WindsurfingUK Issue 3 May 2017 | Page 45

45 Canary Islands Being from Denmark I had to move around all of the time in the past to find optimum training grounds. It was very hard to make it work. Sometimes I didn’t see friends or family for nearly a year! That’s why, in the end, I decided to relocate somewhere I can focus, and be able to train daily, while still being involved in other things at the same time. It’s not a must to live at a premium wind spot but it sure does help! Since moving to the Canary Islands I’ve had much less hassle having to travel and have a peace of mind. It’s still hard being away from home sometimes but it’s relatively easy to go back, and I’m finding a nice balance. It IS possible to find that middle ground between normal life and top level competition. It requires sacrifice, hard work and dedication, but it does work Missing out on birthdays, weddings, family events and so on is pretty hard. And it’s now something I try to take more seriously. It I S possible to find that middle ground between normal life and top level competition. It requires sacrifice, hard work and dedication, but it does work. You definitely have to make a bigger effort for family and friends. I focus mainly on long term relationships with sponsors. It’s stressful changing equipment repeatedly, and in my opinion this is an indicator you are only focusing on short term goals. To me, it’s important to build a relationship where both parties are benefitting, and strengthening over the years. uk WIND SURFING