Countdown to 2010 Athletes Update on Their Progress

By Tashon Ziara (January 29, 2008)

The Spirit of Vancouver would like to share the following updates from some of our Countdown to 2010 award recipients

 

Photo: Tyler Shmyr

 

Courtney Knight, Para Nordic Skiing

Hometown: Burnaby

Award: New ski equipment

Since receiving a Countdown to 2010 athlete award from The Vancouver Board of Trade, Spirit of Vancouver, 2010 Legacies Now and VANOC, I qualified for the 2007 IPC World Cup races held at Mount Washington. My guide Lisa Wambold and I finished third in the 15km classic race and fifth in the freestyle sprint, earning 105 World Cup points. Being our first international competition together, the goal Lisa and I had set for ourselves was to put in a technically sound race so to not only accomplish our goal, but to also finish on the podium certainly exceeded our expectations. I know that the equipment I received as part of the Countdown to 2010 award directly contributed to my World Cup success as without top of the line racing skis, I’m not sure we would have done as well as we did.

Right now, I’m preparing for the 2008 IPC World Cup races in Germany and Finland. This will be Lisa’s and my first World Cup tour so we are both excited about going. At this point we’re not even that nervous about racing in Europe though I’m sure I will be once I’m standing at the start line!

There’s been a lot of hype about the cost of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver and that the money could be better spent on things like healthcare. Yet I believe the legacies of the Games will inspire future generations to get active and live healthier lives. At the inaugural race at Callaghan Valley, there were racers as young as four and five years old taking to the trails – can there be any better form of healthcare? Without ski trails there are no skiers so, as the old adage goes, if you build it, they will come. The building of venues like Callaghan Valley can only help strengthen communities. And with access to high quality venues, we will see more and more B.C. athletes gaining distinction for their accomplishments and acting as role models.

Cross Country B.C. really hit the nail on the head when they say it takes a ski community to raise an Olympic or Paralympic medalist. Ask any athlete that competes at an elite level and I don’t think you’ll be able to find even one that says they made it all on their own. You need the support of your teammates, coaches, support staff, friends and family to make it through the daily to-do list of being a high performance athlete, but you need the support of your community to really make it. Not only can a community help fill in financial gaps through sponsorship, but also through granting athletes access to facilities and expertise they might not otherwise be able to capitalize on. I regularly take advantage of community partnerships established by the regional training centre PacificSport and I’ve had great support from my local Gold’s Gym and Cypress Mountain as training venues. Without all the support I’ve had over the years, I may never have made it to the international stage.

Kaleigh Fratkin, U18 Women’s Hockey

Hometown: Burnaby

Award: New hockey gear

 

I have had a very busy year training hard both on and off the ice. I attended the hockey academy and trained with a very qualified trainer during the summer while continuing to work at my game all year long. In competition, I competed as a member of Team B.C. in the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse and we placed 8^th overall. As a result of my performance, I was selected to try out for the first ever U-18 Women’s National Summer Team. The first part of the selection camp took place in May and was off-ice. I did very well in fitness at the camp and was invited to the on-ice try outs in July from which I was one of two players from B.C. chosen to play in the Team Canada vs. Team USA series in Ottawa in August. I was the only B.C. skater as the other girl is a goalie. As the youngest member on the team and in fact, the only 15-year-old in the country selected to play, I was very proud to make the cut and have the opportunity to train with more experienced players. To round out the year, in November I participated in the U-18 Nationals once again in Kitchener, Ontario as part of Team B.C. and our team placed sixth. I hope to get an invite to the next national camp and eventually win a spot on the National Team, perhaps in time for the 2010 Olympics. That would be awesome as no B.C. girl has made it to the Olympics as a skater. I am also working hard towards getting an NCAA scholarship in hockey, hopefully to the University of Wisconsin.

 

The award I received from Countdown to 2010 was of great assistance to me as the funds provided went directly towards hockey equipment and expenses. As you can appreciate, sponsorship programs like this one really help athletes such as myself because the costs related to competing at an elite level are often more than a family can afford on their own. In my case it is especially true as I also have two brothers playing at an advanced level.

 

With all of the support that I have received, I am happy to be a role model to the younger female hockey players who look up to me and my accomplishments. I also enjoy helping out with a novice team and seeing how much the little girls love playing hockey. I have also committed to being involved in a program called Heroes this summer. Heroes offers less fortunate kids from the inner city an opportunity to learn to play hockey and I will be an instructor in the program. It is volunteer work that I am really looking forward to.

 

Once again, I would like to say that I really appreciate the award that was given to me. It was a great boost during a crucial year in my development and helped me get exposure at a national level.

 

Andrea Dziewior, Para Alpine Skiing

Hometown: Nanaimo

Award: Specialized training program

 

Thank you for the opportunity to communicate with The Board of Trade and Spirit of Vancouver again. I am in La Molinas in France at the moment on the World Cup circuit.

Over the past year I have started to compete on the World Cup circuit. My first World Cup race was in Aspen last year and I was fortunate enough to be allowed to go to the World Championships in Arte de Therme, Italy in March of 2007. In Italy I placed 6th in Slalom and 8th in GS (both are considered technical events). My world ranking in 2007 in Slalom moved to 15th, in Giant Slalom I am  17th and in the Super-G I am 25th. At the Canadian Nationals I placed 3rd in Slalom, and 4th in both the Giant Slalom and Super-G.

 

At the start of the 2007/08 season (Nov-Dec) I was racing North American Cups and placed 3rd in Slalom at the Nor-Am in Breckenridge, and fifth in the Giant Slalom. In the Winter Park Nor-Am shortly after I placed 3rd in the Giant Slalom and 7th in the Super-G. In January I raced a World Cup in Abtenau and placed 6th in the Slalom, 9th in the Super-G and 8th in the Super Combined. I am currently in France racing a World Cup and have placed 8th in the first Giant Slalom and 10th in the second. We will be racing Slalom for the next two days.

