F

or Anouchka Beaudry, lockdown has consisted of setting goals and refocusing. Since the World Championships were cancelled in 2020, the already busy Anouchka had to find more ways to stay active and occupied, and found solace in running. Anouchka began sinking more and more time into long-distance running, an activity that is necessary for most ultimate players but one that is rarely looked forward to. Heading into the summer of 2020, she joined the Concordia cross-country team, and while competitions for that sport were also cancelled, Anouchka found competition in team time trials and joy in the movement.

“The more and more I ran, the more I loved it.”

The shift from running as a necessity to running for enjoyment was not a quick one, and it’s a lesson Anouchka would offer to other athletes struggling with staying active. Focus on the small things. If you’ve fallen out of your old habits, or are struggling to start new ones, she recommends starting small. Form a base of activity, something that excites you or is fun, and only do as much as you can manage. By doing something consistently, you can turn a little bit of activity into a little bit more, and so on. For Anouchka, this applied in many ways, by going back to her roots of speed skating and unicycling, as well as picking up new activities like backcountry skiing.

“Start small. Don’t expect yourself to go from doing not much to working out four times a week.”

In many ways it is the little things that have kept Anouchka active and focused. It can be hard to get yourself out for a run, so she would tell a friend the time she was leaving so they could both run at the same time, no matter how far apart they were. The same goes for Zoom workouts; hopping on a call just to work out together kept Anouchka motivated and excited to exercise and socialize. The focus of strengthening a muscle or repeating an activity doesn't always have to be lofty, and while Anouchka is a world-class ultimate player, she still finds joy in learning new skills.

Writing down her weekly achievements is another way Anouchka has refocused on the present and future. By identifying what she wants to accomplish in a given time frame and then writing down what she has done in the past week, it’s easy to see how far she’s come week to week. But that’s not to say Anouchka is close to slowing down. Despite being a full-time student and working hard at an internship, Anouchka has some lofty goals: make Worlds, finish her studies, and learn to handstand.  

“The most prevalent goal is to make the World games. For sure I want to play again at USA Nats and go all the way.”

Frisbee has been full of ups and downs in the last year, as we all know. With tournaments cancelled going into 2021, it can be easy to feel down about the sport we all love. It is harder than ever to scrimmage, or toss a disc around with teammates, but by looking forward, Anouchka has shown us how to remain positive and motivated. Zoom calls with teams, coordinating run times with friends, and getting outside where it is safe to meet has helped her continue to foster the feeling of community that pairs so often with the sport of frisbee. Worlds have been delayed this year, but with some luck it won’t be delayed any further. It may feel like the goals that athletes around the globe have been striving for have been ruined by pure chance, but with a little commitment and hope, those goals can easily come back into focus. For Anouchka at least, the future still looks bright. 

“I’m not done with frisbee goals, that’s for sure.”