Mo.

I have a few questions for Julia, and they will be followed by a few shared stories and kind words from her peers. If you dont know Julia, you will, and that amazing sense of humor she has. To go with that humor, a laugh  that comes from so deep within, there is no in the middle. Its very much a throw your head back, with an arm flail or a roll on the floor kinda laughter. (directly quoted from your teammates)

Ive been told Julia that you have a very wide base of knowledge on Famous people of all sorts, can you please tell us a little about this?!
"I love reading magazines and watching all the entertainment shows on TV. I blame my sister for this one! She got me hooked on these shows. Also, a great website, Perezhilton.com. Don't judge me. When ever all the girls are talking about celebrities I always know the ins and outs. They usually come to me if they want to know anything about the celebrities. It's a terrible quality."

So what is some of your favorite gossip? Who is hot right now?
"Bieber is always hot...his new single "Boyfriend" released on March 26th, eeeeeks!"

Julia, if you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
"This is a tough question. So many people I would like to have dinner with. Oh geez...Ellen, she is hilarious! I watch her show all the time. She would make the best dinner date ever. I would mind having dinner with Zac Efron either (drool). Oh, and the entire Kardashian / Jenner family at their house!"

Just a random thought, if you could be any animal, what animal would you be?
"A tiger! For sure, they are sweet. They are tough, aggressive, and gorgeous creatures. One of my rugby coaches took on the task of giving every one of the players on the Western team a spirit animal, he said I was a tiger. Thanks Sennik."

Is there any one that truly inspires you?
"A lot of people inspire me, I cant just pick one! The entire National women's team inspires me, You all inspire me individually in different ways. Your all friggen tough physically and mentally. You inspire me to work hard and never give up on my goals. The positivity is unbelievable. But I must say my biggest inspiration is my dad. Is that lame? He is the one who pushes me to succeed and supports my rugby career to the max! Somehow he always has something so powerful to tell me when I feel down. I wish I could be as powerful as him, he is the smartest man I know. He gives me the greatest advice for every problem I face in life. I want to make him proud. I cant say enough about him."

Julia will you please share some funny moments you have had and or shared with others during centralization so far?!
This was actually hilarious, we joked about this walking to lunch today, but Julia says "I need my own reality TV show." We then joked about how if in the next 4 years her reality TV show with Mo didn't sky rocket her close second in life was going to the Olympics...Joking obviously, that would be first!
"My roomie Kayla Moleschi posted an aerobic competition video from the 80s on my Facebook wall as a joke. Since then we have been looking for more aerobic videos on Youtube laughing hysterically at their hair, make up, costumes, routine and music. So what do we do? We decided to create our own aerobic routine in our living room while no one was home. We pushed the furniture aside and pieced together a couple of sweet moves. Not perfect yet, but we will be posting it on Youtube soon. I think this will help us launch our reality TV show."
"I find a lot of funny moments are when people are laughing at me...."
"Sometimes people laugh with me though."
"I went to the grocery store with Kayla Mack and could not for the life of me figure out how to insert the loonie into the cart, to detach it from all the rest of the shopping carts. I think I was actually holding up alot of people. I eventually got this to work and we classified this as a "learning in Langford" moment. I have had alot of those."

These are a few thing your teammates had to say.
Julia is so full of life and always brings a smile and a laugh to everyone around her!
Julia: great sense of humor.  She is the type of young player you hope sticks around for the long run because you truly enjoy her attitude and company.
Great laugh and sense of humor.
Brave and good instincts.
Julia is a very imaginative and unique individual whom I connected with instantly and we became the two best friends that anyone could ever have!! :)
This past Tuesday she wanted me to go to the show with her and I said yes at first but then I thought about it and turned to her and said Jewels if you clean your room then we can go to the movies....and she said "OMG I can't believe you just pulled that on me, your like my mom!!" and then Today I went to put someones stuff in the fridge and she said "why are you doing that you're not their mom, your mine!" hahaha all in all Julia is a talented rugby player, a great friend and I could not have asked for a better roommate! We are also in the making of our very own TV show starring us and our wonderful teammates, soon to come fun filled comedy skits, aerobic dance competitions (practice up ladies), new hit wonder music videos (Kish you better be working on your rhymes) and much more!! I love Julia shes so much fun and an amazing rugby player to boot!! :D *cross cross HISS* (hand signal).