The award I received from The Vancouver Board of Trade, Spirit of Vancouver, 2010 Legacies Now and VANOC has helped me get access to the equipment and coaching I need to develop the skills that are required to perform well internationally. This will definitely help me with my long term goal of being chosen to compete in the 2010 Paralympic Games. However, for this season my goal is to gain World Cup experience and maintain a Top 20 world standing in Slalom and Giant Slalom.

I think it is important for communities to support athletes in their development because being involved in athletics helps people gain valuable skills such as a commitment to excellence, perseverance and teamwork, all positive attributes that can be transferred to the workplace in their future careers. Most importantly, because they have received support from the community athletes will be much more likely to give back to the community and their sport through many different means including coaching, mentoring and helping to develop new sports programs.

As an athlete, I enjoy being a role model for others and I believe my accomplishments help to show younger athletes what is possible in this sport. Many disabled athletes are unaware of the higher level competition opportunities that are available with enough hard work and perseverance and my results will help younger athletes be aware of what they can accomplish and where sport can take them. Thank you once again to The Vancouver Board of Trade and Spirit of Vancouver for your support!

 

Chris Wong, Freestyle Skiing

Hometown: Prince George

Award: Apple Powerbook computer

 

Partway through the 2006/07 season [after competing as a member of Team Canada at the 2006 Torino Olympics] I crashed and tore almost everything in my knee and therefore have been in physiotherapy over the last year to rehabilitate my leg and get it back in shape. I am hoping to be back on skis by the summer of 2008.

The award that I received from The Vancouver Board of Trade, Spirit of Vancouver, 2010 Legacies Now and VANOC was an Apple Powerbook computer and it has allowed me to store footage of my skiing performances for video review, to keep in touch with friends, family and sponsors, and now it is helping me to keep up with my school while I recuperate from my injury.

As far as my goals are concerned, at the present time, I am just focusing on the continual progress of my knee. I know that if I can get my knee back in good working shape I have the skill to be one of the best mogul skiers.

As someone who has benefitted from programs like Countdown to 2010, I can tell you that it is very important for communities to support their local athletes and that without that support there would be no amateur sport. As Canadians I think that we want our youth to have many opportunities and options to find their passion. By supporting athletes we not only help young people follow their dreams, we also promote the best aspect of sport, the pursuit of a healthy and active lifestyle. In return, athletes give back in the best way they can by representing Canada and the communities they come from to the rest of the world. It's a full time job and they need as much support as they can get.

My accomplishments have given me opportunities to give back to the community. As an athlete  spokesperson with the PacificSport "tobacco free sport" program I go out into the community and talk to kids about the importance of a healthy body and being tobacco free. I am also a part of the RBC Olympians Program where I have the opportunity to speak at schools and other community organizations about working towards your goals and making the right choices. Although these are simple messages, the kids seem to listen a little more when it is coming from an Olympian and I am thankful that I can have a positive influence on them.

Tyler Shmyr, Speed Skating

Hometown: Langley

Award: Kelver suit, new skate blades, road bike for cross training

 

Once again, I would like to thank The Vancouver Board of Trade, Spirit of Vancouver, 2010 Legacies Now and VANOC for the award I received. Also, many thanks to Drew Mitchell of SportsFit B.C., Ted Houghton of the B.C. Speed Skating Association and my hometown club the Langley Blades for giving me the opportunity to be a recipient of the Countdown to 2010 award last February.

 

This past year has been busy and productive with many goals achieved. Shortly after the Countdown to 2010 event I returned to the ice to qualify for the Open Senior Men’s Championship in Sudbury, Ontario. Being one of the youngest skaters, the experience of skating with National Canada Team and Development Team members helped me to gain more confidence in my racing strategies.  Next, I traveled to the Yukon to skate at the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse—the Winter Games are like a smaller version of Olympic experience—where I placed ninth overall in the Junior Men's Division (14-19 years). Then in March, I skated at the B.C. Age Class Championships in Abbotsford and won four gold medals, placing first overall.  I finished off the season in Dieppe, New Brunswick, coming home with one gold, two silver and placing third overall in Canada.

The new equipment I received has benefitted me so much:

-          a Kelver Suit with its cut-resistant underlining (without this you cannot enter any competition

-          the road bike which is my cross training tool for summer months

-          and a new set of blades which have helped tremendously as my old ones were worn down to metal.

 

As a young athlete who is continually growing, ensuring that I have proper equipment is one of the biggest challenges—and expenses—for me and my family. Currently, we are faced with the prospect of finding a new pair of  custom-fit racing boots to accommodate which can cost from $1,500 - $3,000 a pair.

Looking ahead, I am currently striving to better my training program and set a more challenging routine. The spring and summer months are critical for training as I continue to face more experienced skaters and the competition becomes more intense. My goal during the 2008 and 2009 seasons is to become a stronger athlete overall.

 

I am very thankful for the support I have received. Being a high performance athlete is expensive and shouldering that financial burden puts a great deal of stress on both the athlete and their family. That’s why support from local communities through sponsorship programs like Countdown to 2010 makes all the difference in the world. Some of the greatest athletes of all time have come from families with an average income where every penny counted and they were able to reach their full potential because someone believed in them enough to offer support.

I am proud of my accomplishments as an athlete and how those accomplishments affect the people around me in a positive way. As an athlete you learn many values and traits that are important to building character.  Among them, the importance of hard work and staying committed to reaching your goals. To excel at any sport requires dedication and a “never give up” attitude that is important in other areas of life as well. I see this in myself and even more so in my three younger siblings who also speed skate and play hockey. Thank you again for your support.