photo by Jeff Farsai

It’s a dream that anyone who has ever fallen in love with a sport has most likely contemplated at one point or another. For some athletes, representing their country at the Games is a measure of knowing they’ve made it. Olympic silver medalist and Fashion Island ambassador Jaime Komer, talks about life after the Olympics – a life she hadn’t ever planned for.

dreaming the dream

I competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and earned a silver medal with the USA Women's water polo team. Achieving something like this was a "hmm, imagine if..." question ever since I fell in love with the sport. My passion for water polo pushed me beyond my perceived limits, introduced me to some of the most inspiring individuals I've ever met, took me on adventures around the globe and allowed me to truly understand the concept of “I can and I will.”

The idea of setting audacious and slightly (or very!) intimidating goals is what got me where I am today. I attribute much of my success to the daily, monthly and yearly goals I set pre-Olympics. Breaking down the work I knew I had to do into goals, helped me through the tough journey I knew was ahead.

to the olympics and beyond

Oddly enough, the hardest part was actually after the games. Here’s the thing, when you’re training for the Olympics you dedicate your whole life to the sport. You’ve got your sights set on making one goal happen and everything else (and everyone else) gets put on hold. (This is the part where I thank my husband and family for their understanding while I continually missed birthdays, anniversaries and, almost, my own brother's wedding!). The last thing on your mind is, "Soooo, what am I going to do with myself after this?"

the dream after the olympic one

I've heard many stories about athletes experiencing post-Olympic depression once they stop competing in their respective sport. It’s all you know for the longest time and in a way, it has defined you as a person. It can be difficult to move on and dare to open yourself up to a new dream.  How will anything top the act of going to the Olympic Games? Some will say that nothing can.

I am excited to say I am taking a different perspective. I realized that creating big ol' freakishly awesome (yet thoroughly audacious) goals didn’t have to stop there. Have I given everything I can to the world, my community, my family, my legacy? Certainly not! It wasn’t until I could cross off my Olympic goals that I could start to realize what else was out there for me and a world of possibility opened up.

Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or a seasoned goal setter, the feeling of “what’s next?” is a familiar and sometimes scary one. Ever had your sights set on one thing for so long, you didn’t know what to do after?

Red nation domination.

Coach Jenna is plotting her next move.

Warm ears and warm hearts.

Are you ready for a rematch?

Get your head in the game.

and stand tall.

Game on.

Which nation will you join?

Hockey Helmets for the big game available in select stores and online.
http://shop.lululemon.com/Hockey_Helmet/pd/cl/2252/np/490/p/1738.html

When I received the call three weeks ago that I had been nominated to run with the torch, I was… well, not that excited. I know that sounds bad and I by no means was taking the honour lightly, but in the spirit of full disclosure this was what was going through my head: well, your goal was to win the Olympics in Vancouver, but I guess carrying the torch is kind of cool.

You see, as a two-time Olympian who was forced into retirement through injury, my past Olympic experiences had consisted of operating within an insular bubble of train-rest- compete-leave. I was not exposed to what the world around me understood. I admittedly pretended to understand what this “Olympic movement” was all about.

As an athlete who competed continually throughout the two weeks, I only left the security of the Village to train or compete. All of my down time was spent preparing for the next competition. In preparation for the Olympics in 2002, I decided not to attend the opening ceremonies. As unfathomable as this is to many, I felt like it would negatively affect my competition. Looking back now, I regret that decision. I had not absorbed the spirit of the Games, I just wanted to win.

Well, it took two Olympics, and a 300m run with a torch, but I’ve finally got the spirit! When I boarded that bus with my 15 fellow torch bearers, who together would cover a whopping distance of 4.5 km, something happened, something changed. I don’t know if it was our guide who could barely speak of the Olympics without crying, or the woman who was running in honour of her daughter Hope who had recently passed away, but I started to tingle as that bus took off. 

Allison's biggest/littlest fan

We cruised down the streets lined with people waving flags and kids chanting and the tingles turned to tears. By the time I actually took off with the official flame for my 300m segment, I knew what I think others knew all along. The Olympic Games represent so much more than sport. They truly are a peace movement, where a country first comes together to carry a torch a total of 45,000km, and then welcomes the rest of the world in the celebration of challenging the human spirit. I apologize if I am telling you all something you already knew, but I just wanted to share that it took the torch to teach me this, and I will always be grateful. Go World!

What do you get when you mix 10 of the world’s best athletes, one of the world’s best yogis, two of the world’s best designers, two of the world’s best lululemon-leaders, and one of the most beautiful places on earth? Well, you get the lululemon elite retreat 2009 -- and obviously a really great time.

