Training camp helps athletes acclimate to Taiwan

by Leila Hanaumi on September 3, 2009

On the first day of training camp at National Chung Cheng University in Chia-Yi, Taiwan, the U.S. Women's Volleyball Team players were dripping with sweat, red-faced and short of breath — and that was just from the warm-up. Coach Lynn Ray Boren had been whipping his players into shape long before they arrived in Taiwan, so that wasn't the problem. Rather, the densely humid climate — and stifling gym — spurred the players' reactions. "The air-conditioner was turned on just when we were starting practice, and we were on the fourth floor with no air circulation." team captain Pia Marie Paulone said, "We were soaked." A few rooms away, wrestler Nathan Garrels felt like his lungs were ready to explode. His back was stiff from an old injury, and the hot air made it hard for him to breathe. His stamina was running out, he said. Outside, more than one soccer player staggered as they ran back and forth on the grassy field, dizzy from dehydration. Less than a mile away, on the track, athletes' faces glistened with sweat beads, the sun hard on their backs. Frequent, necessary water breaks interrupted the flow of practice. "The first day of practice was simply awful. The weather was different than what I'm used to — it was hot early in the morning and rainy in the afternoon. The disc kept slipping, so it was hard for me to practice," discus thrower Onyemachi Davis said. In the outdoor swimming pool, athlete Daniel DiDonna felt steam rising from his head. The temperature of the pool was 91 degrees, there were no lanes and the Taiwanese Long Course Meter was different from America's. "I felt like I was swimming in a hot tub," he said. "It was the toughest workout of my life." Adjusting to the Taiwanese weather this week has proved to be quite a task for American athletes. However, players have risen to the challenge and persevered. By the final full day of training camp, athletes have acclimated and are itching to go to Taipei. Since NCCU began air-conditioning its gyms earlier in the day, the volleyball team has had less physically demanding warm-ups, and the wrestlers have been able to breathe better. "Training in Chia-Yi is a nice transition between practicing in D.C. to playing in Taipei," Paulone said. "Although it took me five days to adjust my sleeping schedule, one week of training is just fine. We're all ready to go to Taipei!" Runner Amber Nash said she believes positive thinking is the key to training in difficult conditions. "Having a strong mentality is the hardest part, but once we did that, we were fine," Nash said. Swim team members said they were, in fact, grateful for the chance to put their endurance to the test. The competition pool in Taipei will be colder, and thus easier to swim in, enhancing the swimmers' performances. "Besides, the more we suffered, the deeper our bond got," swimmer Carlisle Robinson said, smiling. Soccer player Michael Higgins acknowledged what many other U.S. athletes have repeated: that the heat and different circumstances were to be expected, and that athletes have had no choice but to acclimate within the set timeframe of training camp. "One week of training has to be enough," he said. Then he added: "We came here for one thing — to win the gold." Taipei, the U.S. Team is ready!

A U.S. Deaflympic swimmer takes a gulp of water while training in the outdoor pool at National Chung Cheng University earlier this week during training camp. (Photo by Bill Millios)

A U.S. women's soccer athlete practices in the humidity of Chia-Yi, Taiwan during U.S. training camp. (Photo by Jason Chiou)

Training camp helps athletes acclimate to Taiwan

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