Photo by Jessica Ladoe
Last month I won two more world championships in Freestyle Frisbee, my 14th and 15th titles. I had the privilege of playing with three incredible, inspiring teammates this year – Jake Gauthier, Matt Gauthier and Dave Murphy. Though we knew our teams would contend for the titles, we had deep respect for our opponents. We knew we were in for battles. To win both titles was a dream scenario.
Winning any tournament is thrilling. The feeling of winning the worlds is at another level. Sweeping the worlds is actually more than I can take in right now. It may even be too early to write about it. The one thing I can speak to at this point is gratitude. With every competition and recreational experience, I’m increasingly grateful for my understanding of elite performance, my teammates, my health and my friendships with fellow players.
Win #1: Pairs
Last year, Jake Gauthier and I won the US Open title. This year, we built on that success and redesigned our competition routine for the world championships. This is our finals performance.
Win #2: Co-op
It’s fair to say Dave Murphy, Matt Gauthier and I laughed our way through our worlds preparation. We had so much fun working together. The hard work was always tempered with silliness. I’m proud to have been a part of Matt’s first co-op world title, and it’s great to think that Dave and I have now won four of these titles together. This is our finals performance:
Adding It Up
For those who like stats, my wins this year set some records:
Most all-time wins in the Pairs division: 6
Most all-time wins in the Open Division events (Pairs and Co-op): 13
Oldest player to sweep both Open Division events: 48 years old (That’s not a typo. Ours is a lifetime sport that keeps us young.)