By Michael Mastarciyan, www.CTVOlympics.ca
Some athletes fuel their success with Wheaties. Some athletes prefer protein shakes and other healthy concoctions. The secret to Emily Brydon's success this weekend in Lake Louise was a proper English High Tea at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise's luxurious Lakeview Lounge - complete with cucumber/watercress sandwiches, petit fours and scones with Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserves.
"I definitely think the proper English High Tea gave me a extra little energy boost this weekend - that and my Mom and family in the finish area," Emily said.
"I'm finally glad I stepped on the podium on home soil. It's a huge load off my chest, and I'm looking forward to Whistler in February."
Emily, a red-blooded Canadian ski racer on the slopes, is actually a traditional English lady when it's tea time - especially when her mother Rosemary is sitting next to her.
"A-hem, elbows off the table Emily," Rosemary quipped with a huge laugh during a special welcome tea her ski racing daughter surprised her with upon arriving at the hotel.
After ordering their tea - Emily selected Jasmine Butterfly and Rosemary opted to change it up from her usual Earl Grey with a delicious potion called Exceptional Peppermint - mother and daughter (who act more like sisters) had some much-needed catching up.
"I don't see my Mom enough, but we're both very busy," Emily confessed. "But we see each other when we need to see each other, and we always find time in the summer when we have an annual mother-daughter getaway which makes up for our time away from [each] another."
Mother-daughter getaways have been as simple as camping trips and as exotic as a hiking trek in Nepal. Emily says her favourite trips have included returning to her mother's native England.
"We'd go to England about every three years when I was growing up. I fell in love with London when I was little because my Mum would take me there to see things like the Tower of London and Trafalgar square to feed the pigeons.
"I have spent a lot of time there with her so it's very special to me," Emily said.
The tea at The Chateau was very formal and fit for a Queen - or a Canadian Speed Queen as was the case here. Both ladies said they'd had tea together many times, but never in such opulence. "We always have tea, but I wouldn't say it's very proper between us," Emily said. 
"And crumpets," Rosermary interjected. "Yes, crumpets too. This is our first High Tea together but my second. I had one with Chemmy Alcott (who skis for Great Britain) in Wimbledon last summer - but this is definitely my first with my Mummy," Emily said giving Rosemary a cuddle.
England, London in particular, are in Emily's future plans.
Despite a fantastic start to her ski racing year in Lake Louise, Emily has gone said the Olympic season will be her last on the World Cup tour.
"My goal is to keep all my doors open - and I think a lot of things will happen depending on how this season goes, what happens at the Olympics, things like that.
"But a dream of mine has always been to live in England for a couple of years. I'd love to do that - live in London and have a job there, and maybe go to school at the same time," Emily said.
She will take what she calls "mandatory play time for four months" at the end of the season to regroup and think about future plans.
Whatever Emily decides to do after her life in ski racing, her mother Rosemary is confident she will be successful.
"It's impossible to say what she'll end up doing. I just know that whatever she wants to do she knows she can do it - that's what she's learned through ski racing - if you want to do something you can do it, and she has the ability to do anything.
"It's going to be like a great sequel to a great movie, and what's great is that I never know what she's going to do next," Rosemary said.
"Ski racing has been such a big part of my life and I can't even think about it not being part of my life because there's so much for me to do between now and then," Emily said.
"It is an amazing lifestyle and an amazing opportunity. My last race will be more like the closing of a chapter or a door - it'll definitely be sad but it's a change I'm ready for."
Original story published by CTV Olympics here
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