Mariska Richters Digital Dogmom Life

Get ready for a weekend of rad riding at Bear Mountain Canada Cup XC Race!

WHEN: Saturday, March 5, 2016 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (PST) – Add to Calendar
WHERE: The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, Victoria – View Map

The Canada Cup series is designed to provide competitive opportunities to the next generation of cyclists, transitioning from provincial race series to international competitions. The 12 km Canada Cup Trail is not for the faint of heart. Developed in partnership with The Southern Vancouver Island Nature Trails Society (NTS), the Canada Cup Trail is designed as a single track trail for advanced mountain bike skills.

Anyone can compete with categories ranging from Elite Men and Women to Masters 50+ Men and Women. Registration closes on Friday march 4th at 5pm. Register here. Come Ride the Bear or just come watch and cheer on the national team athletes as they compete for a spot on their Road to Rio!

The Bear Mountain Canada Cup XC Race Course

The course will be open for designated training times as follows:

Thursday March 3rd: 12pm – 7pm
Friday March 4th: 9am – 7pm
Saturday March 5th: 7am – 8:15am

The 2016 Canada Cup XC Race on Bear Mountain racing schedule and fees are as follows. Online registration has ended but you can still register on site until Friday March 4th at 5pm.

For more information about the race, download Cycling Canada’s Canada Cup Technical Guide.

“Road to Rio” Fundraising Gala

After the race, put on your party shoes and join us for the “Road to Rio” Gala. Bear Mountain Resort will be hosting the gala to raise funds for the national team’s trip to the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio, Brazil this summer. The inaugural “Road to Rio” fundraising event will feature a gourmet dinner, live and silent auctions and exclusive opportunities to engage and interact with Canada’s national team and development level mountain bike athletes.

WHAT: Cycling Canada “Road to Rio” Fundraising Gala
WHERE: The Westin Bear Mountain Resort, Victoria, BC
WHEN: Saturday, March 5th — 6:00pm to 10:00pm
WHO: Canada’s National Mountain Bike Team
TICKETS: $250 per ticket or $1,800 per table (tax receipts available for allowable portion)

I’m excited to be attending the gala for the 2016 Olympic Spirit Project, I hope to see you there in support of our Olympic Mountain Biking Team!

Mountain Biking at Bear Mountain Resort

Canada’s top mountain bike riders, including Rio-bound Catharine Pendrel, have been training regularly at Bear Mountain Resort this fall and winter. The Resort, which uniquely offers year-round training opportunities on Canadian soil, is playing a key part in Cycling Canada’s long-term athlete development plans.

As an outdoor adventure destination for the entire region, the Bear Mountain Trail System offers people of all ages and abilities access to nature and the marvelous recreational opportunities it has to offer. The resort is host to an expanding trail network, jump park, national team training centre and the annual BearTrax competition. The resort also offers bike rentals, coaching and guided rides through the Hub.

For more information about mountain biking at Bear Mountain Resort, visit the website.

Ride the Bear!

You’ll find Middle Beach Lodge at the end of Mackenzie Beach Road in Tofino, BC on Vancouver Island. I headed here a few weeks ago with a group of girlfriends for a much needed weekend of beach walks, food, wine, and relaxation. Tofino is always a perfect weekend getaway destination for friends, a girls getaway or a romantic retreat.

Getting to Tofino

The Pacific Rim Highway to Tofino is twisty and windy and on this particular Friday afternoon, it was raining so hard that I literally drove through waterfalls cascading off the rock walls along the roadside. So depending what time of year you plan to travel to Tofino, be prepared for crazy road and weather conditions.

Coming from downtown Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, the trip took about 4.5 hours. My friends came over on the ferry from Vancouver (a 1.5 hour boat ride), the drive from Departure Bay in Nanaimo taking them approximately 3 hours.

Middle Beach Lodge in Tofino

When I arrived, my friends had already staked their claim to the two couches in the lounge in front of the giant fireplace of the Middle Beach Lodge public lounge. It was cozy and comfortable and when we weren’t out exploring the beach or the town of Tofino, this is where we spent the majority of our time catching up over tea or wine and relaxing. There were several couples at the Lodge, enjoying a romantic storm-watching weekend getaway.

