Senior Amateur competitors

[Rugby]

Funny you say that, DP and I were just talking about that on the weekend.  We noticed when we went up into Gold all of a sudden our value changed.  Everyone was nice and instructors went out of their way to say hi and so forth.  Being in Pre-Champ it is more apparent and now that we are beginning to do really well all of a sudden friends and well wishers are coming out of the wood work.  I told DP not to put to much stock into it though as it is not genuine but more for a purpose.  I went through this in Dressage when everyone wanted to know me and I got invited everywhere and was given stuff all the time and my opinions were gold.  When I had my right leg almost amputated in an accident I had to take two years to be able to walk again and so forth.  The doctors told me that I would never walk normal or ride again and when this got out all of my "friends" seemed to go and the invites and gifts dried up fast.  It taught me a lesson I have not forgotten and I will never let this attention go to my head.  It is more about what the people think they can get out of you rather than about you as a person.  Some want to use you, some want to ride your coattails and others look at you as a possible money maker for them.  Whatever reason the agenda behind it sad to say that it is usually not up front or totally true. 

One of the reason why I want to to be able to make it to Championship in Latin and Standard is to be able to finally realize a dream.  It is not so much about the winning at all but more that I have survived two major tragedies, have had the odds totally stacked against me but I was able to come back and accomplish my dream.

[elisedance]

Good advice - and it applies to the dance world I think more than most places because it really is about superficiality.   Thats actually one reason I love it - a stark contrast to my work life where memories are very long (many lifetimes), relationships are hard to create but last a lifetime and everything you do is taken very seriously indeed.  Dance is my alter-ego, transient superficial - everything that goes with fantasy dressing and fantasy behaviour.  Obviously it is not so for everyone - those who have their careers in dance must see it very differently and they live in an area where there are much longer term relationships (based, for example, on winning top competitions).  Still the glory of an amateur competition event at my level lasts little more than a few weeks at most.

[Rugby]

It really is another world.  I remember after the competitions ywe would go from this real high to an after-comp crash, regardless of how we did but even more so if we did well.  It was like it was all over and now it was back to reality.  DP calls it a dance hangover.  Sadly I don't get it much anymore (don't know about my DP), I sure hope I will again some day, but mainly I hope our friends that are just starting out experience this as I think it is all part of this surreal world.   

[elisedance]

Funny - I'm the opposite!  I get a crash before the competition and feel fantastic after.  I think thats easier

[Rugby]

Yes there is an excitement after but it is the next day when you have to return to the regular life that you get that after comp, it's over with and now the real life starts crash.

[cdnsalsanut]

I definitely experienced the crash. Glad you shared about it because it explained how I was feeling earlier in the week. It's such a high and then..back to being the paint guy hahaha

[QPO]

I think  it must be  the rush of adrenaline that goes through your body and it has to dissapate I suppose it also depends on your results.....