Interpipeline Sponsorship
Very happy to announce that The Inter Pipeline Fund have become my proud sponsors! They have been quite enthused as I am, and I am very grateful and excited for this relationship!
I will be wearing their brand for the Rolling Rampage 10k on Parliament Hill, the Virgin London Marathon to defend my title, as well as the Canadian National Championships in the summer.
http://www.interpipelinefund.com/
School visiting today! (With a very nice gift)
During a visit to Post’s Corners school in Oakville today, Gr. 8 student Colin Cameron put together a really cool video intro before I spoke to the students. I was very surprised and totally not expecting it! They gave me a copy as a gift after.. Thank you very much!
CLICK HERE TO SEE:
2011 IPC World Championships- Christchurch, New Zealand
NEWS RELEASE FEB 5th 2011
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND – JANUARY 24: Josh Cassidy of Canada competes in the Men’s 5000m T54 heat during day three of the IPC Athletics Championships at QE II Park on January 24, 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Johnston/Getty Images) http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/108281217/Getty-Images-Sport
Multiple Canadian record holder, Josh Cassidy is on a high following his best ever world competition at last week’s IPC Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand. He finished 4th in the 10000m and 4th in the 5000m – a huge step up from the last world championships in 2006, where he didn’t make top 10.
On the track, a confident and strong Cassidy lead from the from the front, breaking up the pack with regular power surges, hitting a personal best top end speed and breaking an existing Championship record in the 5000m.
Triple Gold medallist at Christchurch, Britain’s David Weir says Cassidy is the only guy who panicked him in the 5000m final. Said Weir, “Josh is strong, able to sustain a high top end speed which means I have to work really hard to chase him down when he breaks”.
Cassidy’s build up in performance appears to be perfectly pitched at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. On top of his improved top end during the race, if he can pull off an increase in his finishing speed, then podium placings and medals must surely just be a matter of time.
In the 10000m, the rain came down which is a big challenge for racers, dealing with grip in the wet. Off the gun, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug, Japan’s Kota Hokinoue, and Cassidy broke away immediately, with the Thai, Prawat Wahouram, catching up shortly thereafter. Each took a turn attacking before settling in for the final sprint. Frustratingly, Josh slipped his grip in the final 200m finishing 4th, one second short of third, one and a half seconds short off first.
In his 5000m, Cassidy had a blistering semi-final, kicking on the final lap, then easing to bump fists in congratulations with Marcel Hug of Switzerland as they coasted across the finish line, setting a Championships record. In the final, Cassidy got the pace going and everyone into single file. Japan’s Masazumi Soejima took a surprising few laps from the front, with Dave Weir and Marcel Hug sitting comfortably at the back the entire race. Cassidy attacked, got a good 50m, forcing Dave and Marcel to sprint hard to catch up. Cassidy recovered easily from his attack and fell in behind Weir and Hug as they dropped back down the pack – they would be the fastest in the last lap. The three attacked on the final lap, coming from the back with Cassidy finished 4th.
Said Cassidy, “During the race I maxed the highest speed I have ever hit on the track, at 36.2 km/h. I felt like I was the strongest one of the group, I just didn’t have the highest speed at the end. I played everything as perfectly as I could have I think.” Canadian coach, Ueli Albert, told Cassidy after the race: “that was incredible to watch, it was like you were creating art out there”.
WINNER DAVID WEIR ON THE 5000m FINAL, AND ON CASSIDY’S PERFORMANCE:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/9381994.stm
Huge Marathon Controversy
The Marathon, saw Cassidy pull off the start line by coaches on safety grounds. Controversially, the roads used for the marathon route were not ‘closed’ on race day and were open to traffic. Canadian and Great Britain coaches deemed this to be too dangerous.
For the Marathon, Cassidy, winner of the 2010 London Marathon, had prepared long and hard but around 11pm, the night before the race, the nations were informed that the marathon route would not be closed but it would be open to traffic. “This was unbelievable, unheard of, let alone in a World Championship event”, said Cassidy, “We train on the roads with traffic at times, but to race a marathon, in packs, going through intersections when you are focusing on the competitors around you… is crazy. It was absolutely unbelievable. For this to happen at a World Championships.”