Our rooms at Middle Beach Lodge were small but comfortable. Our adjoining rooms both included a queen bed, in-room sink and vanity and a bathroom with toilet, tub and shower. Perfectly simple with everything we needed. But what really made the room was the view of the ocean and the sound of the crashing waves just outside the window!

Hello Tofino! I’m so looking forward to spending the long weekend with you!

A photo posted by Mariska Richters (@mariskar) on Feb 5, 2016 at 5:08pm PST

Our stay at the Lodge included a continental breakfast, including croissants, cinnamon buns, toast, meat and cheese plate, hard boiled eggs, cereals, yogurt, fruit and more. Plus, of course, your standard coffee and tea. My favourite food part about our stay was the fresh cookies they bake mid-afternoon each day. Deeeelicious! We had a mix of weather conditions from stormy wind and rain to clear sunny skies. I highly recommend bringing your rain gear to Tofino any time of year, as it is on the edge of a rainforest on one side and the open ocean on the other. This combination makes the weather unpredictable and susceptible to quick change. If you plan to stay at Middle Beach Lodge, they have a healthy supply of bright yellow rain coats and rubber boots for guests to use during their stay. When we saw this, of course we HAD to wear them! So the four of us traipsed down to the beach in our yellows for a photoshoot!

Oh #Tofino! You impress me! A photo posted by Mariska Richters (@mariskar) on Feb 6, 2016 at 4:32pm PST

For more information or to make your reservation visit the Middle Beach Lodge website or contact them at 250 725 2900 or toll free 1 866 725 2900 or by email at info(at)middlebeach.com

See more photos of Middle Beach Lodge here and more Middle Beach Photoshoot pics here.

A while back, we were invited to stay at Wits End Retreat for our first bed and breakfast getaway together. Every aspect of our stay exceeded our expectations! From the location, to the grounds and accommodation to the food, our experience was outstanding!

The grounds of the B&B are absolutely stunning with perfectly manicured lawns, huge trees, beautiful flower gardens, herb gardens, an organic vegetable garden, fruit trees, a cozy gazebo, fountains and several several garden seating areas throughout the property.

The open concept, garden-view room has a cabin feel with a queen size bed and fireplace on one end and a living space with love seat, comfy chair and coffee table on the other.

Included with the room was a bottle of wine and cheese plate with crackers, a mini fridge stocked with cold drinks, and the best part: pastries!

Not far from the B&B we discovered a gorgeous white sand beach at Witty’s Lagoon, which completed the vacation feel for us! We were so fortunate with the warm sunny weather during tour stay that it almost felt tropical on the beach.

Our morning breakfast was insanely delicious! Prepared by the chefs of Wits End Catering, we enjoyed poached pears to start followed by eggs benny with incredible local Metchosin sausage. Oh my DELICIOUS!

Even though this B&B is only about a twenty minute drive from our home, we felt like we were far far away on a beautiful romantic vacation getaway. It was absolutely perfect!

Thank you to Sandy and Heather for your kindness and generosity and for sharing your little piece of paradise with us! We will most definitely be back for another romantic escape in the future!

I had read some of the glowing TripAdvisor reviews prior to the weekend and our experience fully exceeded my expectations!

You’ll find Wits End Retreat at 517 Witty’s Beach Road, Victoria BC. Make your reservation online or contact them by phone (1 250.474.1066) or email (witsendretreat@shaw.ca).

2015 marks the 35th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope.  Although most Canadians know who Terry Fox was and of his incredible legacy, here’s a quick introduction.

Terry Fox was a young man from Port Coquitlam, BC who was diagnosed with bone cancer forcing him to have his leg amputated 6 inches above the knee at age 18. He was so affected by the suffering of the other cancer patients in the hospital (many of them children), that he set out to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research on a prosthetic leg. He called this journey the Marathon of Hope.

Terry trained for 18 months, running over 5,000 km before setting out from St. John’s, Newfoundland toward the West Coast on April 12, 1980 with the goal of collecting $1 from every Canadian for cancer research.

“When I started this run, I said that if we all gave one dollar, we’d have $22 million for cancer research, and I don’t care man, there’s no reason that isn’t possible. No reason!” ~Terry Fox

Terry Fox ran close to 42 km everyday through Canada’s Atlantic provinces, but sadly after 143 days and 5,373 km, he was forced to stop running just outside Thunder Bay, Ontario. Terry’s Marathon ended on September 1st, 1980 when cancer was discovered in his lungs. Terry passed away 10 months later just a month short of his 23rd birthday.

