Nate Tucker's Paralympic Preparation

With the Winter Paralympic Games just three days away, I thought it would be fun to share a few behind-the-scenes insights from my experience preparing for the Games.

Not just athletes; most people rely heavily on routines, especially morning routines. During the year, mine is simple and consistent: wake up at 7:00am, feed our cats (so my wife can get a little more rest), drink 12oz of electrolyte water, eat Greek yogurt and fruit, make coffee, then spend about an hour on emails before I start rolling out and head to the track around 10:30.

Routine creates rhythm. Rhythm creates stability.

But before each Paralympics, Athletics Canada would send us to a training camp in a similar time zone and climate to where we’d be competing. For Tokyo, we were in Gifu (about three hours from the village). For Paris, we trained in Barcelona.

These camps weren’t just about heat acclimation or adjusting to a time zone. They were about disrupting routine in the right way.

After six or seven months of doing the same thing every day, it’s easy to let small standards slip;  waking up a few minutes late, not fueling as intentionally, cutting corners you once guarded carefully.

A new environment  and 10 staff members observing every detail force you to ask:
Am I truly doing everything I need to?

I’ve always viewed it like a company-wide annual meeting. Your fitness may not dramatically change in a week, but clarity can. Execution can. Connection can.

Teams don’t become connected when they start winning. They build that connection before the moment arrives.

Training camp removes distractions. Off the track, we’d play Monopoly Deal, and let’s just say things could get competitive. But those moments matter. They allow you to see your teammates as people, not just performers.

I’ve always loved that environment. When everything is on the line, that’s where I come alive.