Cassidy did line up on race day but at the last minute coaches pulled Canadian athletes off the line. Britain also pulled out. While the other nations competed, their dissatisfaction was evident. Cassidy said, “It was horrible that coaches and athletes were put in such a position where they would have to choose. I believe one athlete was injured after a truck was backing out onto the marathon course. Australia’s Kurt Fearnley went on to win and totally deserved the victory”.
INTERVIEW WITH WINNER KURT FEARNLEY REGARDING MARATHON CONTROVERSY:
In Summary
On reflection, Cassidy’s commented “I was very satisfied with my performances. A year and half out from the London 2012 Games, and I’m well on track. I was one spot out, and very close to the podium on two occasions. The marathon, I’ll never know for sure. But those races that went well, I didn’t just sit back, I was a dominating force throughout, and felt no fatigue after any of the events. I couldn’t have been any more fit, and while I would liked to have been faster in the final sprint, I still hit a personal best top speed on the track. There are lots of positives to take from this. I’m looking VERY forward to London 2012, and excited to see what I can do by then.”
10000m times
1 1837 HUG Marcel T54 SUI 22:16.83
2 1542 HOKINOUE Kota T54 JPN 22:17.20
3 1868 WAHORAM Prawat T54 22:17.30
4 1146 CASSIDY Josh T54 CAN 22:18.21
5000m times
1 1395 WEIR David T54 GBR 5 JUN 1979 2 10:48.43
2 1837 HUG Marcel T54 SUI 16 JAN 1986 4 10:48.70
3 1355 CASOLI Julien T54 FRA 5 JUL 1982 8 10:48.97
4 1146 CASSIDY Josh T54 CAN 15 NOV 1984 3 10:49.28
Pre comp in Oz- Contemplating game plan it looks like
Training at Stadium
Landmark Cathedral from the square. Our hotel was next door, sadly this was reduced to rubble a few days ago in the latest earthquake
5000m Semi. Looking back, didn't know I dropped the pack from the front.
Waited for Soejima and Marcel to bridge the gap, worked together to ensure qualification
Pushing the pace
Training with Kurt Fearnley
January 2011-
Went down early to Australia to train with my man Kurt Fearnley- winner of the marathon in Beijing, among many other things. It was great to be in the sun, training hard, and having the beach there to cool off after. He’s got quite a good life setup there! Got to try surfing for the first time which was really cool too! Very tough, fun, and a little scary! I did catch a good 4 foot wave- not bad for a first try! Big thanks to Mick for taking us out!
Here is a YouTube clip from NBN News about us training together for World Championships:
Harlem School visit- NYC Marathon
This was too funny- everyone had their hand up, some didn't even hear the question, others started talking randomly about their parents, or vegetables they like.. which eventually led to an entire change of subject.
Before Marathon Sunday, I went to visit a school in Harlem where youngsters were taking part in a program run by the New York Road Runners (NYRR) called “Mighty Milers”. The program promotes fitness among children in schools and community centers, helping them to stay active in today’s society. It is especially tough in areas of NY where there isn’t alot of safe green park spaces for kids to stay active, or among families who cannot afford extra-cirricular activities. Even in the particular school I visited, the small gymnasium was split in half and was being shared between multiple schools.
The “Mighty Milers” program offers several various running programs for kids of different ages. The childrens’ progress is tracked, as they aim to complete a full marathon, 26.2 miles (42 kilometers), by the end of the school year.
The kids I met were very cute, all full of energy but needing an outlet. Their light and innocent energy filled me up, and I hope I left some sort of impression on them to stay healthy and active. The younger generation needs our guidance, and it is up to us to show them what we all deep down know is so important- a healthy and active lifetyle.
Click on the pictures for higher resolution
As they ran their marathon miles for me around the gym, I waited on one corner to give high fives- this little guy and his twin brother were cutting across the gym, as to get more high fives.
Take note of pre-meditated gangsta pose on my left shoulder, and piece sign on my lower left. Hilarious.
