Category: gymnastics

Visiting Dave & Lisa in Idaho

On By Rick McIn cycling, friends, gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

Once again I had a terrific time in Coeur d’Alene.

Our first day, we joined in the FUN at Dave’s gourmet restaurant, Candle in the Woods.

Chef David

An amazing, unforgettable meal.

baked onion

Timing of this visit was to volunteer at my favourite Gymnastics competition in the world — the Great West Gym Fest.

It’s so well organized I didn’t really have much to do.

I DID help with the set-up and take-down of the Gym. And made a few VIDEOS of the competition, including this one.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

A few photos from the competition.

staring down the judges
Jeremy Mosier and Jim McLuskey

VIPs get to check out the resort penthouse. And balcony hot tub.

We did get out for one hike in Farragut State Park.

Delaney took me climbing. AND I was not bad … aside from then time I fell from the top risking concussion. 😀

Late February the weather was … mixed. We had some wind, some snow. Some sun.

I did get to try Dave’s Fat Bike out on their property.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Gymnastics in Benin City, Nigeria

On By Rick McIn gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

I first led a Gymnastics Coaching course in the capital, Abuja, Nigeria in 2013. They were quite disorganized at the time.

Returning in 2023 — this time to Benin City — I was astonished to see how much progress had been made.

In fact, Nigeria was the best organized of these camps I’ve had over dozens around the world.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Gymnastics in Nigeria 2023

Coaches from across the country traveled to Benin City, which built a world class facility 3 years ago. It’s in Edo State, by far the one most supportive of sport.

(NOT the country of Benin, formerly Dahomey, a small nation nearby.)

Busy, busy … I only got the chance to do a driving tour of Nigeria’s 4th largest metropolitan area. There is not much western tourism. Benin City has not got a great reputation.

I did not see any other pale human like myself, for a week. 😀

I stayed at a very good 3 star hotel, the Marriott Protea Hotel Benin City.

Mostly ate spicy Nigerian food. They love their food in Nigeria. Spicy.

This video gives a good feel of how this city feels on street level.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Farewell Antwerp

On By Rick McIn gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

I was in Antwerp, Belgium for the World Gymnastics Championships. An elegant city.

Grote Markt of Antwerp, Belgium at twilight.

I like Antwerp best at night.

The Gymnastics competition was the highlight, however.

Canadian women qualified to the Paris Olympics 3rd in world in 2022. And the men qualified 4th in the world in 2023. Our best Olympic quadrennial ever.

Here’s where I spent about 50 hours of my life. 😀

I have a media credential.

Farewell Bermuda

On By Rick McIn gymnastics, hiking, travelLeave a comment

I escaped the Great White North winter for about 5 weeks. I’m a volunteer with the Gymnastics Federation and did some coaching at the two competitive clubs.

Population of Bermuda is only about 65,000.

I’ve been coming to Bermuda since 2016. But still treat every goodbye as my last. 😎

Rick Mercer – an Autobiography

On By Rick McIn books, gymnastics, humour, TV1 Comment

Talking to Canadians: A Memoir was published Nov 2021.

It’s recommended. Very funny.

One of the best lines (by Greg Thomey) …

Heavy is the head that wears the lampshade.

I’d rank Rick Mercer the funniest Canadian of my lifetime.

He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Rick Mercer Report … which ended 2018 after 15 seasons.

Mercer’s two-minute “rants”, in which he would speak directly to the camera about a current political issue are what I remember best.

Like many of Canada’s best comedians, Rick is from Newfoundland. Understand?

I downloaded the audio book from the library — ideal, as Rick is the narrator.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Rick interviewed Kyle Shewfelt. Funny.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Liverpool is ready for WORLDS

On By Rick McIn gymnasticsLeave a comment

Click through to see the River of Light installations, each with a Gymnastics theme.

Are YOU a Manual or Knowledge Worker?

On By Rick McIn Art and beauty, books, economics, gymnastics, McCharles familyLeave a comment

In the 1970s academic kids in my neighbourhood went to Viscount Bennett High School. The rest (losers 😀) went to Earnest Manning High School which had far superior TRADES training.

The internet accelerated the fortunes of knowledge workers. Relative wages of those working in trades declined.

Everyone wanted to be a white collar worker. Sitting all day at a computer manipulating electrons.

Author/mechanic Matthew Crawford argues that is wrong. And is changing.

He quit his job at a Think Tank, instead opening a Motorcycle repair shop.

Matthew’s book is titled Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Van Neistat makes an even better argument. A Spirited Man can build and fix things. Help his friends and family. A real man can do manual labour.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Me?

I’m hopeless. Not the least handyman you know, … but close.

I ride bikes but can’t fix them when they breakdown.

By comparison, my Dad and brother Rob are career Jack-of-all-Trades.

The late great buddy Rob Glaser was probably my most trusted authority for all things broken.

Needless to say, he was expert in living outdoors. Manipulated firewood with his bare hands, for example.

In the wild you want to carry only those items which can be repaired on the go. Metal, not plastic.

In 2022 it would be smart to seek work in an occupation where you can’t easily be replace by a computer. Gymnastics coach, for example. It will be a long time before Artificial Intelligence replaces human sport coaching.

Take pride in being able to physically make and repair things.

Farewell Bermuda

On By Rick McIn gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

After 2 years, I finally got back to Bermuda, this time a month with the NEW Gymnastics Federation. I’m an appointed non-voting consultant on their Board

This trip was busier than ever before jumping back and forth between the two largest clubs.

With the Federation, we’re dealing directly with the Bermuda Olympic Association, still joyous about Flora Duffy winning the Triathlon at the Tokyo Olympics.

BEST was having no Spring allergies in Bermuda. What a relief from Canada.

The weather was mixed. We had more cloud, rain and wind than I can recall in the past.

I still got in some good walks on the famed Railway Trail.

I’m not sure when I’ll next get back to the Triangle. Perhaps May / June 2022 for our proposed 1st ever Bermuda National Gymnastics Championships.

End of the road.

FINALLY Back to Bermuda 😎

On By Rick McIn gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

My last trip before pandemic shut down travel was to Bermuda. March 2020.

Exactly 2 years later I was finally able to return. Just in time to help with the annual Bermuda International Gymnastics Competition (VIDEO) — though we had no international competitors this year. We kept it fast and fun hoping to inspire kids that the new normal would soon be here.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.