(From Christine Blanchette’s regular column in The Record, “A Runner’s Mind.”) Since Canadian skeleton team member Cassie Hawrysh decided to retire last June, she’s had to reset her sights from the Winter Games in Pyeongchang to coaching. While leaving the world stage behind wasn’t easy, Hawrysh now has an opportunity as a head coach at Whistler, B.C. to give back to the sport she loves. In our Q&A interview, Hawrysh talks about her passion for the sport and how she knew it was time to let go as an athlete. Q: When did you know it was time to retire from Skeleton racing? A: I don’t think there are any elite athletes in the world who aren’t intuitively aware of “expiration dates”. That isn’t to say that athletes stop being athletes – being a high performance human in all that we do is in our DNA – but competitive levels change and we don’t stay in the races forever. My career was filled with world cup medals, Olympic hope, despair and unwavering honor to best represent Canada. I regret nothing. Thankfully, it wasn’t my body that decided for me but instead my mind and my heart came to a joint decision – and I knew it was time to dive head-first into life’s next adventures. See full story in the Friday, Feb. 23rd edition of The Record.
Canadian Skeleton racer Cassie Hawrysh hangs up helmet for coaching
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