Quick Question:
Scrunch or Fold?
Scrunch, and then throw on the ground...oops!

Stories of a roommate, by Kayla Mack.

1) Julia is a giggle machine! She loves to laugh....and some times she sure gets us all going. One afternoon, I think she calls it the attack of the Kayla's....we were all goofing off and it ended in Jules being pinned down by the two of us getting tickled past the point of laughing.... you know when your a kid and your mom or dad pins you down and tickles you to the point where you can't even laugh anymore...well that's where we got Jules to...which was followed by a series of wet willies and willies wet! (wet willies for those who done know are sucking your fingers and sticking them in the tortured ones ear, the reverse are willie wets...after the ear goes straight into the mouth, classic)  Definitely on of the most fun afternoons in our living room.

2) Julia Greenshields is a baking machine....how I have not gained 10 lbs out here I do not know. She may make some of the most delicious things I have eaten. I believe she calls them something like Oreo cookie squares....heaven.

\3) Julia and I may be the only 2 people in all of Langford  to rent the green bikes. But I have to say our Saturday morning and afternoon bike rentals and breakfast dates have been some of my favorite times out here!!! We must have biked around all of Langford on our bike dates checking out some awesome nature !!! Its real neat out here!

4) Above all the best thing about Jules is her laugh it is contagious and she is an amazing happy roomie!!! 

Julia you have one of the most amazing attitudes I have seen. You may be facing some challenges right now, but you have the mental toughness that we can all admire. What you bring to the sessions everyday is more then appreciated.  We can all learn something from Julia, and most of us already have. Your dad has given you something special. Dont lose that. Keep caring it with you!
Thanks for doing this Julia, I really enjoyed writing your blog!

Andrea Burk

I would like to introduce you to Andrea Burk.
Andrea Burk was born on April 7, 1982. She was born and raised in North Vancouver, BC. Living in the same house her entire life. Well, almost all 30 years of it! She can usually be found doing something powerful, robo-coping through a tackle, or changing you life with a meaningful question. She attended High school on the North Shore through Carson Graham Secondary, and has been a loyal memeber of the Capilano RFC for many years.
Only getting to know Andrea through rugby at the time, and being pretty new to the BC rugby scene myself, some of the things that stand out for me first getting to know Andrea would be her very confident, very intense, and very positive additude. For example, during BC trainings in the summer, stand out moments for me would be Andrea being the only one off a kick off reception screaming "ready." I think we can all agree as much as we all love playing BC rugby, we were not always thrilled to be there on a Sunday morning, so that shrill scream of "ready, ready, ready" had us well alert and back on our toes. If I'm completely honest I was probably thinking "how is she always so positive and ready to go?"
Well Andrea, your hard work, positive never give up attitude, complimented by your iron will has really come along way. You should be so proud. You have a booming laugh that captures all of our attention. It is as contagious as your go get'em zest for life.
These are some of the things Andrea had to say.

When did rugby come into your life?
Grade 10 I played for Capilano Rugby Football Club in the centres

Did you play any sports before that?
I was involved in all of the regular sports in school, although my favourites were wrestling and squash. I also played soccer on the BC provincial team for 5 years.

What did you study in school and how does it relate to what you are doing or your future plans for a career?Bachelor of Kinesiology from Acadia University and currently completing my Master of Arts in Leadership at Royal Roads University.  Right now I’m doing some performance coaching for individuals and I will soon be bringing teambuilding and leadership models into organizations and athletic teams…It’s all a part of my plan to change the world.

Has rugby been a life changing experience? How?
 Absolutely.  I have met some amazing people through rugby.  I have shared experiences, laughs and been able to share a lot of myself through this sport.  The support we get from the community has also created a space for me to further my education, pursue career dreams and pay it all forward to developing athletes.

When you’re not totally conscious of what you’re eating due to our obsession with food intake, what is some of your guilty pleasures?
Gummy candies or really good cheese!

