Why deka comp? Would you ever try any of the other camps like mayhem, hwpo, or prvn?

Question

Patrick Vellner · Answer

So I got involved with DECA Comp because Michelle LaTondra, who runs it, used to be an individual competitor at the Games. I lived in Montreal, I went to school there, same town as her, and I qualified for my first Games in 2016, which happened to be her last year. My partner was going to school still there, and through a series of events, basically, she switched programs into another city. I was living with her and I ended up homeless in Montreal that summer. Michelle actually took me in to live with her and her partner and train with her in preparation for the 2016 Games. I was super successful that year, I came third in my rookie year, and then she retired shortly thereafter and started DECA Comp. We had a lot of fun training together, and we kind of get along, we view the world very similarly. We just kind of started a coach relationship then, I signed on with her, and we've been working together ever since. We've had many podiums since then, and I have no reason not to trust her. She works incredibly hard, we debrief over every competition, we make new goals every year, and she is extremely well-read and always learning in everything that we need to improve on. I have a lot of love and a lot of trust for Michelle and DECA Comp, so I don't think I would ever leave her. Are there other programs that are great? Yeah, there are. There are some that I would join, maybe, and there are some that I would not. I think it's just about finding good fits for you, and I was really fortunate to find that in 2016. Michelle's a great friend now and a really good partner in this coach-athlete relationship. So I think that I'm going to see that through until I retire, in all likelihood.

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"Why deka comp? Would you ever try any of the other camps like mayhem, hwpo, or prvn? "