Early July 2009 saw myself and our fearless community leader, Eric, take some of our amazing elite ambassadors on the annual-legendary elite retreat to Tofino, BC. I am undeniably biased about the wonder of Tofino (being from Vancouver Island myself) but seriously, people - Google it and go!

To best describe this surreal experience, here’s a day in the life of an elite retreater. And I should know, as I was the diligent itinerary creator.

6:30 - 7:30am The athletes suit up and head in to the water for an early morning surf session

7:30am We grab a quick bite and head over to the yoga studio

8:00 - 9:30am Eoin Finn leads us through a true Eoin-esque practice. There is laughter, challenge, surf quotes, and an overwhelming confidence in us all that yoga truly does enhance elite athletic pursuits.

9:30am We eat again! The athletes should be - Eric and I are just indulging and pretending to be training for the Olympics like the rest of them.

10:00am - 12:00pm The athletes head out for their individual training sessions. Yes, if you are counting, this is the third time they have worked out already today. The bobsledders head to the gym to squat imaginable amounts of weight as the Nordic combined skier goes off for a wee 2.5 hr run. All in pursuit of Olympic gold. Terribly inspiring.

12:30pm You guessed it- we eat again! The food Olympics.

1:00pm Marks the arrival of our two designers du choix - Shannon and MelEesa, and our vice-president of everything progressively inspiring - Sherry.

2:00 - 5:00pm The athletes immediately bond to the new lululemon family members that have arrived and the surf is up so our athletes drag the designers in to the water for a surf session.

5:30pm The design meeting to top all design meeting commences. Shannon and MelEesa create pandemonium with the new fantastic fall samples and our athletes provide us with what can only be described as mind-boggling feedback from the world’s best athletes (because that’s what they are).

7:30pm The conversation continues as we take down some real west coast sushi action.

8:30pm Bedtime. Having all become fast, furious friends, we share conversation and inspiration around a bonfire on the beach - oh, and of course we eat! S'mores!

I speak for us all when I say that to be on a trip like this one is truly inspirational. (Have I used that word already? ) I feel my position here is one of connector of inspirational people and I am honoured to be in this role. These athletes are members of our family and they absolutely love being supported by us with our culture and our movement of elevating the world from mediocrity to greatness. We feel they are true representatives of what it means to strive for greatness in your life and as they strive for Olympic gold next year, we will be there to support them as true family members do.

Clara Hughes is an amazing Canadian cyclist and speedskater who has won multiple Olympic medals in addition to many other athletic achievements. She also happens to be an amazing person, and her list of personal accomplishments and commitment to programs such as Right to Play (an international humanitarian organization that uses sport to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world) is just as long as her list of athletic titles. We are very proud to call her a lululemon elite ambassador.

In preparation for the upcoming World Cup Speed Skating season, Clara completed a 19-day hike in the mountains of California for altitude training where she and her husband hiked to heights of 14,200 feet and camped in windy conditions with the temperature hitting -17 degrees celcius at times. Why would someone put themselves through something like this, you ask? Read on to find out, in Clara's own words:

A friend of mine recently suggested I take up golf. It was after an email I had sent, letting him know I had to come out of the mountains in order to pick up an ice axe, crampons and snow shoes. Why all this gear? My husband Peter and I were attempting to complete a desert mountain traverse that few, if any, have completed. When I think back to day number two of the 19-day hike, as Peter and I huddled beside a fallen tree in futile attempt to get out of the raging wind and -17c temperature to eat our dinner, I think that maybe that friend is right. We crouched down on a nameless ridge up at 10,800 feet wondering just where was the warmth we had traveled so far from Quebec to enjoy. There were many days on this trip that left me questioning my rational for such endeavors.

The place I'm talking about is a little known, little hiked, mountain range in California. First with the Inyo and then the White Mountains, it's a desert range that runs about 200 kilometers as the crow flies. It begins at an abandoned mining camp called Cerro Gordo on a rough dirt road that branches off the highway to Death Valley. The elevation along our route along the range never dropped below 7,000 feet and reached peaks up to 14,200 feet. Because it's the desert there was no water water to be found, save for a few springs. But we didn't see any of those. Our sole source of drinking water was snow, melted over an open fire or the cook stove. Though purified or boiled, it was still at times dirty, smokey and hard to swallow. It's amazing what you drink when you're thirsty.

This 'trip' was my idea of altitude training. No team, no guide, no group- just me and Peter out there to fend for ourselves against the elements. It's a situation I crave compared to my normal existence as an athlete. It's organic and it's real. There's something about being self-contained and the challenge this situation entails that thrills me. When I think back to two years ago when the National Team funded the purchase and installment of an altitude room at my training location in Calgary, Alberta, it makes me laugh. I lasted approximately two hours in that set-up. I woke up, gasping for air, from a nightmare that had Darth Vader (the ultimate Star Wars villain) haunting my room. The sound of the generators made me crazy. I have made many sacrifices for sport, but some are just too much for me. Thus, this idea to live and train high that our team physiologist suggested that I decided to take to my own extreme.

