Happy New Year!

It's just hours a way for many of you in Europe as you get ready to count down the seconds to a New Year! A New Year signifying Hope for good things to come. I want to take the time for thanking you all for sharing 2008 with me and being a part of my life. But, most importantly I want to wish you and yours a truly amazing 2009 -- fulfilling more than you could imagine. Happy New Year!

Voorspoedige Nuwejaar! (Afrikaan) - Stastny Novy Rok (Czech) - Chestita Nova Godina (Bulgarian) - Onnellista Uutta Vuotta! (Finnish) - Gelukkig nieuwjaar (Flemish) - Bonne Année (French) - Ein Glückliches Neues Jahr! (German) - Shana Tova (Hebrew) - Felice Anno Nuovo (Italian) - Shinnen Omedeto (Japanese) - Kong He Xin Xi (Mandarin) - Godt Nytt År (Norwegian) - Feliz Ano Novo! (Portuguese) - Feliz Ano Novo! (Romanian) - S Novym Godom ((Russian) - Feliz Año Nuevo (Spanish) - Iyi Senele (Turkey)

Season's Greetings

'Tis the season of forgiving, giving, joy happiness and Love! Pass it on! Cheerish this day and on wards. I wish you and youra a truly special Christmas!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Nicole

Drive with your Head not just with your Feet

I remember when I first got my license, my dad firmly advised me to always “Drive with my head and not just with my feet.” Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I can be a speed-demon when the road conditions are good, but I’ve never forgotten this instruction. Especially, when the road conditions are not ideal!

Just Thursday I drove home to Canada, narrowly escaping the winter storm that pounded Michigan and Toronto! It literally began to snow at 8am on Friday and did not stop until 11pm that night! Possibly, more snow then the North Pole, itself! And now, we are currently preparing for another snow assail.

I really don’t mind the snow. I don’t mind driving in these conditions. What I do mind are the “idiots” who do not drive with their head. What happened to the importance of arriving alive! Yesterday, while out and about, I witnessed people driving with reckless abandon – following too closely behind, cutting drivers off, and speeding (just to name a few things)!

The sad thing is, people choosing to drive appropriately become victims in collisions involving irresponsible drivers. Currently, there are talks of invoking a charge/ticket to anyone who drives inappropriate for the conditions. I would definitely be in favor of such and act. Collisions can cost more than just a car repair, it can cost a life. Especially, during this holiday season please, please, please drive responsibly… Drive with your head… And arrive alive!

Continuing to drive with my head,
Nicole

Blinded by your Beauty

Yesterday while cleaning house, I watched the movie Shallow Hal. For those of you who are not familiar with this movie, it’s about a guy (Hal) who only dates women who are as close to perfection in appearance as possible, with little regard to the type of person they are. Upon a chance meeting with Tony Robbins (motivator speaker), he changes his view on the world, seeing the beauty of an individual from the inside only.

Besides the fact that this movie is hilarious, there are so many reasons I love this movie. For the first time, I noticed a line in the movie, where Hal’s neighbour comments on her disinterest in him (initially), because she believed he was superficial.

I couldn’t help but think, how much I agreed with this view point. For me, there is something so unattractive about a man who would only date or attempts to date women who are beautiful on the outside and not necessarily on the inside. My values would not be aligned with this individual!

Ironically, if there is a certain guy I am interested in and his ex was sensational – you know Mother Teresa, the Good Samaritan, and David R. Hawkins all rolled up into one, I’d first question how could he let her go, (2) applaud him for the ability to attract such a beauty and (3) feel honoured that he would choose to date me.

I really believe beauty is skin deep. And the beauty that is true is one that you can’t always see across a crowded room, but you can see by looking into one’s heart!

Blinded by your Beauty,

Nicole W. Forrester

SPECIAL DELIVERY

For most athletes in Athletics (Track and Field), Christmas may come a few times in a given year. These can be the arrival dates of our apparel shipments from our sponsors. While I am sponsored by Visa, my apparel & eyewear sponsors are Mizuno and Oakley.

It never fails! After all these years, my friends and I still get excited to receive our shipments. We’re curious to see the styles and colours for the coming season and how everything will fit. Obviously, Oakley shipment days are a lot of fun for me; however, unlike my friends, I’m often nervous with my apparel shipments.

I’m a healthy 1.92m in height (6’3 ½) with legs 50 ½ inches (126cm) and a waist 26 inches. So, having clothes fit me properly can be a problem. Essentially, I require my leggings and sleeved shirts to be long but also small in width. (I give size small another meaning.)

Mizuno, a Japanese company, uses OX, O, XO, XXO sizing chart (clearly, different from Canadian sizes). As a recent Mizuno athlete it has taken me some time to figure out where my body frame fits into their chart. Moreover, my Mizuno comes directly from Japan, not Canada, so correct sizing is even more critical. Determined, to figure out my appropriate sizes, while in Beijing, Mizuno methodically went through various clothes to determine my size. But, I still had some concerns – seriously, how does any small size fit my long limbs?

This week when my shipment arrived, I nervously opened my box. I wondered the torment it would unveil. Would I open it to find a lot of wonderful things unable to fit my unique body frame? Would I be wearing high water flood pants or Capri- length sleeved shirts? Incredible, to my dismay, everything fit! Right down to my winter jacket! In the history of receiving apparel shipment (from any company), this was a FIRST! Could I be dreaming! JACKPOT! I don’t know how they did it, but they did. Mizuno figured out my sizing for everything.

Just my size,

Nicole