Alexandra has been nominated by her coach, Dani Marland.
After a successful summer of performances at u20 Nationals, Legions and Provincials (National Champion u20 4x400m, u18 400mH Provincial Champion and 400m bronze medalist, 4th Legions 400mH (Warriors club record) and 4x400m), Alex made the decision this late summer to work on expanding her range and improving her all-around athleticism, training and competing in both club and ASAA XC – a demonstration of grit in itself (have you seen Trochu?). While the training and racing have been difficult, Alex approaches this new challenge with a growth mindset and understands how the process plays into her long-term development as an athlete and as a person. Coachability, commitment to the process with a positive outlook, curiosity in expanding her athleticism, awareness of the elements of a growth mindset, consistent demonstration of GRIT and of course her ability to perform under pressure is why I (Coach Dani) am nominating Alex as GRIT athlete of the week.
Alex shows up with a positive outlook and ready for work attitude each practice without fail. Her lead by example leadership style is quite evident in her work ethic, drive and intent in practice and competition, but she also takes time to consistently compliment and encourage her teammates on a hardnose effort and a job well done. She often takes opportunities to jump in and assist teammates where they are confused without being prompted – a quality that she is sure to employ as she begins her journey as an athlete/coach with the Junior Development athletes at the Warriors this winter after taking her RJTW training. She has already stepped up to assist another coach in an emergency and substitute coached with the JDs on short notice – demonstrating her commitment to the sport and her fellow athletes and coaches through her helpfulness and ability to problem solve. At a small club like ours these kind of behaviours we cannot thank enough. Alex’s approach to training is one of gratitude, she gets excited about getting the opportunity to continue to improve in her athleticism day in and out and is constantly expressing her thanks for the time and effort of her coaches and parent volunteers. She is a great communicator, expressing how training and life is going for her with ease and has the curiosity to ask questions about how to improve in both performance and recovery. Her energy is invaluable to the club and we couldn’t be happier with her efforts.
Congratulations, Alex!
