Wrapping up the season

As my orienteering season up here comes to an end I have a choice to make. This was my last year as a junior on the national team. Next year I will officially be a senior if I continue to orienteering. After I got back from JWOC I had a meeting with Brent to go over my races. After we talked about the races he asked me a very interesting question. He asked me, “ So now that you have been to JWOC and this also you last year as a junior do you think you will keep orienteering?” That thought had not crossed my mind. Am I done competing or doing I want to continue training and aim for WOC?

I feel like that is a big decision that every junior goes through when they are going to move up. It is not a question to take lightly. For the pass 2 years I have been traveling, working and training and I am now at that point in my life were I want to make a change. I have respect for all the orienteers who go to school, work and train their butts off.

I feel like for me it would be very hard to go to school, train for a big competition and also have a part-time job because you also have to take a moment to breathe. I feel that I have taken a long enough break form school and I am ready to go back. That helped me with my decision about if I want to keep orienteering. I decided Yes I do want to keep orienteering but I want to take a few years to get better first before I try for WOC or any of the other big events.

When I was thinking it over I kept thinking I love this sport and I don’t want to stop but I will have to slow down a little. I love all the opportunities I have had. I have met all lot of new people, made new friends and been to some amazing place just because I like to orienteering and it drives me to have these wonderful experiences. When it comes time for you to decide if you want to keep orienteering or not don’t make a snap decision, think it over long and hard!