“It took cancer to realize that being self-centered is not the way to live. The answer is to try and help others.” ~Terry Fox

Although Terry Fox’s journey with us ended, his legacy lives on. To date, the annual Terry Fox Run has raised over $650 million worldwide for cancer research. His legacy began in April of 1980 and still shines brightly 35 years later in 2015. Terry Fox is a household name that Canadians respect and will not soon forget.

The Terry Fox Run is slated for this weekend in most Canadian communities. You can find the Terry Fox Run nearest to you here. Where will you be participating in the Marathon of Hope this weekend? Please share in the comments below.

“If you’ve given a dollar, you are part of the Marathon of Hope .”

This weekend (July 31 to August 2, 2015) I will be up at Bear Mountain Resort for the BearTrax Freeride Mountain Biking Festival contributing social media and photography services to the event. BearTrax at Bear Mountain is the biggest biking event (so far) that the resort hosts annually. BearTrax (formerly known as Jumpship) will showcase some of the world’s best freeride mountain bikers, most of whom will move on to compete at Crankworx in Whistler, BC next weekend.

A video posted by Jordie Lunn (@jordielunn) on Jul 27, 2015 at 9:07pm PDT

This FREE family-friendly event includes a kid-zone with bouncy castle for the kids, a beer garden by Vancouver Island Brewery for the big kids, iRide clinics for the kids from CyclingBC, air bag for amateur riders, and all kinds of vendors, food trucks and DJ Bellyfish to keep the tunes pumping.

Instagram Contest

You will also have a chance to win a Rocky Mountain Soul 27.5 mountain bike over the course of the weekend by getting your Instagram on! All you need to do it follow @RockyMountainBicycles and @BearMountainBikePark on Instagram and tag your best #BearTrax shots from the weekend with #RideTheBear to enter. The winner will be announced on Sunday, August 2nd 2015 by North Vancouver mountain biker, Brett Tippie at the awards ceremony.

A photo posted by Bear Mountain Bike Park (@bearmountainbikepark) on Jul 30, 2015 at 11:08am PDT

The BearTrax Event Schedule

Friday, July 31st

• 3:00pm – 6:00pm | Rider Practice
• 6:00pm – 7:00pm | Rider Meet & Greet – Masters Lounge
• 7:00pm – 8:00pm | Rider Long Putt Event – Putting Green

Saturday, August 1st

• 10:00am – 1:00pm | Rider Practice
• 10:00am – 6:00pm | Expo & Airbag opens to public
• 12:00pm – 6:00pm | Beer Garden Open
• 1:00pm – 2:30pm | Amateur AirBag Competition (Kids)
• 3:00pm – 3:30pm | Rider Introductions
• 3:30pm – 6:30pm | Competition Session
• 6:30pm – 7:00pm | Award Ceremony
• 7:00pm – 9:30pm | Bill Johnson Blues Band – Main Stage

Sunday, August 2nd

• 10:00am – 12:00pm | Rider Practice
• 10:00am – 6:00pm | Expo & Airbag opens to public
• 12:00pm – 6:00pm | Beer Garden Open
• 1:00pm – 2:30pm | Amateur AirBag Competition (Celebrity)
• 3:30pm – 6:30pm | Best Trick & Whip Competition
• 6:30pm – 7:00pm | Awards Ceremony

For more information about the riders who will be participating, visit the BearTrax page on the Bear Mountain Resort website.

So come and #RideTheBear at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria this weekend!

And if you see me up there, don’t be shy! Come on over and say hello!

Avocado has got to be one of my favorite fruits. I include it in my meals nearly everyday. I put it on salads, in smoothies, spread it on toast, put it on sandwiches, add it to wraps, or just eat it right out of the skin with a spoon!

But not only is avocado delicious, it’s also very good for you. If you don’t already include avocado in your regular diet, this list of health benefits might convince you to start adding it to your regular menu.

