Tomorrow WOC begins and our sprinters are ready for the qualification. The race starts from 1pm with the girls running first and the boys after. Before WOC begins we would like to say a big thank you to all our supporters and people that helped us get to Estonia.
Athlete profile: Tash
Name: Natasha Key
Nick name: strapper, Tash
Age: 23
Number of wocs: 9
Disciplines: Sprint, sprint relay, long, relay
State of origin: On the border
Coffee or tea: coffee
Favourite orienteering map: 24 white ave beer-O
What do you do in your non-orienteering life?: prods and cups people with her extremities.
Arrival of the final bulletin for a World Championships is like awaiting the federal budget, there is a lot of hype beforehand and then once it's released no one really understands it and there are plenty of errors and omissions.
The 2017 edition has been characterised by the "Contour Interval Dilema", much to Bridget's frustration. In bulletin 3 the contour interval for the middle distance was 2.5m and hence the team had been training on similar maps. NEWSFLASH: Bulletin 4 states contour interval is 5m. Bridget was originally annoyed but being the resilient person she is decided to head out today and train on a 5m contour interval map. NEWSFLASH: There is a mistake in bulletin 4 and the contour interval is in fact 2.5m. Bridget was irate, feeling much like the child in this video, out of control in a foreign place. The only thing that could fix her rage was Craney buying her an ice cream, much like the operator who steadied the young child at the end of the video.
Anyway...moving on
Athlete profile: Matt Crane
Name: Matt Crane
Nick name: Craney
Age: 23;)
Number of wocs: 7
Disciplines: Long, Middle, Relay
State of origin: ACT
Coffee or tea?: coffee
Favourite orienteering map: there are some good ones in France..
What do you do in your non-orienteering life?: I look after a small human being and I think about Henry.
Favourite quote: The world is your lobster.
Why do you like orienteering?: because it is the only sport I am good at.
Today the Australians arrived at their WOC accommodation. We are staying at a house outside of the town of Puhja (poo jar) which is close to a number of competition maps. Our house includes two suanas, an outdoor eating area, disc golf and oversized showers.
We initiatiated our newest Australian to the team (Matt Crane) by making him place the Boomerang magnets onto the team cars. He seemed happy about it.
Today the team split up to do different training. Brodie, Henry and Belinda went sprint training in Otepaa. Bridget went running around the ski fields and Tash and Matt went Orienteering in the terrain.
Nick name: here are the various names people have given me in my life: biddy, chops, stumps, budgie, bridgo, tegdirb, bridgididge, Richard, Pricard, and birdshit.
Age: 28
Number of wocs: 2
Disciplines: middle
State of origin:South Australia
Coffee or tea?: coffee
Favourite orienteering map: cascades and kangaroo crossing
What do you do in your non-orienteering life?: I look after small children and laugh at their misconceptions behind their backs… in other words, a teacher. ALSO CATS!
Favourite quote: it's not that I must succeed, it's that everyone else should fail.
Why do you like orienteering?: the people but also the isolation from people, the travel, the thrill of finding something with no other ability but your brain and a map.
Hello again!
As it was St John's day in Estonia today we are going to introduce you to some of the quirky culture of Estonia.
On the 22nd of June Estonian people celebrate St John's eve which is like their midsummer celebration. Estonians light bonfires and drink till the wee hours of the morning. During these celebrations it is customary for people to jump the bonfires and make a wish. I would guess that most people would just wish to make it to the other side.
On this night people also head out into the forest to look for the elusive fern blossom which is suppose to bring good luck and fertility to those who find it. According to google no ferns flower, so that's probably why the Estonian population growth is slow.
Athlete profile!
Name: Brodie Nankervis
DJ name: Brodizzle
Age: 22
Number of wocs: 2
Disciplines: sprint qual and sprint final
State of origin: Tasweigen
Coffee or tea?: tea
Favourite orienteering map: Tinpot creek
What do you do in your non-orienteering life?: eat breakfast at traffic lights and prods other people with his extremities
Favourite quote: “but they were big beers”- MCK
Two truths, one lie: I don't like orienteering, I once pooed in the shower and I am a Physio.
What do you do in your non-orienteering life?: Travel, study, teach.
Favourite quote: there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes
Why do you like orienteering?: it's fun to run in the forest and I go to cool places.
Training update:
Today we went out to a map near the town of Otepaa. Yesterday we went through this town and it hailed. It hailed a lot. The forest was quite nice today and runnable but there were places where low visibility made navigation challenging.
Forgot to include the photo of the team house - from the outside. Very nice and much more spacious than the special poles set up for storks to make their nests. These are everywhere. Not sure if there's a map symbol for stork nest??
Sprint training was on a neat map near the border with Latvia, Valga-Valka. Nice and technical.
Sprint Training in Valga-Valka
Almost as technical as the 'down time' activities of solving the 3 Aliens Maths Problem, and playing Bananagrams.
Simon & Henry figuring out maths problems - how relaxing!
Hello again!
Today we have a quiz for you. Can you correctly name the o-bag to the person in the house.
Your options are Simon, Bridget, Henry, Belinda, Krystal and Jim.
Write your answer in the comments.
Athlete profile: Henry!
Name: Henry McNulty
Nick name: Fenry
Age: 20
Number of wocs: 2
Disciplines: sprint, sprint relay
State of origin: Western Australia
Coffee or tea: Coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon
Favourite orienteering map: Hill Park Dale
What do you do in your non-orienteering life?: I think about numbers
Favourite quote: you'll have to speak up I'm wearing a towel
Why do you like orienteering?: I was forced into it and now it's too late to get out
So we've been checking out what low visibility means by Estonian standards... it looks a bit like this...
Estonian forest
The area was on a map called Paidapalun, south of where the Middle Distance competition will be held. The forest was really nice underfoot - but really low visibility!! Fun running.
Paidapalun
Introducing Belinda, one of our two Boomerangs debutants ...
Belinda Lawford
Name: Belinda Lawford Nick name: Bun Age: 26 Number of WOCs?: 1 Disciplines in 2017: sprint and middle State of origin: ACT Coffee or tea?: tea Favourite orienteering map: Cascades and Pittwater What do you do in your non-orienteering life?: PhD, that's pretty much all I do. Favourite quote: It's a moo point, it's like a cows opinion, it's moo. Why do you like orienteering?: cause it's different every time.
Hello
everyone! The Aussies have arrived in Estonia. We are currently on our training
camp in a small BnB farm called Hallivarku which we just learnt means Grey
Hill. We have seen no grey or hills yet.
Cosy Training Camp Accommodation
The impressive shoe rack!
Here
are some photos of our accommodation and our wonderful shoe rack which will
ever increase once Brodie arrives.
All
is well here and we will try to keep you updated on our training. We are
heading out to a map near the middle this afternoon.
We hope you enjoy following us on the team blog..sorry the full blog site is not up to date, but we'll work on that when we are not out training, or eating or tidying the shoe rack!
Each day we'll introduce one or two of our Aussie WOC Team members to you, as they answer a few quirky questions. Firstly, Boomerangs regular...Simon Uppill.
Simon Uppill
Name: Simon Uppill
Nick name: Bun
Age: 29
Number of WOCs?: 9
Disciplines in 2017: sprint, sprint relay, middle
State of origin: Queensland
Coffee or tea?: neither
Favourite orienteering map: I don't know, lots of maps?
What do you do in your non-orienteering life?: works, cats and games.
Boomerangs team members have started to arrive at the team training camp near Tartu, to commence final preparations for the World Orienteering Championships. All the action begins on Friday 30 June. Keep up with the inside team information here on the Boomerang's blog, as well as the OA Facebook page.
