Episode 12: Donna Vakalis
Either way, you'll get there, but, it's your choice: are you going to get there with one cart and drop everything and go fast and get there, or are you going to take the long route?
Donna Vakalis is a two-time Olympian for team Canada in Modern Pentathlon, a 5-sport discipline that includes: show jumping, swimming, fencing (épée), running and shooting (with a laser gun). We get deep into the complexities for training for five un-related sports at the: technical, strategical and time management, levels. Donna's pathway to the Olympics is interesting and unique and included invoking her Greek roots.
Donna has been an environmental activist since a young age, has a MA in Architecture and a PhD in Civil Engineering focusing on sustainability, so I couldn't resist the opportunity to ponder what a sustainable Olympics could look like.
We had a really fun conversation and we learned a lot from each other. Happy Listening!
Show Notes
Olympic.ca, Donna Vakalis, (website, photo credit)
Mark Johanson, Many Olympians struggle just to make ends meet – BBC Worklife, August 6, 2016
Wikipedia, Concerns and controversies at the 2008 Summer Olympics, (website)
Julian Border, Olympics blamed for forcible removal of 2m over 20 years – The Guardian, June 6, 2007
Vincent Bevins, In Rio, poor families are pushed out of their neighborhoods to make way for the Olympics, August 4, 2016
Denis Metev, Cost of Olympics: 27 Most Expensive Olympic Games Ever [Infographic], March 31, 2020
Scott Davis, What abandoned Olympic venues and stadiums from around the world look like today, March 5, 2020
Chris Sosa, Column: The Olympics have become too expensive to stick to the single-city, rotating-host model. But there are alternatives., June 30, 2021
Jason Ponic, Abandoned Olympic Venues – HowTheyPlay, March 3, 2020
Financial Press, In One Chart: Cost Of The Olympics: How The 2020 Tokyo Games Are One Of The Most Expensive Ever, July 24, 2021
Wikipedia, Cost of the Olympic Games, (website)
Rob Ludacer, No one wants to host the Olympics anymore — will they go away? – Insider, February 6, 2018
Credits
Music for this podcast was created by the immensely talented, and generous, Outwild. He knows what I like! And I dance in my seat every time I hear these beats.
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