10 Reasons Why You Should Eat More Avocado:

1.  Avocado Can Lower Cholesterol – The oleic acid in avocados helps to reduce cholesterol levels.
2. Avocados are Loaded With Antioxidants – Antioxidants help prevent disease and have even been touted to help against cancer and Alzheimer disease.
3. Eating Avocados May Help You Lose Weight – Avocado has been known to be a hunger-squasher – the fiber and healthy fats make you feel fuller for longer.
4. Avocados Provide Healthy Fats – Not all fat is bad for you. Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fat, which it where you get most of your calories from the avocado. Monounsaturated fat helps lessen you LDL cholesterol, which is harmful to your body.
5. Avocados Are Good For Your Heart – Avocados help with the absorption of carotenoids (beta-carotene and lycopene), which are essential for heart health. They are virtually the only fruit that contains monounsaturated fat, making them a heart-healthy diet choice.
6. Avocados Are Packed With Vitamins – You will find vitamins B, K and E in avocados. Vitamin B helps you maintain a healthy skin tone and metabolism, vitamin K is instrumental in bone growth and density, while vitamin E is key for strong immunity and healthy skin and eyes.
7. Avocados Are High in Fiber – Avocados provide 37% of the daily recommended amount of fiber. They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps you with appetite control by making you feel full, while insoluble fiber is great for cleaning out you bowels.
8. Avocados Are Great During Pregnancy – On top of all the other benefits of avocados, they have been known to help with morning sickness and also help your baby’s brain and tissues grow. Plus, if you’re having trouble gaining weight during pregnancy, they are a great food to load up on thanks to the healthy fats.
9. Avocados Are Potassium Rich – Avocados contain more potassium than bananas! Potassium helps lower blood pressure and is something that most people don’t get enough of in their diets, putting them at risk of stroke and heart problems.
10. Avocados are DELICIOUS! – Seriously! If none of the above convinced you to add more avocados to your diet, maybe the deliciousness will! They are rich and fresh and squishy in your mouth and fit in with almost any meal.

How To Choose the Right Avocado

Avocados only ripen after they have been picked, this is why you will find that most stores and markets will have mostly hard, green avocados available in their produce section.

Because of this, you will most likely not be eating your avocado on the day you bring it home from the store. Leave it on the counter at room temperature (not in the fridge) until it ripens. You’ll know it’s ripe by the color – it will change to dark green, almost black – and becomes soft when you gently squeeze it. One trick that has been known to help an avocado ripen faster is to put it in a paper bag with a banana and place it in a dark cupboard. Try it and let me know how it goes in the comments.

 What’s your favorite way to eat more avocado?

Earlier this month I traveled to Vancouver for 3 days to photograph the Access Sport Recruiting and Training Showcase2015 event.

Access Sport helps high school students plan for a sport oriented college / university experience. They coach Canadian student athletes from grades 9 to 12 through the recruiting process in both the NCAA and CIS.

The Showcase2015 event brought students from all over British Columbia and Alberta to Wright Field at UBC to showcase their field hockey skills to coaches from universities all over North America. Athletes had the opportunity to personally connect to college level coaches and recruiters in the NCAA and the CIS. They learned all about college playing schedules, how to plan to attend the school of their dreams, and how to do it all on a fully funded scholarship.

In addition to the three days of seminar and on-field training, athletes received a full year of membership to the Access Sport Recruiting Profile included in their tuition, and access to an on-field athletic trainer for the duration of the showcase.

Showcase 2015 on-field training included:

• Fitness testing
• Offensive Skills: (2hr training session)
• Elimination skills
• Shooting / goal scoring
• Specific GK training
• Defensive Skills: (2 hr training session)
• Distribution Skills
• Tackling
• Decision Making
• Small sided 7v7 games (each athlete will play 4 games)
• Full games (each athlete will play 2 full games)

The evening seminar included presentations from NCAA and CIS alumni speaking about:

• Time management, travel, achieving academic balance through available support systems
• What to expect during off-season, pre-season, in-season and everything in between
• The Canadian experience, choosing to stay in Canada, making a team, what to expect when you play in the CIS
• Taking care of your body, hot to be physically prepared for college, what to expect from athletic training support staff
• What happens after college? Getting a job. How playing college field hockey can prepare you for and benefit you in the real world
• Making a recruiting plan, recruiting regulations, timelines, scholarships and advice

All sessions were recorded to give the athletes the option to post video of their skills on their Access Sport profiles with the option of ordering a highlight reel showcasing their talents. (Video is very important in the recruiting process, as the majority college coaches and recruiters rely on video due to tight recruiting travel budgets.)