What could we find you doing during a weekend off, any time of year, not just centralization. Or how about, what could we find you doing on any normal weekend let’s say post centralization, and what could we find you doing on a weekend in centralization?
On a weekend in centralization you’ll find me doing school work or meeting with clients.  Otherwise, hopefully I’m getting some fresh air and laughing with friends.

Where has one of your fav holidays been, and why?
My trip to Colombia in 2010 was way up there.  In general, I absolutely love spending my holidays hiking in the mountains and swimming in remote lakes and rivers.

What's your fad color?
Green right now.

Scrunch or fold?
I seem to have evolved into a folder….Does that mean anything?

Fav tv series?
Dexter or Grey’s Anatomy…or Wipe-out if I want a good laugh!

Most motivational quote personally?
 "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."                                             - Thomas Edison

A message  to people out there who might be curious as to what we are doing, how would you describe this experience?
A dream come true.  I think this is what most athletes hope for when they train….to do what they love, with the people they love each day.  Challenging each other to do what we are actually capable of doing and getting better each day.

How long you been involved on the national team?
2009 Can-Ams in Denver.  My first cap was against France in 2009

Long term goal? Short term?
 World champions (World cup and Olympic gold)……9 minute 2400m…..100kg Clean.

The High Five in no particular order  -

2013/2014 Calendar Photo Shoot….balancing on one tippy toe, holding a ball to cover special parts, contorting our bodies and faces to look natural isn’t so easy when there is baby oil all over the floor.  But alas we must, its these finishing touches that makes the calendar a bigger hit than Barbara Mervin off the back of the scrum. 

“Heck no we won’t go”  as the number of niggles increased after our Las Vegas win so did the number of players  on the bench…as the body count went up, we started to resemble a union on strike.  Chants of “Heck no we won’t go” was the quick response when the coaches tried to round us up.

“As One: We win together we lose together”  Both the men’s and women’s team let their money ride on red in Vegas at the roulette table.  After letting it ride not once but twice….Canadian rugby players walked away with a 25% ROI .  Maybe roulette is the fundraiser of the future?

“In memory of Rachael Spearing”  To celebrate the life of our great friend Rachael Spearing the team gathered at Thetis Lake for a polar bear skinny dip.  Innocent bystanders were intrigued by the gathering of people in their towels which only encourage more spectators….We were stunned that a skinny dip would be considered a spectator sport!

“Snow day”  One would certainly expect that a little bit of snow isn’t going to stop the Canadian team.  While we didn’t quite have a Snow Bowl outside, we did hit the indoor rink for for a game or 5v5 rugby/handball/soccer (I’m pretty sure that is the official name).  It was competitive to the point that we started the scoreboard, took penalty shots and did line changes over the boards.

Here are some words her teammates would use to describe her.

Got to love her robotic movements while running.
Life coach.
Bionic.
Intense and thorough.
So ripped!
What's Burk doing?  Burk is my life coach and always looks at the glass as half full...even if its empty ;)
Shines with positivity.
Any moment with Burk is a special moment.

Burk you're a diamond in the rough, keep up the hard work.

Player Profile: Ashley Stacey

So I have decided to take a different approach to these blogs for a little while. Its great that you all are so interested in what we are doing, and we thank you so much for your support, but for my next blogs I'm going to give you the athletes. I'm going to give you player profiles. Their back grounds and their stories. Not only allowing you to understand what we are doing, but who we are as people inside and outside of our sport.
I would like to introduce you to Ashley Stacey. Previously Ashley Patzer as most of you would recognize her as. This girl is World Class. Keep your eyes out for her in the next 4 years, because she ranks at the top on the world stage. A compact force to be reckoned with, and this is what she has to say.

When did you decide to start playing rugby and why?
I started playing rugby in high school, grade 10. It's kind of funny that I'm playing for the NSWT because I never wanted to play rugby in the first place. One of my best friends, shout out to Dani Whitehead :) convinced me to go and run around with the team. I figured I'd go a couple of times and use it as way to get in better shape. Little did I know I'd get roped into playing the first game of the season and fall in love with rugby. All's history from there.

