Kristen BUJNOWSKI

COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was forced to adopt old-school training methods while working out at her family farm with her brother. They were able to source some weights and other gym equipment and were creative in their training methods. She didn't have access to a sensory deprivation tank for restricted environmental stimulation therapy, so she substituted an isolation tank with what she called a “bootleg tank” of Epsom salt baths.

“Instead of pulling a sled, I’m pulling a tire. Instead of pushing a Prowler sled, I’m pushing a three-wheeler. Instead of indoor hill sprints, I’m running on a hill in Delaware. But I’m doing a lot of running on cement, so there’s a lot more fatigue in my ankles, calves, and shins." (londonontariosports.com, 23 Jan 2021)

RELATIONSHIP
Her partner is Josh Williamson, a bobsleigh brakeman for Team USA.

ENGINEERING WORK
When she graduated from university, she took a volunteer position at Bolivia 3D, printing hands for amputees. Prior to training full-time with the national team, she worked at Calgary 3D printing helmets for children born with cranial asymmetries. (londonontariosports.com, 14 Mar 2019)

ANXIETY
Has struggled with anxiety in her quest for perfection in the sport. She enlisted the help of a mental performance coach and her partner USA bobsledder Josh Williamson - who understands the pressure of being an elite athlete - and began journalling, setting daily goals, and performing mental repetitions and guided meditation. She stopped being so strict with herself - now travelling, going out with friends, and eating more than just chicken. “I had made all of these drastic changes to my life because this was my opportunity. I was going to be perfect, and it was too much for me. It was unsustainable. You hear people say that and you’re like ‘You’re just not disciplined enough.’ I was like, 'No, it made me better to not be so disciplined.' I feel like I’ve grown a lot.” (torontosun.com, 22 Sep 2021)

RECORD
In 2021, set an Ice House and Canadian push record of 5.36 seconds, surpassing Aja Evans's (USA) mark of 5.39 seconds and the Canadian record of 5.41 seconds she shared with Shelly-Ann Brown and Cynthia Appiah. "In the past years I’ve made myself physically ill for three weeks leading up [to the push testing], or I’ve developed a cold, I’ve had small injuries, all I think because I was so stressed about individual push testing. With the most on the line this year, this is the least stressed I’ve been.” (torontosun.com, 22 Sep 2021)

© Data by Sports Data Warehouse

Three-time World Championships medallist, winning one silver (2019 mixed team), and two bronze (2019 and 2020 in the two-woman).

Four third-place results in the 2021/22 season, with a fourth and fifth-place finish in Winterberg.