For more information about Showcase and Access Sport, or to get your own online recruiting profile, talk to Jenn Beagan at access-sport.ca.

Access Sport will be hosting a fall conference later in 2015 – stay tuned to their Facebook and Twitter pages for details as they become available.

Last November I responded to the call for submissions for the IOC 2014 Trophy in Sport and Art by submitting the Olympic Spirit Project for consideration. I was so excited this past weekend when I received notification that I’ve been shortlisted for the award!

“The annual International Olympic Committee (IOC) Trophy was established in 1985 in order to promote the teaching of Olympism in various areas. For 2014 the IOC intends to reward artistic expression. With the Canadian trophy, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) wishes to recognise artists and creators who, through their talent, have promoted Olympism and left a legacy through art.” ~ Olympic.ca

Olympism is defined by the IOC as follows:

“Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.”

About the Olympic Spirit Project:

Photography in the ‘Olympic Spirit Project’ is created through a love of sport and the examination of human emotion. Mariska Richters creates a dramatic collection of work that captures the diverse expression of national pride and Olympic spirit.

Mariska’s work tells a powerful story through captured moments in time where lives are changed and memories are made for a lifetime. In this collection, Mariska gives us an intimate glimpse into Olympic spirit that makes the Olympic experience so memorable.

What happens next?

The next step is to send a copy of the Olympic Spirit Project to the Canadian Olympic Committee. They will be making their selection during their April 2015 Session meeting.

To view other submissions for the IOC 2014 Trophy in Sport and Art, click here.

Fingers crossed!!!

Don’t have your copy of the Olympic Spirit Project yet? Buy the eBook here!

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the beginning of my Olympic passion. Thanks to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, I have now attended three Olympic Games (Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Sochi 2014), have met some incredible international friends, and have captured some of the most inspiring moments of my photographic career.

Sending out a huge than you to everyone who made Vancouver 2010 and beyond such an incredible experience for me. Four years ago this week marks the one-year anniversary of Sochi 2014 and the birth of Olympics Spirit Project. I’m still so very grateful to all my Kickstarter project backers, friends and family who made that adventure possible.

Check out the complete Vancouver 2010 opening ceremony. What memories does it bring back for you? Share in the comments below.

To celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza will be relit today (February 12, 2015) for four hours from 8:50am to 12:50pm. Will you be there? What memories does Vancouver 2010 bring back for you?

It’s New Year’s Eve. Many of us use this time to reflect on the year that has passed and plan for the year ahead. With this in mind, I wanted to share a tradition that I first heard about and started last year, and I invite you to play along.

Make 3 Lists

The activity includes making three lists as you reflect on the past year and begin to visualize the year ahead in your mind.

1. Make a list of what you want to leave behind in the year that is ending.
2. Make a list of the good things you want to take with you into new year.
3. Make a list of the things you want to create for yourself in the year ahead.

Then tonight, on New Year’s Eve, take the list of things you want to leave behind in 2014, and you burn it!

Now you can take the burning literally or metaphorically. If you don’t have a fireplace or safe place to burn stuff, you can rip it up and flush it down the toilet, or fold a paper airplane and fly it off a bridge, use your imagination and do whatever will have the most meaning to you to make your commitment stick!

My “crap list” will have some interesting things on it:

• It will have a few people on it.
• It will have a few bad habits on it.
• It will have a few things on it that I know have been holding me back from getting myself to where I want to be.

And tonight, it’s gonna BURN!

I see so much potential for awesomeness in 2015, and I don’t want to carry any of the things or people that have been holding me back into the year ahead. A new year is a chance for a fresh start. And although I truly believe that EVERYday is a chance to start over, a new year just seems to have that much more meaning and impact.

So what will you put on your lists? What do you know is bad for you? What is good for you? And what do you strive to achieve? Make your lists! From the moment you write it down, and you see it in front of you, if becomes REALALITY!

Write it! Burn it! Live it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Wishing you an amazing 2015!

What are some of your goals for 2015?