We have dreamt of this moment for a very long time. We remember our first National Championships in Montreal 8 years ago. We made the finals and finished 5th and dared to dream of what we could achieve. Since then, we have finished 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, and 2nd last year. We almost gave up countless times along the way, but we were determined to try just ONE. MORE. TIME. After 10 years of our journey together, we are finally Canadian Champions.
Standing on top of the podium filled us with many emotions. Like last year, we were fighting back tears, but this time it was not from disappointment. It was from triumph and from overcoming the years of self doubt and thinking we were not good enough. Our legs were weak from the gravity of the moment and we could barely stand. We wonder if we will wake up and realize it's all a dream. It became real when we connected to the smiling and crying faces in the audience. It tugged at our hearts to know that these people have shared our journey and know how long and hard our road has been. We were trembling wth emotion and could barely keep it together for our honour dance. It was a moment we will never forget.
To be honest, it still feels very surreal after what seems like an eternity of climbing this mountain. It has been a long, slow, uphill. How long would you climb a mountain, not knowing if you will ever reach the top to enjoy the view? The prize was never the view from the top, because that doesn't last and you can't take it with you. The prize has always been the journey. It has been said many times, but to experience it is to really understand what life and happiness means. We have grown from when we started our journey over a decade ago. We are grateful for every obstacle that tested our resilience and reminded us of how badly we wanted something. We have been asked if this has been worth it, when it fact, it has been priceless.
We did not do this alone. This would not be possible without our amazing coaches, Paolo and Silvia. Thank you for your guidance and for pushing us to achieve more than we dreamt possible. You are forever our inspiration and we look up to you in every way. Our heartfelt thanks to Domenico and Marco, and the rest of our team in Molinella! We love you! We'd also like to acknowledge Denis Tremblay, our first coach and a Canadian Legend. We have learned so much from you and continue to learn from you. We hope we have made you proud.
Thanks to our sponsors for your support over the years. You are the best at what you do, so we can be the best at what we do. #EvoSportTherapy, #NaturesEssence, #Tzafora, #NoscheseDancing.
From all our training and travels, time lost with our dear family and friends was our biggest sacrifice. We hope that you know that you were ALWAYS with us no matter where we were. Your unconditional love and support made this possible and we are so thankful to have you in our lives. We had wanted this moment to come earlier but it came exactly when it was suppose to, and it could not have happened any better. Words can not express how touched we are to be surrounded by our family, friends, and students while we realized our dream. Thank you all for sharing this special moment with us.
Dream big. Be positive. Don't give up. Most of all, enjoy the journey.
