Grandpa chris's story

Here is grandpa chris's story from the bus ride to whistler when Ella got sick...

Olympic hopeful Ella C. Gannett spent 1½ years preparing for the 2010 Olympic Baby’s projectile vomiting event. At the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, Ella’s training and perseverance placed her on the podium in Whistler, British Columbia on Valentine’s Day 2010 with a gold medal. She projectile-vomited all over her mother, Holly A. Gannett, spewing a noxious, partially digested concoction of her stomach contents all over her mother’s shirt, coat, pants and snow boots after a 2½-hour Amtrak train ride from Seattle, aboard the 2-hour Vancouver-to-Whistler bus ride for a gold medal winning performance.

How do you prepare for an event like this?

ELLA: It’s a mental state before you go; if your emotions are all in the right kind of places. You want to check your psychological state. If you’re a bit too anxious, maybe you tense up a bit too much. But you don’t want to be too relaxed. You want to find that ideal state, that ideal performance state, and there’s a lot of different factors that go into that.

How do you know when it’s time for the moment to launch your bid for the gold medal attempt?

ELLA: It’s all about the breakfast; you need to have the combination of bright-colored foods, different consistencies and textures, and of course, lots of whole milk. It’s also an internal mental awareness, and something inside your stomach tells when everything’s lined up: then, you stand up, burp, aim for your target, arch your back and hope for the best.

What was the actual event like for you in 2010 when you won the gold medal?

ELLA: Like any other Olympic event, you don’t do it by yourself. You need trainers and a support team. I was especially fortunate to have my aunts Carley and Kelly to help me prepare for this medal attempt. For instance, for my stomach base load, Carley gave me lots and lots of fresh strawberries, blackberries and bananas from the Seattle Farmers Market at Pike’s Place. For the next layer, Kelly gave me pretzels, processed cheese and Cheez-It® crackers, and Carley topped it off with small pieces of pastrami and turkey. And, part of the winning formula is to stay hydrated, so I drank nearly one (1) liter of warm whole milk and some water to thin out the whole load and give it that extra liquidity needed for maximum acceleration once the load is in-flight.

How do you select the venue to start the barf?

ELLA: I was in the right place at the right time. The day started with the constant swaying of the Amtrak train. Then, the highway from Vancouver to Whistler is a winding, mountain road carved into the mountains of British Columbia. The bus driver was very experienced, so he took all of the curves at the maxim speed limit of 70 km/h, so the vehicle was constantly swaying and lurching. I was really impressed that he kept up that rate of speed on the curves; that motion added to the overall motion sickness feeling needed for my gold medal attempt.
When did you realize you were a contender for a medal?

ELLA: When you’re in the zone, you just know it. Of course, the crowd’s reaction is the real clue that it’s been a perfect barf. During my event, the crowd went wild when it looked like I was going to be successful. And, when everyone leapt out of their chairs, I knew I had nailed it. My mom had tears in her eyes when it was over.
How would you suggest other young people get started in this sport?

ELLA: Take a lesson. Among the instructors at Whistler’s Burp and Barf School are some world-class athletes and coaches. There are dozens of coaches and moms there since there is such a high demand for private lessons. I was coached by my mom, Holly Gannett. The great thing about my mom is that she is just as motivating with beginner barfers as she is with expert barfers.

The Olympic Winter Games; wherever you are.



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