Either You Win, Or You Learn
I came into the North American championships at home in Vancouver this past week with a very clear goal. I was there to win. This might seem like the ordinary goal for a competitive sportsperson to have when entering a sporting competition, but, in my case, it has been a very long time since I’ve approached a regatta with this focus. This is because generally I am competing at major senior international regattas, and I am not yet at a level where winning those types of regattas is an attainable outcome.
Well, I didn’t achieve that goal. I ended up finishing in fourth place, missing the podium by 3 points. Obviously, I’m disappointed in that outcome, and fourth hurts, but I can’t help but appreciate how valuable this experience has been.
Those of you who have been following my updates for a while know that I relatively recently began working with a new coach (3X Olympic medalist Vasilij Zbogar) and training group. One of the major things that I have been learning from them is the concept of peaking and attaining your top form for the most important competitions in the year. This year, the North Americans was my second highest priority (the senior world championships in Split, Croatia in September is the top priority) and although I didn’t achieve my goal, this was definitely a peak performance from me. In fact, I feel comfortable going as far as to say that this was the best I have ever sailed. Historically, I have struggled to perform at the right times, with my good and bad regattas being fairly random, so this is a substantial step in the right direction.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this regatta is what the missing piece was. As I wrote above, this was a peak performance, but I didn’t achieve my outcome goal. If I performed at the peak of what I am currently capable of, and I didn’t achieve the desired outcome, then, by definition, there was something missing. I’ve concluded that winning regattas is in and of itself a skill. And it’s a skill that I haven’t trained. Both in the mental and tactical areas, sailing a regatta where I was fighting at the front of the fleet created situations that I haven’t really trained to manage.
Winning a sailing regatta, which is a series of a number of races, (Usually 10 – 14) comes down to consistency. You don’t get to have bad races. There were a few occasions here where the actions of another boat threw me off my game, and I wasn’t able to get my head back on task fast enough to recover. On the tactical side, knowing how to cover the fleet, and manage risk were areas that were deficient. As I mentioned above, the bulk of the regattas that I compete in currently are major international regattas where I am not yet racing at the front of the fleet. There is no question that racing in world class fleets is beneficial, but going forwards, I will need to incorporate more of a balance in my schedule to develop this skill of “winning” as well.
All in all, I really enjoyed competing in this regatta. Racing a major competition at home is not an opportunity that I get a lot and I valued the experience.
After the regatta ended, I went straight into packing up mode as I had less than 24 hours from the end of the last race before my flight was departing to head back out to Europe. It was a bit stressful as after being home for a month, I had spread everything out everywhere, but it worked out in the end and I am writing this update from the air.
I am looking forward to getting back out to Europe to reconnect with my coach and training group. That being said, I am more than a little bit nervous, as, to put it bluntly, I’m broke. I wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to you for your help if you are in a position to do so. My current financial situation is such that if I am going to survive until the World Championships in September this year, I will need to raise $14,300 CAD. I am fortunate to have had the support of my family, the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and a few supporters to have made it this far. Below, I have outlined the remaining costs that I need to pay this year. Donation can be made through the Wind Athletes Canada website, and you will receive a tax receipt for your contributions. Please feel free to contact me with any comments, questions or suggestions!
- New sail for the U21 Worlds----------------------------------------------$840 CAD
Pay for the sail that I will use at the U21 Worlds in Belgium this July! This regatta, being a junior event, is an opportunity for me to practice that “missing piece” that I wrote about in this update
- New sail for the ISAF Worlds Test Event-------------------------------$840 CAD
Pay for the sail that I will use at the ISAF Worlds Test Event in Denmark this August! In August of 2018, the ISAF Worlds will be held in Denmark. This regatta will be the first opportunity to qualify Canada for an Olympic Berth for the 2020 Olympics. This August, they will hold a test event, and it is an opportunity to get extremely valuable racing practice at this venue.
- New sail for the Senior Worlds-------------------------------------------$840 CAD
Pay for the sail that I will use at the peak regatta of the year!
- Entry fee for the U21 Worlds---------------------------------------------$560 CAD
Pay the entry fee for the U21 Worlds this July!
- Entry Fee for the ISAF Worlds Test Event-----------------------------$465 CAD
Pay the entry fee for this key regatta this August!
- Entry fee & charter fee for the Senior Worlds---------------------$2,760 CAD
Pay for the combined entry fee and mandatory boat charter fee for the peak regatta of the year! The senior worlds is a mandatory charter regatta which means that all the competitors are required to charter a new boat from the regatta organization. This is to ensure that no one has an unfair advantage due to unfair equipment.
- Coaching fees, July---------------------------------------------------------$2,350 CAD
Pay for my coaching fees for the month of July! I am fortunate to work with an incredible coach. He plays a huge role in my development and I am constantly learning from him. This month includes a training block in Croatia, and the U21 Worlds in Belgium.
- Coaching fees, August----------------------------------------------------$2,350 CAD
Pay for my coaching fees for the month of August! I am fortunate to work with an incredible coach. He plays a huge role in my development and I am constantly learning from him. This month includes the ISAF Worlds Test Event and a training block in Lake Garda.
- Coaching fees, September-----------------------------------------------$2,350 CAD
Pay for my coaching fees for the month of September! I am fortunate to work with an incredible coach. He plays a huge role in my development and I am constantly learning from him. This month includes the peak event of the year, the Senior Worlds!
- Fitness coaching fees, July-------------------------------------------------$315 CAD
Pay for my fitness coaching fees for the month of July! Our training group works with a top fitness coach who is a specialist in Laser Sailing. He is very good at designing programs to peak at the right times, and plays an instrumental role in my program.
- Fitness coaching fees, August---------------------------------------------$315 CAD
Pay for my fitness coaching fees for the month of August! Our training group works with a top fitness coach who is a specialist in Laser Sailing. He is very good at designing programs to peak at the right times, and plays an instrumental role in my program.
- Fitness coaching fees, September---------------------------------------$315 CAD
Pay for my fitness coaching fees for the month of September! Our training group works with a top fitness coach who is a specialist in Laser Sailing. He is very good at designing programs to peak at the right times, and plays an instrumental role in my program.
https://www.windathletes.ca/athletes/fillah-karim
Thanks for reading, and thank you for your support!
Fillah