Rebecca Rocks!
Rebecca Giddens Wins Olympic Silver Medal in Athens
AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis
Rebecca Giddens sits down to talk with Davey & Jennifer
Hearn just prior to the 2004 Olympic Team Trials on East Race
Waterway in South Bend, Indiana.
D&J: What have been doing to get ready for the Olympic Team Trials?
Rebecca: I came to South Bend a bit earlier and have been training on the course
for a week now, since last Tuesday. I’ll have a full two weeks training on this
good artificial whitewater course. It’s sort of a fine line trying to train
through the Olympic Team Trials for me. It’s a big race, but Athens is really
the “Olympic Trials”. My goal is to peak for the Athens Olympic qualifier in a
few weeks, April 22-25.
D&J: How are you feeling about your chances of making the Olympic Team?
Rebecca: Many people seem to think I have it all wrapped up with my Worlds race
(Bronze Medalist), but Sarah (Leith) can make the Olympic Team with a good race
here in South Bend and in Athens. I am feeling I have the chance to race well
here and it’ll be fine.
D&J: Have things been different paddling against one of your best friends, Sarah
Leith?
Rebecca: People keep saying and assuming I’m the one going to the Olympics, and
that’s got to be getting harder on Sarah. It’s tough to keep being compared to
someone else. It’s too bad, but it is really not possible the USA to earn a
second K1W Olympic boat. Four or five really good countries would need to mess
up in Athens, and that probably would not happen.
D&J: When was the last time you were on whitewater since training in Chile this
winter?
Rebecca: Before coming to South Bend I was training in Kernville, California,
training at the site of the 2000 National Championships. We have a full length
permanent gate site now, with about 28 training gates. In Kernville, I work on
a 10-11 day cycle of mini training camps, working out on the water 2 to 3
sessions per day with a really technical focus. Eric (Rebecca’s husband and
training partner) splits his time in San Diego for 4 days a week and in
Kernville for 3 days. When I return to our place in San Diego for the 4 days, I
have a different training focus on long distance, endurance, fitness, and ocean
surfing. (Rebecca owns a long board and short board for surfing depending upon the
conditions.) It feels really good to get away from the “scene” and not
know what’s going on in the world of whitewater all of the time. Whitewater
racing doesn’t come up in conversations at all.
I feel I was given this great
opportunity with slalom racing, and it is a real privilege to live this
lifestyle we have.
D&J: So, how many pull ups you can do? Are you lifting weights now?
Rebecca: 33 is my maximum number of pull ups under the watchful eye of my
trainer, Zach. Zach is always testing for good technique and focuses on a lot
of core body work. I feel I have gotten a lot stronger than I ever was. We do
a lot of sport specific work. Sometimes we add the 25 kilo belt to the pull
ups. We do lots of abdominal work. I feel I can really move the boat and whip
it around a lot easier now. I don’t get tired on the water as easy.
I try to lift all year, but what usually happens is that I have to end up
stopping June through August during the World races. It’s hard to work around
everyone's schedule during the races and we have been traveling more in the team
van and having to coordinate with a lot more people.
D&J: What else did you do this winter?
Rebecca: I went to Chile for training for three weeks this winter, and was home
in San Diego for about 12 days total since this spring. Kernville is very nice area
to train in. It is very beautiful and a great place to go for a jog on some
great trail. Training in a good pretty environment makes training a lot
easier. There is also a good gym in a guy’s home in Kernville that all the
kayakers use.
D&J: Have you been sick or injured since the Worlds last year?
Rebecca: I have been pretty healthy this year, except for maybe 3 days with the
flu. All of the weight training I have been doing has made my shoulders
stronger. We have also been focused on using opposing muscle groups which keeps
my body strong and balanced. Something I wasn’t really that good at on my own
before. I have had no injuries since leaving Atlanta in 2000.
D&J: Do you compare yourself to others in practice?
Rebecca: It’s easy for me to compare my times to Eric’s because we train
together so much. It’s very helpful to know my percentage range. I want Eric
to do good, but when he’s too close I don’t feel I have performed well enough.
This pushes me to go even harder. I am usually 8% back on Eric’s time if we
both have a really good run. Every once in a while I beat him, but it’s because
he didn’t have a good run. Right now, he cannot stop paddling because I’m still
training, which is really good for me.
D&J: If you make the Olympic Team again this year, how will this be different
than your first Olympics in 2000?
Rebecca: The first time I wasn’t prepared for the mental side of the Games. I
didn’t really know what to expect. People can tell you what it will be like,
but until you experience it for yourself, you really don’t know what it’s like.
I wasn’t really prepared for the energy level or all the nerves that I picked
up during the Olympics. I didn’t realize how intense it would be. This time I
know what to expect and hopefully I will be able to handle it better. Just
walking through the security guards everyday for everything was intense, and not
something you can really simulate.
D&J: Which World Cup events will you use to prepare for the Olympic Games?
Rebecca: I plan to race in a few World Cups this season. I am planning on
racing in Athens, Prague, and maybe Augsburg. I am not focused on these races,
and I feel that winning these World Cup races or doing well in these doesn’t
really give me much advantage or a big edge over my competition. World ranking
for the Olympics doesn’t really matter as much as it does for the World
Championships, because there won’t be as many K1W countries competing in the
Olympic Games. I am not planning on racing in Merano, Seo or France for the
World Cup. I’ll keep doing my 2 week training cycle program in Kernville and
San Diego, because it’s good for me.
D&J: Any advice for aspiring whitewater slalom women?
Rebecca: Don’t get caught up in always comparing yourself to other K1Ws. Find
out your percentages off the K1s and C1s too. Sometimes we get too caught up in
how well we do off so and so, and not remain focused on your own potential.
Work on achieving your own perfect whitewater run. Don’t get too worried about
beating a specific person, it tends to interfere with the big picture, and is
something you cannot possibly control. I chose the sport of slalom kayaking
and know that I will have another 50 in some race, so why fret about it and
worry about the possibility of messing up and adding to the nerves.
D&J: Do you have any Rebecca cues that let you know how your body is doing?
Rebecca: I have had enough injuries in the past to know my body. Sometimes that
is a bit hard to judge when you are an athlete and the coach is telling what
workouts to do and other athletes are doing other things, but you need to read
your body. For me it’s my elbows. When there are aches or pains I know it is
time to focus on another body part and just go for a run. Stress another part
of my body and let my elbows heal. When I was younger I would just try to
paddle through the pain, but that doesn’t work. Body conditioning and getting
exercise out of the boat is good for my body and mind. It is good for me to
take breaks from paddling.
D&J: What do you think the sport could do in the USA to improve our results
against other countries?
Rebecca: Having more good artificial courses in towns across the USA. The South
Bend course is pretty good, but its too cold in winter. Courses like Prague and
Seo are great because Mom doesn’t have to drive you everywhere or focus on one
kids activities or the others. Kids can ride their bikes to the course or walk
from school and go paddling. The Dickerson Whitewater Course is pretty good but
not very convenient. The USA is huge. Having year round training courses in
the middle of a town or city will get kids into kayaks, paddling after school,
and growing participation in our awesome sport.
D&J: Thank you Rebecca! Good luck to you and the entire USA Whitewater Team!
