That’s what’s really important. Not so much that the attention is on me, but just for the sport, it’s fantastic.
On November 3rd, the Fulcrum spoke with Canadian international para badminton player and U of O law student Olivia Meier, about her participation in the upcoming Parapan American Games which begin on Nov. 17. The following is a transcript of the conversation, with slight edits made for readability.
The Fulcrum (F): So I guess we can just jump right in. The games are in two weeks, how are you feeling about them?
Olivia Meier (OM): I’m really excited. I haven’t competed too much internationally in the last year or so because I’ve been busy with school. But yeah, I’m really looking forward to getting there, training a little bit and then getting into matchplay as well. And then, yes, seeing my teammates. So really excited to get going.
F: Awesome, and I know you’re studying law [at the U of O]. How has that been, with trying to balance school and playing?
OM: It’s been tough at times. Law school is very demanding, but I’ve really enjoyed playing with the team. I’ve found the time to really both attend practices and get some really good matchplay to keep up and remain competition-ready.
F: How have you been preparing for the games so far?
OM: So we have regular weekly practices with the team, in which we get some drills going and then some matchplay in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. And besides that, I’ve just been doing off-court training as well, so a lot of long-distance running and some strength training.
F: This isn’t your first time competing at the international level. When did you debut as an international athlete?
OM: My first international debut was in 2018. At the Pan Am championships, and that was in Lima, Peru.
F: And what was that like?
OM: That was really kind of exciting…kind of intimidating. I didn’t know really what to expect because it was my first international tournament. I just really wanted to kind of get a feel for the competition, and how I played going up against other international players and different countries. And I did fairly well in the Pan Am region. I came back with a gold in mixed doubles and then two silver: one in singles, and then one in women’s doubles.
F: That’s really impressive. And a year later was the [2019] Parapan American Games.
OM: Yeah, so that was kind of similar. We knew the athletes who we were playing against, it was just a bit of a higher stakes tournament because it’s a step under the Paralympics. A little more pressure — it takes a little bit more out of you mentally and physically, but all of the prep is kind of the same for going into international tournaments. So I felt pretty ready, knowing who my competition was as well.
F: How do you prepare mentally for such a big event?
OM: I mostly do the same thing. Before every match, I try to get a little bit of video whenever I can of the players. And then for the mental games, a lot of routine. Warming up the same way. Kind of prepping myself, maybe a little bit of visualization. That type of stuff.
F: After Para Badminton was added to the official list of sports [at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games]. In 2021, you became the first Canadian athlete to compete in para badminton. Can you talk about that a bit?
OM: So after the Panam Games, at that point I kind of knew where I sat in the Pan Am region. I was one of the top players. At that point, I started trying to play as many international tournaments as I could, just prior to COVID-19. Those were mostly in Europe and Asia.
And then COVID-19 hit. Tournaments completely stopped. It was very difficult for me to train, I barely got any training, [and was] mostly stuck with doing off-court training in my basement at home. In June or July of 2021, I found out I made the Canadian Paralympic team and that I found out I was the only one that was going from Canada. And it was just an amazing feeling.
I was a little bit disappointed that I was the only one from Canada and my teammates weren’t joining me, but it’s still just an amazing opportunity. Then I got into training, got special access to court time at my club. And then that was I think six or seven weeks of just training every single day both on court and off court multiple times a day.
F: Wow.
OM: Yeah. And as well that summer I was studying for the LSAT, I had not yet gotten into law school. So it was quite busy.
F: A lot, oh my gosh. And you competed at the Yonex Invitational last summer. And for the Parapan Am games coming up, do you have any specific goals?
OM: Right, so I did very well in the 2019 [Parapan Am Games], and I’m playing the exact same events this time around. I would like to hopefully make the podium; I want to put out my best performance.
F: It’s really exciting to have a Canadian competing in these games, let alone a [U of O] student. Have you gotten any recognition on campus?
OM: Yeah. Today, the Faculty of Law wrote a little something about me, and a few people have come up to me already. It’s a bit overwhelming! It is really good. I really appreciate all the support. I’ve never felt this amount of support from my university or my teammates or my school specifically — the school and the Faculty of Law have been fantastic.
F: That’s super cool. Para badminton needs a lot more recognition. I’m happy that you’re getting that recognition and support.
OM: That’s what I really wanted. Sports like para badminton that’re a growing sport in Canada. That’s what’s really important. Not so much that the attention is on me, but just for the sport, it’s fantastic.
Follow Meier and Team Canada as they get ready to compete in the Pan American region. See the schedule here for playtimes.
