celebrating sport & community

What could be better than a global sporting event coming to your home country? Absolutely nothing. It's like those credit card commercials...

flight to British Columbia = $897.

lululemon cheer gear = $218.

2 cases of beer for your brother whose couch you'll call home = $48.

participating in the spirit of the global sporting event = priceless.

Welcoming the world in a great celebration of sport and community is the perfect job for British Columbians, a group of awesome people who are known for their active lifestyles and friendly ways.

As Canadians, we'll be SHARING our land...

our culture...

our homes...well, at least my brother will...(i hope!)

and even yoga! lululemon is giving the gift of Complimentary Yoga for everyone in Vancouver so they can step away from the hustle and bustle for a moment and just breathe. Wowza!

"Nothing says Canada like hockey...
...and nothing says hockey like missing teeth, bad hair, and stubble."

Inspired yet? By playing host to the WORLD in the new year, we'll be bringing together eighty countries in celebration, competition, and camaraderie. "C" that? Craziness is on the horizon.

Speaking of the big "C". Canadians I'll be cheering for include: Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (ice dance), Clara Hughes (speed skating), Devon Kershaw (cross country skiing), Emily Cook (freestyle skiing aerials), and TJ Lanning (alpine skiing), all of whom are elite ambassadors for lululemon! My prediction for edge of your seat events are: ice dance, hockey, luge, half-pipe, and freestyle skiing. Many classic rivalries are sure to be out in full force.

Nothing brings the world closer together better than a global sporting event. It bridges the gaps of countries as everyone shares in the competition's victories and defeats, smiles and heartbreak, spirit and fun. I can't wait to laugh, cry, shout, and cheer for the athletes. I'll tack my heart to my sleeve and enjoy the roller coaster ride, every inch of the way!

Remember: Fuel the fire from within because everything you'll ever need is within you.

all you ever need is within you

I got the chance to meet up with Canadian snowboarder Arthur Sapounas who was winding down with a yoga class at Moksha after a long day in the pipe. He's competing in the half-pipe event on February 16th with fellow teammate, Ziggi Moore. Decked out in red and white he has Canadian pride written all over him with a motto of "all you ever need in within you."

When asked what he's anticipating heading into the event, he answered, "I'm excited to represent Canada with the home team advantage! I have the entire country behind me and a one up through the incredible support of my peers."

G:What does your training look like at this stage of the game?

A: It looks the same as it always has. Perfect practice makes perfect. I ride the pipe from dusk to dawn and wind down with a yoga class at the end of the day. I'm livin' the dream with this lifestyle.

G: How long have you trained for this event?

A: Basically my entire life. I started snowboarding at age seven in Kitchener, Ontario. There's a bite sized ski hill called Chicopee. I moved out to Van[couver] in 2002. I thought it was to study Political Science at UBC but instead I was graduating from hills to mountains and my snowboarding career started taking off.

G: What is your goal for this event?

A: My first goal was to be in the event, and now that I'm in it, I'm in it to win it. (laughs). No big deal right?

G: Who has been your biggest influence in your athletic career?

A: Honestly, my mother. She has always supported me by encouraging me to follow my heart and dreams.

G: What does it mean to be an elite ambassador for lululemon athletica?

A: I thank lululemon daily for providing me with complimentary yoga classes. They keep me limber and on top of my game in the pipe. Also, lululemon is keeping me lodged at their home in Whistler so I can focus on training instead of traveling from Vancouver to Whistler on a daily basis like I used to. They've also supported me through goal-coaching. Can I add in a little product blurb?

G: Of course!

A: I love their RIP-T stuff. It's made with luxtreme, their quickest wicking fabric that acts as a compression piece. It keeps me dry under my gear but best of all...it's stink proof in the pits from a coated fabric called circle mesh. Amazing eh?

G: I guess asking you what you train in is no longer necessary!

A: (laughs).

G: Do you have any favourite quotes you live by?

A: At the moment, "visualize success and it will be yours."

what's Canada to you?

Mounties, lemmings, milk in a bag? If so, check it out: Oh Canada by Five Iron Frenzy !

top 10 reasons to cheer this season...

10. Cheer could mean a shout of encouragement, gladness, it could remind you of your favourite bar/tv show, or that detergent that gets your stains out…either way you shake it, sounds pretty appealing.

9. Athletes from 80 countries will be competing in British Columbia in the new year. You're bound to have roots from one of those eighty nations.

8. Your mother's sister's aunt

's cousin's father's friend knows one of the athletes from Tajikistan who could use your support.

7. The athletes that are competing have trained hard for their whole lives, and hopefully had a beer or two along the way. You however, possibly enjoy a beer or two a little more often. That's reason enough to celebrate.

6. You're decked out in red and white this holiday season so ya may as well sing Oh, Canada!

5. You just moved here from Trinidad and Tobago and are seeing snow for the first time.

4. You wanna welcome those other seventy-nine nations to your home country, Canada, and show them what our culture is all about...igloos, maple syrup, and hockey eh?

3. You're from Toronto and would like to show the west coast how awesome you are, even if Coors says your cold.

Colder than Most People From Toronto

2. You've finally got your Tim Hortons coffee and are headed to watch hockey, after warming up your car for thirty minutes while digging it out of 1.5 feet of snow with a curling broom.

1. You have a cheering voice that only a mother could love.

CGSE...what's that?

The Cool Global Sporting Event (CGSE) is taking place in BC between 2009 and 2011.  What is it to you?

Pop Quiz: BC is an acronym for what?

a. because
b. Boot Camp
c. Bill Cosby
d. Birth Certificate
e. British Columbia
f. Bilingual Chitosan

If you answered all of the above, you are correct.  I love beautiful BC, whatever it means to you.

CGSE, let's break it down...
C=Cool.  Not as in temperature, although it can get cold in the mountains...but like cool dude.
G=Global.  As in people from all over the world take part.  Yes, even Kazakhstan.  Maybe not Borat though.
S=Sporting.  This could include many sports.  Fly fishing, poker, pie eating contests, or none of the above.
E= Event.  need I say more?

Cool Global Sporting Event...stay tuned for more.