What are some of your hobbies?
I don't know if this can be considered a hobby because I've only ever done it once, but I definitely want to do it a lot more in the future....we'll call it a future hobby. Skydiving!!! I went on my honeymoon and it was such an outrageous experience. One of my top 5 moments of life for sure. As for real hobbies, I love shopping and scrap booking when I have the time!

Whats your favorite TV series?
Oh this is so cliche, but Grey's Anatomy!! I just love that show.

Scrunch or fold?
I'm a semi neat freak, so fold. But I admit, I do scrunch sometimes when I'm in a hurry.

Full name: Ashley Diane Steacy
Birthday: June 28th, 1987
Age: you do the math ;)

Favorite article of clothing?
I've been converted recently (probably because of centralization and training 5 days a week) but I am in love with my lulu lemon wunderunder crops and pants, I don't know what I'd do without them.

Your fav moment so far during centralization?
Moving the couch and setting up a laptop in the middle of the living room and learning how to do the shuffle with my roomie (Kelsey Willoghby) by googling "how to shuffle". (youtube LMFAO-party rock anthem). Hours of non-stop giggling, fist pumping and dancing.... love those nights :)

When was your first tour and who did you look up to or look forward to playing with the most when your opportunity came?
 My first tour was Scotland/Wales in 2007. My idol on the senior team was Maria Gallo. I remember being on tour for the U-19's and the Senior team was there on tour as well and a couple of the senior players came to hand out jersey's for our jersey presentation and Maria Gallo gave me mine. I was so ecstatic and nervous, she scared the piss out of me. That was before I got to know her. Anyways, I always looked forward to playing with Gallo and I'm really really lucky I was able to play along side her for 4 years.

What has rugby done for you personally?
Rugby has impacted my life in multiple ways. It has given me the opportunity to travel and see a lot of the world. I probably wouldn't have had the chance to see much of it if I hadn't played rugby. It's also helped me gain my education as I played CIS rugby and had scholarships which motivated me to finish my degree (Thank goodness I'm finally done now... it took a while).  I've also met some of my best friends through rugby!

What would one place you would like to travel to?
My number one is Greece! Haha, thanks to sisterhood of the travelling pants. I really hope to get there someday!
favorite meal?Cheesecake.... ok ok, a real meal... Steak and potatoes cooked by my one and only! Best. Meal. Ever!!!

Sweet or sour?
Definitely Sweet

Patzer is an outstanding person inside and out. One of the most kind people you will ever meet in your life time. Here are a few things her team had to say about her.
Funny, Caring, Gorgeous and quick.
Patz is incredibly dedicated to this team, always there to help others and
gives it her all on and off the pitch!
Cute laugh.
Packs a punch for her size!
Considerate of others. Kind hearted.
World Class rugby player.
One of the best people to play beside.

I have a great story about Patz. We were in Vegas around midnight on the Sunday after our games and I was wondering around trying to find anyone who wanted to eat. I found kayla Mo and Patz wondering around as well, luckily the first thing they said is they wanted to get food. I jumped on board! We get to this really amazing looking hot dog eatery. I say hot dog eatery weather it makes sense or not because it wasn't a Stand or a restaurant. It had every hot dog, every topping you could imagine. My mouth is watering thinking about it! So we order, no big deal. Kayla gets a naked dog, then realizes that my chili cheese dog looked like a boss compared to her naked dog, so she orders chili on hers. Patzers hot dog comes and its in a wrap. Sure, a hot dog in a wrap, looks great lets eat. Eating, chatting. Well very little chat if I'm honest. Then I look over and Patzer has 2 hot dogs in this wrap. I say "holy smokes you got a double, well done." Not maybe 30 seconds later she discovers a 3rd hot dog! It was a triple. She ordered a triple bacon chili cheese dog in a wrap. This thing was a monster!!! She than starts to say how she cant finish it. I say "why would you order a triple dog?!" Pater replies, "I thought it was just 3 hot dogs." I look at her with confusion and say "wait, like 3 separate hot dogs?! How is that any better than the triple dog wrap you got?!" We continued to laugh cause it really made no sense. I guess this is one of those you would have had to have been there moments to fully appreciate its humor!

Patzer, your outstanding and we love you, this one goes out to you!