Emily Batty breaks silence on Olympic postponement

The world has changed so rapidly, that it is easy to forget that at the start of this year Emily Batty looked poised to mount a comeback.

At early season stage races, the Canadian national champion was looking strong. Racing solo, and with Trek Factory Racing teammate Evie Richards, Batty looked to be working back to the form she showed in 2018.

Then, everything changed. In a few weeks, races were cancelled and the 2020 Olympic Games, Batty’s goal for the last four years, were postponed.

RELATED: Watch: “Going In” follows Batty, Shandro and Trek Factory Racing.

Batty’s preparations for the final Olympic qualifier in the Czech Republic saw her travelling from Spain to California, putting her just a few steps ahead of the spreading pandemic before she and her coach and husband Adam Morka made the decision to return to Canada.

After taking some time to process everything that has happened in the last few weeks, Emily Batty is ready to talk. In the video, she shares her thoughts on the pandemic and the postponed Olympics. She also shares how her season was going, how she changed her approach to 2020. After a stellar 2018, the Canadian struggled through much of 2019, but was feeling better.

Emily Batty: Why I need to share my thoughts and feelings

From Emily Batty:

“The longer something goes unaddressed, the harder and more challenging it is to continue moving forward. I’ve been stuck on silent mode the last couple months, mainly because I struggled to convey how I thought and felt and because things happened so fast. Sharing this video as a conversation starter and to address everything that is going on in the world at the moment.”