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Laurie Citynski - coach, Whistler Mountain, Whistler, BC (2026)

06/21/2023

I have many thoughts about how it's equally joyous and frustrating to be racing in some capacity again, even if it's just at the local $5 events.
There's a racer in there somewhere, she's just learning to trust her bike and body again after a few years off with injury.
The need for speed is building. Let's go nyeeeeeow.
📸

05/28/2023

There is something really special about leading a train of ladies down a trail and listening to them whooping and hollering with joy the whole way. It never gets old - bikes are the best!
I had a great time guiding and coaching at the inaugural in Squamish this year. Ladies, if you didn't check it out, follow their page to keep in the loop for next May!
Women having a safe, fun place to connect and lift each other up is so fulfilling to be a part of. ❤️🎉
📸

03/27/2023

Grateful for all rides, even the rainy ones. ❤️
March is turning into a special month for me. 12 years ago I was introduced to mountain bikes (best day ever!) whereas last year I lay in a hospital bed with a herniated disc in my back, unsure if I'd be able to ride again (worst day ever!).
I'm still dealing with nerve/back issues, but I can still ride in some capacity and that's the best feeling in the world. I think about how far I've come, both in skill (compared to 12 years ago) and in recovery (compared to not having use of my leg last year).
Progress is rarely linear, but I think the important thing is to always be striving for improvement. When you think you've fallen 10 steps behind, the goal doesn't have to be to get back to where you were - it is just to move forward with what you have, one step at a time. Figuring out how to enjoy the process is the key.
Remember that restructuring your goals isn't failure, it's growth. You're doing great. ❤️

03/05/2023

Countdown to Whistler biking is on! Who's keen for some laps with me and the beast this summer?? 😍

02/01/2023

I like this reminder. ❤️
We may not agree on beauty, but anyone can feel a kind heart and a generous spirit. These are things that can transcend language, culture and ideals.
Maybe we need to grow our beautiful souls rather than fixate on what is in the mirror. Be accepting rather than look for acceptance. Be love. Be you.

01/09/2023

Good things don't always come easy and the hardest exteriors may hide the sweetest taste.
Sometimes you just need a bit of local knowledge and a machete.

12/12/2022

It's International Mountain Day! ❤️
For many of us, biking and the mountains fill a large part of our lives. The joy and fulfillment we find from these peaks is multifaceted. Social connection, self-efficacy, resilience, fitness... The list goes on.
Sharing the benefits of the mountains to everyone, regardless of age or ability, helps enhance the self esteem and physical well-being of people that may otherwise not be able to experience this freedom.
I'm so lucky my work allows me to inspire self-efficacy and build a sense of belonging in general. I've spent many years coaching women (and men!) on bikes, but volunteering with and taking the kids and adaptive modules from this year really upped my game. Learning about how to creatively overcome barriers made me a better coach and a more empathetic person. I wholeheartedly recommend these to anyone.
Today is a great day to reflect on the influence mountains have had on your life. Whether you're a coach or not, how can we share that passion with others? Giving your time? Expertise? Money? Old gear? Questions to ponder.
Much love, my mountain friends. ❤️

12/07/2022

Shockingly, there are times where I'm not thinking about the why... ..sometimes I think about what is for dinner. 🌮
📸

10/07/2022

I had a really tough end to the season on Wednesday. I'm okay, just a bunch of stitches, grade 1 AC tear and lots of cuts and bruises. I'm really, really lucky.
Anyways, I thought I'd talk about the lesson learnt - if you're towing someone into something for their first time, always make a plan for what you're going to do AFTER hitting the feature.
As coaches, we talk so much about the feature itself that it's easy to forget about what happens afterwards - Are we going to stop right away? Are we going to hit the next feature too, then pull over? Make sure everyone understands the plan from start to finish.
Long story short, my crash was terrifying, and a result of trying not to hit the friend in front of me when we decided to do different things on a big, high speed jump after the feature we were focused on. It was an honest mistake, and definitely something we learned from.
Plan your ride and ride your plan. Questions are never stupid.

05/20/2022

8 weeks ago today I herniated a disc in my back. I was admitted to emergency because (after the shattering pain subsided enough) I realized I couldn't move or feel most of my right leg. I was cleared for complications, but it still wasn't good.
Trying to survive daily life was difficult, so in the meantime I talked to anyone I knew who could guide me on recovery and surgical possibilities and read anything and everything related to spine and nerve issues. It was exhausting!
Every week saw its own progress though:
After week 1 the pain went away enough that I could sleep again.
Week 2 I could drag my leg around on a "walk".
Week 3 I could drive a bit.
And so on.
Now that it's week 8, I look back and realize how far I've come. When you've got an injury it's really easy to isolate yourself and see all the things you're missing out on (and maybe that's just missing out on the ability to put on your socks!).
I think the important thing is to remember that bodies heal - bodies are resilient and recovery is not always linear, so even though you're taking things day by day, it's also important to zoom out and look at things week by week or even month by month. It gives your mind positive reinforcement and mindset is really everything. 💪
Anyways, it's "Whismas" today and I wish I could ride my mountain bike, but I still can't feel my foot... Getting there though, and honestly I am stoked to be able to do what I can do in the meantime! 🙏

04/23/2022

"I'm not a math person"
I struggled with math in highschool so shrugged it off and reduced myself to that simple description. I refused to take anything related to math and believed it was just something to avoid forever.
The past two years I've been plugging away at some school and one of my requirements was to pass physics 12 with a 72% or better.
I HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH MATH WAS IN PHYSICS. 🤯
After taking my last math course 16 years ago, it was a massive struggle to get through physics 11... However every test was open book and I didn't understand anything.
Physics 12 was next, and it was NOT open book. I needed to figure it out for real this time. I had to do it. I had to become a "math person".
I stayed late after every class to ask questions. I did all the homework. I spent hours locked in my room with a calculator and Khan Academy YouTube videos to explain the principles better.
Long story short, I worked really hard and put in the time.
Yesterday I took my final exam in physics 12 and I got a 47/50. I am so stoked. Yeah, my bachelor's degree is cool and all but flipping the script on what I believed I would never be able to do is even cooler.
You can break the self-fulfilling prophecy. If you put your mind to something, work hard consistently and fully commit to becoming what you want to become I really believe it's possible.
What do you think you suck at? Have you really tried?

04/07/2022

Auguste Rodin: The Three Shades.
The three damned souls originally stood on top of the famous sculpture of The Gates of Hell and pointed to the phrase, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
Well... "While there's life, there's hope." - Marcus Tullius Cicero.
You are not a damned soul. You are alive and you have the power to change. Maybe not your situation, but at the very least, your mindset. Humans are resilient. Even at the very worst of times, humans can adapt. We see it again and again. Struggles make people stronger and hope is what keeps them going.
“If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an eradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete.” - Viktor Frankl
When you abandon hope, you give away the essence of your humanness. Never choose to enter the door, unless you don't intend on coming back.
Find your why.

Laurie Citynski - coach

06/21/2023

05/28/2023

03/27/2023

03/05/2023

02/01/2023

01/09/2023

12/12/2022

12/07/2022

10/07/2022

05/20/2022

04/23/2022

04/07/2022

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