2nd email for the Adopt and athlete program

Here is the second email I sent to the elementary class that in Vancouver that has adopted me through the Canadian Olympic Adopt an Athlete program!


Hey Guys and Gals! 

Thanks for the great questions this week, I have answered them as best I could!

1. Why did you choose beach over indoor volleyball?

Well I played every sport under the sun before I was 10 but my main focus at that point in my life was swimming. I was ranked in the top 10 in Canada for the freestyle 50 meter sprint and I still have records that haven't been broken from 16 and 17 years ago! Sadly I had an allergic reaction to chlorine so I had to stop swimming and I found beach volleyball in a fun professional demonstration event that was played in a local ice arena when I was 10. I couldn't stop thinking about it and told myself in grade 6 that I would move to Australia to play pro!!! I started playing in tournaments when I was 14 and I have been leading my Olympic dream since then.

2. Do you know the opponents you play?

This is a great question. I do know many of my opponents because alot of the time we are taking the same airplanes and staying in the same hotels. We get to know each other off the beach and I am really good friends with guys and gals from New Zealand, Brazil, Switzerland, Australia, Norway, England and France. 

3. What % sure are you that you will make it to the Olympics

This is a very difficult question to answer because it is 2 years away and a lot can happen between now and then. With over 100 teams trying for 24 spots in the Olympics the competition is fierce. Lets just keep it simple and say that the odds are 50/50.

4. Do you ever relax at the beach?

One of the reasons I love beach volleyball so much is because of the beach! It is my favourite place to hang out because of the waves, the sun, the people and all the fun activities that can be enjoyed in the sand. If I could, I would be on the beach every day for the rest of my life!

5. Favorite food after a match

After a match I love a good pasta meal. Big chunks of italian sausage or chicken with a nice margarita sauce is delicious!

6. Favorite move in beach volleyball

I would say that nothing beats the feeling of a really big block on someone. That is my favourite thing to do to my opponent.

7. Cohen loved the alligator response and is now quite curious about great white sharks

Well Cohen, thanks for asking. I find white sharks to be extremely interesting because they are so powerful and so feared which in some part has turned them into an endangered species. Did you know that if a white shark stops swimming it will sink and drown?! Also I really enjoyed the Planet Earth video where it showed the sharks jumping out of the water to hunt seals in slow motion, that was really cool. 

8. We were also hoping you could recommend a video of you playing. We already watched Can 1 vs. USA 1 in Cayman islands with Ray.

Well without being biased I would recommend the video of us playing in the National Championship final where we won!


There is also a really neat one where I am playing with a partner named ray against a German team on Ipanema beach in Brazil. You might enjoy that one because I show a bit of the beach and the scenery is amazing with the "Two Brothers" mountains in the background.

And to you Jackson, thanks for the videos. Pretty neat to see giant squid in their natural habitat because they are normally so deep in water. Did you hear about the time when a lot of them washed up on the beaches of Tofino on Vancouver Island? Here is the link to the story.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/08/05/bc-tofino-giant-squid.html

And to keep with our little tradition of watching videos, I wanted to send you my favourite funny video of all time. It is called "Bizkit the sleep walking dog" and it is HILARIOUS!

Until the next email!!!

All the best and keep working hard.

Martin

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Martin Reader

1-778-228-1654

2010 Canadian Champion

www.martinreader.ca

www.martinreader.blogspot.com
Youtube - beachballincanada

"You are as strong as your drive"