While packing for the trip we prepared for mild to cool weather. In fact, we could see the range from our friend's home in the town of Bishop as we planned and packed. It took two days and we spent much of the time looking up at the massive range spread before us, wondering how much snow waited for us up there, or if we'd run out of snow pack to melt.

With eight days of food we set off for the first leg of the traverse, and I now know what it's like to weigh 220 pounds. Those first few steps with the burden of gear and supplies on my back made me feel like a pack mule. It was up to us to make sure the carefully measured and planned contents of the backpack would get us to a food cache we stashed about 100 kilometers ahead in the pinyon forest on a 4 wheel drive road a few miles below the mountain crest. We would be taking a layover day at the cache so I packed a few treats in – beer, chips, salsa, cookies – along with a 5 gallon container of water.

The first day was hard and it remained hard for the rest of the trip. There were no trails but at times we could follow along an abandoned mining road. The rest of the hike was navigating with topographic maps while trying to find the best route through the mountainous terrain choked with sage bushes and little-leaf mahogany trees, enormous boulder fields that formed ridges up peaks and at times, some very sketchy snow fields on the steep northeastern slopes off the highest peaks.

My husband and I don't really care to sleep in tents. Instead, we prefer sleeping out under the stars, bringing along a lightweight tarp for shelter in case it happens to snow. For some some reason, this trip we brought a small tent made for one person but big enough for two, 'just in case'. The weather is always unpredictable in the Spring and it happened that instead of sleeping out, which we did on only two nights, we found ourselves taking shelter from the raging winds that made camping out in temperatures averaging from -3 to -17 a little more than I bargained for. We'd finish a grueling day of walking, navigating, climbing and/or tearing through unforgiving desert brush and set up that tent, working as a team so that the paper thin shelter did not blow away with the relentless winds.

From 6pm on everyday, we'd cram into the space that offered minimal protection but at least conserved some of the warmth our tired bodies gave off. Into the cocoons of our sleeping bags we'd go, Peter beginning the 3-hour process of melting the snow we'd hack away from hardened packs with our ice-axes, first for tea, then dinner and ultimately enough for two quarts of water each to get us through the next day. It was excruciating to squeeze into that tent every night, not being able to stretch and barely able to shift positions because of the space allowed and the amount of clothing we wore in our sleeping bags. Muscles ached and stiffened, and I thought many times of the amount of stretching I do before, during and after training. This was the antithesis of my life as an athlete and exactly where I wanted to be.

We slept little because all camps were above 9,000 feet, the highest at 13,400 feet. Such thin air makes sleep restless, and when combined with the roaring wind tearing away at the tent, it was as if we slept within a battle field in full tilt. That same wind raged day after day, with gusts blowing so hard we would sway back and forth in unison. We wore toques and neck gators, pulled high, while pulling the hoods of our wind jackets over our heads.

Native Americans used this entire area for hunting which was evident by the continual pieces of arrowheads found along the way. They ranged from tiny ones that, I assume, were used for birds, to points discovered above 13,000 as we walked mile after mile. Here, there were many signs of Bighorn Sheep, with droppings and resting spots found in the highest reaches of the White Mountains.

With so many challenging, beautiful moments during the journey, it's difficult to pick just one that stands out from the rest. But if I had to choose, it would be the penultimate day, a thirteen hour effort. We slept at 12,500ft the previous night, and our little tent bore the brunt of the strongest winds yet, threatening to snap its poles. With filthy hiking boots wrapped in plastic bag in the foot of my bag to keep them from freezing yet again, we rose at first light and brewed coffee, remaining in our down bags. The rising sun added some warmth inside the tent, but outside, in the wind, it was bitterly cold. We forced ourselves to get an early start.

All day we walked methodically, rarely getting to sit for more than the quickest of rests as we'd get too chilled otherwise, nibbling on trail mix and candies for fuel. We climbed even higher on the plateau to 13,000 then dropped two thousand feet at a placed called the 'jump off' to the point where we would begin climbing Mt. Montgomery, the most technical climb on the range. Its steep ridges were draped in snow. As I looked up from the saddle below, knowing we had long passed the point of no return, I gasped at the intimidating grandeur. The closer we looked, the route became evident. Without snow, it would have been a technical scramble, but this was late spring, so away went the hiking poles and out came the ice axes. It didn't look easy, but at least it looked like we would be able to climb along its ridge if we were careful and methodical. We'd step onto steep snow fields and work our way from one rocky outcrop to another. Just when I thought we'd reach the last rocky ridge and the summit, there'd be another one to get around. Back onto another snow field and steep drop-off below to another outcrop. On and on it went.

Now, let me be clear and say that this wasn't necessarily supposed to be an adventure hike so much as merely a solid base of high altitude exercise forming the foundation for the upcoming skating season. So when I found myself on those terrifyingly steep slopes, mirroring Peter's kicks into the snow and placements of the ice axe, I have to admit I questioned the situation. Thoughts like 'what the hell am I doing up here with the Olympics in nine months!' turned into 'who cares about the Olympics I just want to get off this ridge alive!' and I learned, as I have many times before, what is really important.

I also realized just how much my years as an athlete have given me. Outside of the experiences, the victories, the moments I will never forget, they have given me a resilience that I believe stronger than ever can and will get me through any situation I find myself in in life. I learned how to use that ice axe and use it well, up on those ridges, because I am an athlete. I kept the intense focus hour after hour, feeling I could go on for days if I had to, because I am an athlete. I kept calm and rational even in those moments of intense fear, because I am an athlete. I followed and mimicked someone more skilled than me efficiently and confidently, because I am an athlete.

I can't imagine a better place or experience to prepare me for the stress, the unknown and the thrills of the journey ahead. Because I survived the 250 kilometer traverse and survived it well, I can't wait to see what the next nine months throw at me. Watch out, Tiger Woods!

- Clara Hughes

Above: Educator Kelly Ferraro, Guest Joanna Russo, Elyse Braner, Ultra-run Coach Bryon Powell, and Guest Cristina Burbach.

Recently at lululemon Logan Circle in Washington DC, we had our very own running meet and greet, called "Run into Runners". We invited several notable runners for our guests to interact with.

Runners are typically open and friendly people by nature, but I was struck with the ease in which the elite runners in our group and the beginner runners interacted. Time and experience didn't matter: we all had running in common, and that was enough. It was inspiring to see many first time lululemon guests at the event come out to our running club the following day.

Our run experts included:

• Melissa Tanner, an elite runner from Washington DC. She ran for Harvard University, and was third in the Marine Corp Marathon. Melissa brings a sense of balance to her training and racing, which is a huge part of the lululemon culture. Read more about Melissa's training: http://melissatanner.blogspot.com/
• Lance Breger, our phenomenal lululemon Logan Circle ambassador and head trainer at Mint Gym in Washington DC, discussed strength training for many of our guests and led core work demonstrations. Lance has an uncanny ability to make the beginner exerciser feel comfortable, so it was great to see him give some of our new runners advice on how to supplement their run program with strength work. Read more about Lance here: http://lancebreger.blogspot.com/
• It was also an honor to have one of my best friends and running/ life mentor at the event! Naoko Ishibe is truly an inspiration. She has twice qualified for Olympic Marathon trials, is a Harvard phD, and is one of the classiest women you will ever meet. Unlike many elite runners, Naoko did not start running until her senior year of college. Naoko is vice president of the Washington Run Club and recently led the club's women's team to a first place finish at the famous Cherry Blossom Ten Miler!
• Sean O'Brien, former pro-runner for Nike, and colleagues with Lance Breger at Mint Gym shared his amazing run stories. It was exciting to hear about his training and interactions with other elite athletes. Sean was definitely a fun run expert for our guests!
• Ultra-run Coach Bryon Powell, recently back from a 5 day race across the desert in Morocco was there to chat about very long distance running and his amazing adventures. Bryon is not only an inspiration in the running community, but he also really exemplifies the lululemon manifesto. Personally, he has inspired me to follow my passion for running and start a career in the running industry doing what I love. I think we are going to hear a lot more from Bryon in the upcoming months, and he will continue to inspire many more runners. You can read more about Bryon on his popular trail running website http://www.irunfar.com.
• Rick Amernick, president of the Capital Striders running club, brought many of his runners and shared a lot about his group and the upcoming race that the group is hosting on May 30th. Rick has grown his organization to over 1,200 members. You can get more information about Rick's group here: http://www.meetup.com/dccapitalstriders/.

During the event, we even had a surprise visit from elite runner Julie Cully, who was the first American finisher at the World Cross Country Championships! Julie is an inspiring athlete and it was an amazing treat for our guests to meet and interact with her.

lululemon is a hub of health and fitness and is a great resource for all athletes. Where else would you be able to interact with so many amazing runners in one place?

Above: Melissa Tanner (Elite Runner), Elyse Braner, and Julie Cully (elite Runner and first American finisher in the World Cross Country Championships.