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alcolm Bryson is grateful for his good fortune during a hard year. With plenty of work and time at home, the year has been marked by self-improvement inside and out. Another point of fortune was that gyms in Vancouver opened up relatively quickly, allowing for Malcolm to make up for the lack of practices and games by increasing his time at the gym. After struggling with a bunch of injuries across a number of years, taking a year off the field and strengthening his muscles to prevent further injuries has been a blessing for Malcolm. It’s also been useful that Mike Haddock of Haddock Sport Performance provides Team Canada with workout plans and regular check-ins to ensure athletes are training in the right ways. Malcolm speaks highly of Haddock Sport Performance, as well as the process of getting to the gym on a regular basis.

“I like being active, and so without the opportunity to run around and play sports all the time, I just channeled that into going to the gym a lot.”

With practices three times a week, frequent tournaments, and extensive travel during pre-COVID times, regular strength training often got left behind. This year changed that, and the feeling of getting stronger has been a good one for Malcolm. With ultimate being forced to the back-burner, Malcolm recommends focusing on activities that make you feel healthy, happy, and productive. Like most ultimate athletes, Malcolm still has his fingers crossed for play to resume soon, but he urges others to not feel bad for not being in shape for ultimate right now. There will be time and opportunity to improve once play resumes, so don’t waste time and energy stressing about perceived fitness levels, and instead focus on what works. For Malcolm, that’s been hitting the gym, and he’s hoping that his impressive gains will translate to explosive play on the field.

“Incrementally try to be better in every way, without worrying about recovering and then preparing for the next event.”

As fortunate as the Vancouver resident has been with the lockdown, this time has also brought many things into sharp focus. The loss of time spent with people, not just other passionate ultimate athletes but family members as well, has been challenging. But it offers a reminder to reach out to those you want to stay in touch with, teammates and grandparents alike, since everyone needs a little socialization now and again. While it has been an incredibly difficult year, the place to find help and laughter is in community and friends.

“With this year off it definitely made me realize there is a lot more to life than booking your ticket to the next ultimate tournament. [I'm] focusing on building up my own life, and career, and relationships. I’m placing a lot more importance on that in my life.”

Malcolm has spent a great deal of time on his own in the last year, and through that isolation has come insight. Mostly, that’s meant reflecting on what life without ultimate would be like, and all the opportunities that would come along with it. Malcolm still has the goal of playing at the national and world championships with Team Canada and Furious George, teams that he felt were really developing and finding their stride before COVID-19 hit. But outside of ultimate, Malcolm has found he’s developed habits for a healthy lifestyle by paying close attention to his diet, working out consistently, and looking ahead. He’s gained a new appreciation for the world outside of ultimate tournaments, and it’s one he’s excited to explore, no matter what the future may hold.