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Kacey Bellamy prepares a golden charge in Sochi

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31/12/2013

After a bittersweet silver medal in Vancouver in 2010, Defenseman Kacey Bellamy reveals how she and the USA Women's Ice Hockey team are preparing a golden charge in Sochi.

“I’m a huge competitor and a perfectionist on the ice, and if something goes wrong or I have a bad shift, I take it to heart and I get kind of upset about it. I think the biggest challenge for me is letting it go and moving on to the next play. Something I’ve been working on in the past year is learning to move on, because I can’t control it. I hate losing, but it’s life and it happens.”

“The Opening Ceremony was definitely my favourite memory of Vancouver because that was just an amazing experience and I got to see my parents in the stands. There were thousands of people in the stands and I found them up in the rafters. That was emotional for me and we were all crying. Losing to Canada was probably the most upsetting thing that happened in Vancouver. It was obviously amazing to be in that gold medal game but losing to them is always going to be motivation for that next game.”

“We train six days a week. We’re in the weight room for one-and-a-half to two hours on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and then we’re at the rink for around three hours a day Monday through Friday. Every day is a work day for us.”

“I think for the last three-and-a-half years our whole programme has changed. We’ve brought in a lot of new talent and we’ve definitely worked harder than we’ve ever worked before. We’re prepared mentally and physically and I think that when we get to Sochi there’s going to be no doubt in our mind that we’re going to be ready to play.”

“Obviously I eat well and I try to get as much protein in my diet as I can. Carbohydrates are important, too, because when you’re training you need to fuel your body. We take nutrition very seriously because it’s such an important thing. I wish that four years ago I knew what I know now. I try to have balance because I love eating vegetables and eating right, but I think there’s also a time and place when you can fit in a dessert every now and then and enjoy those foods that you love and crave.”

“I have a Twitter account and I’m on Facebook, so I try to share whatever we have going on with the team on there, but I wouldn’t say I’m hugely active with it. I don’t update every day, but I like to go on it to see what my team-mates or other people write.”

“For me, personally, I work the most on my skating ability and my quick feet. As a defenseman, my first three quick steps out of the corner, playing the body and my backwards skating are all-important. That’s something I’ve taken pride in and I try to work hard at every day.”

“Everybody wants to be the best at what they’re doing. I’m definitely still playing this sport for the competition. Obviously the gold medal is always in the back of our minds, because it’s been 16 years since Team USA has won a gold medal and, right now, that’s our motivation and that’s what we’re training for.”

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Watch the best scenes from the women's ice hockey final at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games: