Category Archives: mind resolutions

community, Kidney Donation NZ, Kidney Transplant, mind resolutions, Richie Johnston blog

3 years and counting! | Kidney donation success

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It has been 3 years since my Dad received his new Kidney! A day worth celebrating because it represents so much to my family and I.

A couple of times a year my Dad will make the trip to Dunedin to have a checkup with the Nephrologist. Going by car each time seems a little bring, so this time both Mum and Dad decided to load their bikes to the car… Mum cycled the entire way from Wanaka totaling over 300km in 3 days! Dad has ridden much of that trip before riding as far as Middlemarch which is still an impressive 240km.

All too often people will take health for granted. It is a constant urge to maintain fitness, a balanced diet and well-being that keeps us all healthy. When we pay attention to what our body truly needs we move closer to an intrinsic balance. Move every day, eat & drink well and trust in your bodies ability to deliver. Dad and I are doing great.

It seems my family believe in this idea of a healthy lifestyle. The more km we clock up on our bikes the better we feel. Choose to take the bike more and the car less this Summer. Move more, sit less and keep your Kidneys healthy!

Bike vs Car                 

Candygrind, Extreme sports, mind resolutions, Neversummer, Snowboarding, Sports therapy, Wanaka

Spring Camp | Riding with the pros

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Around 100 athletes & coaches took control of Cardrona’s finest features last week and the progression was mind blowing. With the Whitestar lift spinning & sleds shuttling skiers and boarders there was every chance for great things to happen. Coach to Shawn White, Bud Keene stated Cardrona Spring camp jump progression setup. If you can’t get it done here, then maybe you can’t get it done at all…

 “…If you can’t get it done here, then maybe you can’t get it done at all” – Bud Keene

The SBX course shaped up beautifully throughout the week challenging athletes from Australia and New Zealand to discover new limits of speed, agility and edge control. I was fortunate to be up there for a few days helping the NZ riders Carl Murphy & Duncan Campbell on their form. After working with Carl during the 2014 season on Treble Cone, it was great to see his progression using the skills from riding TC’s challenging terrain & strength training from the gym.

Carl Murphy Adam Dooney
Carl Murphy Adam Dooney

 

SBX Cardrona
SBX Cardrona

Variations of the AirBag were set up along the Super Pipe wall along with the bottom. The biggest bag in the southern hemi was catching athletes on boards, skis and even a sit-skis! Jody Blatchley has been ruling it on his sit-ski this season and nailed his first back-flips onto the giant pillow. Impressive!

Triples, triples, triples… Cheers of Stoke rippled across the home basin as new personal bests were made. Coaches tactfully challenged their athletes to bring new found air awareness on the jump line. Fewer speed-checks were made every day as racers pushed themselves over the rollers and berms. Old fears were controlled more and more each day as new heights were reached.

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Neversummer Riders throwing down.
Neversummer Riders throwing down.

Exciting and progressive times all week as many of them raised the bar getting ready for the northern hemi winter… Breckenridge will be a destination of choice for the park riders along with La Molina Spain, where Carl will compete in his first F.I.S race for the winter.

 “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear… not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain

Much to look forward to during the next year and it has never been a greater time to be involved in snowboarding.

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Adventure, Extreme sports, Lake Wanaka, mind resolutions, New Zealand, Snowboarding, Treble Cone

Treble Cone Banked Slalom

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A celebration of friends, snowboarding and enjoying the mountains… The Treble Cone Banked Slalom was once again a day to look forward to. Athletes from all over the world including Bulgaria, Canada and France competed in the most infamous banked slalom in New Zealand.
Rob Fagan managed fastest male and Carle Brenneman fastest female. My second run put me in second place overall just a second and a half behind the Olympic Athlete Rob Fagan himself. As he came 5th in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in Boarder Cross, I felt pretty good with my efforts!
A nice early way to celebrate turning 31 which happens to be today!
Thanks to Carl at Neversummer & Candygrind for the continued support to myself and the other team riders. Without his support, events like these would never run. Events like these help remind us how awesome the sport can be, as it is as much a gathering of friends as it is a competition.
Here is a really cool edit made from the day from the guys down at Colab Wanaka.
And to finish the day… An epic wake surfing session with Mark, Colin, Lachlan, Rosie, Sofia and friends!
Official video

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Adventure, Extreme sports, Lake Wanaka, mind resolutions, New Zealand, Richie Johnston, Wanaka, Richie, Johnston, Kidney, Snowboard, Whistler, Treble Cone, Wanaka, Snowboarding

Peak 2 Peak

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A much anticipated event to link the two ski mountains in Queenstown took place over the weekend…

Individuals and teams of two to five people race by ski/ snowboard, mountain bike, kayak, foot and road bike from the top of the Remarkables Ski Area to Coronet Peak. Team RISKY BISCUITS entered during the last week of registration with an select few semi-pro athletes from Wanaka & Hawea. With the help of an amazing support crew we had an amazing time racing.

The courses encompasses snow covered mountains, steep gravelled and tarmac ski field access roads, State Highways and tarmac rural roads, public reserve, public walking / cycling tracks, and Lakes Wakatipu and Hayes.

