Louisa Jane Gurski is a two-time British Olympian who competed as a sprint kayaker in the London 2012 Olympic Games (5th place) and Rio 2016 Olympic Games (7th place) and the inaugural European Games in Baku. She has obtained incredible achievements including the gold medal in the K-1 5000m at the World Championships, and the silver and bronze in 2013 Montemor-o-Velho and 2009 Brandenburg respectively for the European ChampionshipsLouisa spent nearly 20 years as an elite athlete and she shared:What it was like growing up in Walton-Upon Thames, England;How she got started in kayaking;What her training schedule was like;How she overcame doubt; The difference between being a great athlete and the best athlete; Her most fond memories from competing in the London 2012 (home game) & Rio 2016;The moment she decided to retire after nearly 2 decades of being an elite athlete; What it was like to no longer be an athlete;Finding a new future for herself when she was no longer an athlete;Why she decided to pivot from a corporate job to being a personal trainer; Whether she would recommend her daughter be an elite athlete; How to encourage more sports in a child’s life; andHow COVID has impacted her life. Show notes: www.sothisismywhy.com/17