ING NYC Marathon
I’m writing this quite a bit after the race, but maybe that’s a good thing. Keeping it short. Basically I trained really long and hard for this, more than any other marathon in the past. I was still dealing with sickness from Delhi, and it definitely affected my training and my performance. I was hoping to do much better, but clearly something was wrong when I couldn’t hold on going up over the bridge into Manhattan around 28k- climbing is one of my strengths. It was a super exciting race up until that point, the biggest pack together for the longest time in the history of the marathon I do believe. I was very frustrated with the situation, because I trained SO hard for weeks and weeks leading up, but all of my energy was going to my immune system, dealing with the sickness. I did get over it about a week or so later- 5 weeks after coming back from Delhi.
A big congratulations to David Weir for an outstanding performance. He looked very comfortable throughout the whole race, though I know it was a very close battle to the end. A big congratulations to Masazumi Soejima, who was right there until the end, and didn’t receive the credit he deserved for such an outstanding performance as well.
And as usual, the marathon people did an outstanding job again, making for arguably the most enjoyable racing experience every year in Manhattan. Thank you.
Neuroblastoma Canada article
Antonia Palmer, mother of a child battling with the same type of cancer I had as an infant approached me in the fall. In her research as a mother trying to do everything for her child with neuroblastoma, she realized that there were very few resources available for parents. So she decided to launch Neuroblastoma Canada, a website and resource for parents dealing with the same situation. She asked if she could do an article about myself as a survivor of the cancer, and I was more than happy to partake!
Here is the article: http://neuroblastoma.ca/blog/warrior/josh-cassidy-paralympian-and-neuroblastoma-warrior/
And the link to her website: http://neuroblastoma.ca/
Cheetah Energy Drink Commercial
My brother Zach, along with friend Matt Walter, were putting together entries for the Cheetah Energy Drink Commercial Competition. There was a cash reward in it for them, and I was looking for sponsorship. We decided it would be mutually beneficial to work together and create a good commercial that had a shot at winning. We were one of the first place finalists, in a very odd process for the contest. However in the end we still have a great demo/portfolio piece that we can all be proud of.
Commonwealth Games Delhi- Bronze
OCTOBER 2010
Youtube video- first lap and last lap.
watch?v=FJb60TjSB1E&feature=player_embedded
WATCH THE POST RACE INTERVIEW WITH CBC HERE: http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/1221284063/ID=1611980061
CBC Commonwealth Games blog entry:
HAPPY WITH BRONZE- BUT WHAT IF…
That’s it. It’s over.
I’m writing now from the airport in Delhi, on my way home already. This is the first moment in six hours that I’ve had a chance to reflect since my race and actually look at my medal.
So how do I feel? READ MORE at: http://www.cbc.ca/commonwealthgames/blog/2010/10/happy-with-the-bronze-but-what-if.html
CBC Commonwealth Games blog entry upon arrival in Delhi
SOFT TRACK RAISES CHALLENGES
I had a big personal distraction before leaving for the Commonwealth Games, as I came down with a cold/flu for a few days before leaving. Probably a combination of sitting in the cold rain at the disastrous Berlin Marathon, dehydration from traveling, and a bug going around Guelph, Ont., where I live.
It was the first time I had been sick in a while. No big deal, though, right? It’s only a flu. Well, as an athlete who’s only one week away from competition, it’s not the best time to be missing training sessions.
I also don’t experience the flu in the same way the average person does. As a result of the cancer I had as an infant, my nervous system overreacts and I get shooting pains in my legs, sides, and back. The areas that were affected by the neuroblastoma feel like they are being electrocuted every 15 seconds, or like someone is pounding me with a steel-toed boot. Pain killers do nothing, and it lasts about 48 hours. I lose lots of sleep and afterwards I feel battered and bruised. Not the best way to recover from a marathon and prepare for the Commonwealth Games!
The biggest struggle is to overcome this mentally. READ THE REST OF THE BLOG ENTRY at : http://www.cbc.ca/commonwealthgames/blog/2010/10/soft-delhi-track-raises-challenges.html