Athlete Profile: Will Critchley

Career Highlights

• Making the World Championships team every year is always the biggest highlight.

2011 Highlights

• 38th in the Sprint,World Orienteering Championships, Savoie, France
• 2nd, Middle, Canadian Orienteering Championships
• 1st, Sprint & Middle, Western Canadian Championships

When and how did you get involved with orienteering?
Started at a competitive level at 24.
What do you love most about orienteering?
I appreciate that it is a sport where you absolutely need to hammer. And though you don’t have to be smart, you just need to be clever.
What is your favourite orienteering discipline, and why?
Love it or hate it, sprinting is what is going to make orienteering relevant in today’s sporting climate, and I absolutely love to be a part of it. It is the ultimate display of the sport’s creativity of being spectacular, difficult, and FAST. One only needs to look at the example of the great skier Petter Northug, he makes skiing awesome because he kicks ass when EVERYONE is watching. Orienteering needs some of that, and sprinting is that event, and I want to be that guy.
Which orienteering event is always on your calendar?
London City Race
Do you have an orienteering idol? If so, who and why?
I want to be just like Murray Strain. Chilled out, liked by everyone, ludicrously fit, will throw down anywhere, anytime, just because he loves doing it. Awesome.
What was the highlight of your 2011 season?
Highlight of 2011 was probably the Westerns long distance in the Yukon. It was a vague legitimization of navigation skills in the forest. I was also pleased that I was able to make some solid mistakes, and still win by 4 minutes. It really solidified the confidence I had in my fitness in anticipation of worlds three weeks later, and that went modestly well.
What are your 2012 orienteering goals?
Having made a WOC final means that getting there again is a bare minimum. I think top 30 is 100% achievable with some more speed and efficiency. I would also like to become a real orienteer and make the final in something other than sprint.
What races are on your 2012 calendar?
Everything I can afford to go to. Here, Europe, Asia, the Arctic, Space, you name it. A trip to more Park World Tour events would be great.  I would like to do Hong Kong races next Christmas followed by the New Zealand World Cups. Big goal for 2013 will be World Games in Colombia.
What is your favourite international orienteering location?
Sweden is nice, Norway is nice. China was crazy, which is why I quite enjoyed it.
When you’re not orienteering, where can we find you?
I exist to sleep, eat, train, work, train, and then waste time in front of my computer doing nothing productive. I am open to a hobby suggestion.