The Race
Stage 1: Ski/Board 2km – Colin Boyd
High on the Remarkables Ski Area. A mass start – run down to skis. Actual start determined by snow cover

Stage 2: Mtn Bike 17km – Richie Johnston
Down Remarkables road to Frankton Beach

Stage 3: Paddle 7km – Bob McLachlan
Frankton Beach to Queenstown Bay

Stage 4: Run 9km – Emily Wilson
From Queenstown Beach, through town and out to Coronet Alpine Hotel

Stage 5: Bike 9km – Mark Williams
From Coronet Alpine Hotel to the finish at the Coronet Peak Ski Area base

Approximately 73 teams entered. We came 4th over all – even with a mixed-team which we were quite proud about! We won the mixed teams category which was awesome. A fantastic result that kept us buzzed well into the evening. A huge Thanks goes out to parents, friends and the fun excited supporters along the way that kept the day run smoothly. Looking forward to next year already!

Photo: GPS Results of the DH Bike ride:

GPS results from my leg
GPS results from my leg

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Adventure, Extreme sports, Lake Wanaka, mind resolutions, New Zealand, Richie Johnston blog, Richie Johnston, Wanaka, Richie, Johnston, Kidney, Snowboard, Whistler, Treble Cone, Wanaka, Rookie Academy, Snowboarding, Treble Cone

Treble Cone Opening Day

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We were fortunate to enjoy some of the best opening conditions in ten years. Treble Cone put on a great day with lines stretching as far as the Motatapu Shutes. Enjoy the video below made by Jase at Basket Productions.

Treble Cone Opening Day.

Canada, mind resolutions, Uncategorized, Yoga

The Hidden Agenda Projects

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Earlier this month a friend, snowboard buddy and talented artist by the name of Kris Kupskay and I left the mountains and ventured into the city. Just outside of Vancouver is an area called Maple Ridge and there was a Gym in need of some love. Kris had been contacted by the local principal and teacher of Connex School to liven up the wall of the school gym. We wanted to create something interesting and unique so Kris had a yoga guru, Julia Mccabe join us…

Since aquiring a GoPro camera from Whistler Blackcomb, it has been a goal of mine to create a video like this. A goal and the passion to drive it, is the direction I want Mind Resolutions to move in. To help me portray this concept, I filmed and editied 4 minute video of the time lapse footage, Kris painting and Julia practicing Yoga. Perhaps you could share it to those who you think will appreciate it!

Connex Gym Art & Yoga Time Lapse from Richie Johnston on Vimeo.

Adventure, Canada, Extreme sports, mind resolutions, Richie Johnston blog, Snowboarding

Whistler Blackcomb I.C.E. Awards

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“Become ‘one’ with the sled…” I hear the assistant say to me as she sets my duct-tape-covered sled free. The ice 2 inches from my chin seems a lot harder and colder from this perspective… Within seconds I reach 99.5km/h down the Olympic track feeling up to 4G here in Whistler setting the fastest time and speed for the day. Memories of the Bob Sled experience a year ago flood back to me and I try to forget about the crash that happened on the same track a year earlier.

It was an honor to be selected as a winner of the 2013 Whistler Blackcomb I.C.E Awards. 3,500 employees are eligible and yesterday 16 of us were treated to a day filled with surprise and gratitude. Two weeks ago I was nominated by a couple of my supervisors as being I.C.E worthy. Inspiring Continued Excellence sum up the Core Values of WB and are an important part of the companies outstanding reputation. Mum happened to still be in town so the night was even more special with her there.

Russ Wood, one of my supervisors shared some kind words and stories. An unexpected surprise and a humbling time for me to be recognised this way. This award really is a reflection of the environment I am fortunate to work and play in. My colleagues become friends and it is awesome to be surrounded by many inspiring people here in the mountains. This way of life here allows us to freely let our passion for the outdoors excel us in many ways. It certainly is a privilege to be here.

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Adventure, Extreme sports, mind resolutions, NLP, Richie Johnston blog, Sports therapy, Time Line Therapy

Mind Resolutions – LIVE!

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Mind Resolutions (MR) is now on Facebook! I want to provide insightful and inspiring, easy to understand self-development resources that can be applied again and again. Even though the final website is not ready, the urge to get this project out there runs deep. This project of mine will eventually turn into a business practicing life coaching and sport therapy. The direction of Mind Resolutions is not quite set in stone, the idea of keeping it ‘plastic’, especially now in it’s early stages feels like the right thing to do. As time goes on, it will evolve into what it needs to be.
Delivering presentations, health & wellness retreats, goal setting and collaborating with other lifestyle professionals are interests of mine I would like to see grow! Inspired by the NLP certification I went though in 2012, it blends nicely with the teaching and training within the snow sports industry. It has helped me create success in sport, work and given me a fresh resourceful outlook on life.
All of your support and feedback is appreciated and helps me stay on track. If you want to make a contribution. Perhaps you would like to like the page?

Mind Resolutions
Mind Resolutions