Player's Own Voice podcast: Live with Kristina Groves
COC Olympic lab tunes up Tokyo hopefuls
When the Canadian Olympic Committee asked Anastasia Bucsis about running a live podcast for an audience of Canadian Olympians heading to Tokyo, the first question was: what is it we want to help athletes understand?
The answer was "Flow," that quicksilver, dialled-in state where an athlete enters a focused zone of excellence. "Flow" is relaxed and alert, fast and unhurried. Steady amid the chaos. Very zen. For Anastasia, it was obvious who to call to work through the idea .
Kristina Groves is the winner of four Olympic medals and a host of world championship hardware as well. She is one of the most consistent athletes Canada has ever known. If anyone, by virtue of practise and habit, can summon that "Flow" state of mind, Groves is the one to do it.
This edition of the Player's Own Voice podcast was a bit of an experiment. We liked the live feedback. We may try it again if we come across another captive audience. Meantime, we are still recharging the batteries and lining up our ducks for season three. We'll be back in full swing in a couple of months.
Like the CBC Sports' Player's Own Voice essay series, where Kristina has also contributed her thoughts about competing despite the presence of cheating, POV podcast lets athletes speak to Canadians about issues from a personal perspective. To listen to Kristina Groves and earlier guests this season, subscribe for free on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Tune In or wherever you get your other podcasts.