Athlete Profile: Will Critchley

What race are you looking forward to in 2019?

I’m thinking of doing the ultimate class at the OO Cup in Slovenia this year. Same difficulty, no trails on the map.

What is your favourite orienteering event that you have done so far?

Probably the WOC Long 2015 in Scotland.

Which map in Canada do you think all orienteers have to try at least once?

Probably the most essential map to try in Canada is the Morningside, around an hour south of Edmonton.

How do you normally prepare for an important race?

Preparing for an important race should really be no different than preparing for an unimportant race. If you prepare for an important race like it is an important race, then you’re not behaving as you race the vast majority of the year. How many important races are there in a year? 2? 3? When do you practice your preparation for a major race? In the unimportant races. A person’s system shouldn’t change just because of the gravity of the situation, it may feel different, but the best athletes are the ones that can perform at the same level whether it’s the Alberta Championships or the World Championships.

So, in summary, I prepare for an important race the same way I do an unimportant race.

What do you like to do outside of orienteering?

I ski a lot, I also teach sport psychology to aspiring young hockey stars. Also, I just collected all 121 in Super Mario Galaxy, so there’s that.