Klassen gearing up for Games
The Rolling Stones famously sang that you can’t always get what you want, and in Cindy Klassen’s case, that’s turned out to be a good thing.
The most decorated Olympian in Canadian history was in Abbotsford on
Wednesday morning, speaking to a group of fans at a fundraising
breakfast for the Columbia Bible College athletic program.
During
her speech, Klassen revealed that her original dream was to crack the
roster of Canada’s Olympic women’s hockey team. But in 1997, one year
before the Nagano Games, she was cut at a tryout camp.
“When I got cut, I was devastated,” Klassen said. “I questioned God.
“But (hockey) wasn’t in his plan for my life.”
The following year, Klassen’s parents prevailed upon her to give speed skating a shot. At first, she was far from a natural.
“I
didn’t really want to put on that tight skin suit,” the Winnipeg native
said with a chuckle. “And I could barely stand up on the skates. Little
five-year-olds were flying past me.”
Klassen,
of course, ended up finding her form in a big way. In 2002, she climbed
the Olympic podium in Salt Lake City to collect a bronze medal in the
3,000 metres.
Her major
breakthrough came during the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. Klassen
won a gold, two silver and two bronze medals, becoming the first
Canadian to win five medals in a single Olympics.
Klassen’s
career has endured some turbulence in the years since. In 2008, she cut
her competitive season short after her sister Lisa was nearly killed in
a car accident in Manitoba. And she missed all of last season after
undergoing knee surgery.
These
days, Klassen is focused on getting back into race shape, with the goal
of representing Canada at the Vancouver Olympics in February. The
30-year-old participated in her first practice race last week, and said
her knees are responding well.
“I’m
feeling pretty strong,” said Klassen, who will participate in Canadian
Olympic team trials in December. “It’s hard to tell where I’m at, but
it’s looking promising.”
- Dan Kinvig, Abbotsford News
