It feels like such a long time since I’ve posted even though it’s only been two weeks. I’ve had a wonderful break although a few challenges have certainly been faced. The biggest challenge was during our week spent camping in Swan River, MB.
We had travelled to Swan River of all places as our daughter was to compete in the Manitoba Summer Games. It’s a pretty big event with the top young athletes in Manitoba competing in a variety of sports. Our daughter went for soccer playing goalkeeper on the Winnipeg gold team.
She would be traveling to the games with her team and staying with them in the athlete’s village while the rest of our family spent the week in a camper we had rented for the occasion. She had the time of her life and she and her team played their hearts out. Competition was fierce and the final match went into overtime.
Her team came out on top winning the gold medal 3-1.
I can’t explain the intensity of this final match or the nervous energy on and off the field. Both teams played extremely well and it was an amazing game to watch. That final 20 minutes of overtime play was wildly competitive and it wasn’t until the last few minutes of play when her team managed to get a second overtime goal that anyone started breathing somewhat normally.
I couldn’t be more proud of the game these girls played and my daughter couldn’t be happier to have brought home a gold medal and memories to last a lifetime. I honestly believe that she played her very best game to date making amazing save after amazing save.
The experience of her team winning gold made the disastrous camping experience well worth it. We lived in pouring rain and several inches of mucky water for the week. I came quite close to hitting a deer on our way out and the drive was made difficult by the stormy evening.
We arrived really late (a little after 11 pm) because the trailer couldn’t be picked up until 3 hours later than when we were supposed to pick it up and we didn’t to leave Winnipeg until almost 5. Since we arrived so late and the night was so stormy we were unable to set up the trailer that night which resulted in a very cramped and uncomfortable night with three of us in a single bed with the trailer still attached to the truck.
When we finally did set up the trailer it was after watching the first game and we were soaked through from the heavy rains. We also discovered on set up that the fridge door was broken, by dropping it on my ankle and that the microwave would randomly turn itself on and off.
Everything and everyone spent the entire time soaked and filthy. We even found ourselves evacuated at one point because of tornados nearby and the town had declared a state of emergency by the end of the week. I’m sure the organizers had an even more difficult week with 1,600 athletes to care for, keep organized and entertained.
That gold medal brought home around our daughters’ neck though made every wet and stressful moment worthwhile.
