PODIUM Going Cross-Country

In the Hunt Nordic Skiing Brian McKeever… The history of cross-country skiing dates a top junior skier before losing most of his vision to a genetic back thousands of years when hunters eye problem at age 18, this Albertan has made history as the realized that, by attaching two long pieces of Nordic skiing is all about amazing first Canadian athlete with a disability to ski an able-bodied wood to their feet, they could move faster in fitness and great style… style being event. He finished an amazing 21st. His brother Robin is his snow-covered fields and woods. Cave the technique that Para-Nordic athletes guide for Para-Nordic races and his competitor in able- drawings in Norway showing skiers date back use to compete. “Classic” means the “kick bodied races. Together, they won two gold medals, a silver to 5,000 BC. Cross-country skiing became a and a bronze at the 2006 Winter Paralympic Games in Italy. and glide” style that cross-country skiers have sport in the 19th century (1800s). Norway gets the credit as the used since the sport’s beginnings and “free” is country that invented this the new “skating” style which was first introduced at sport. the Calgary Olympics in 1988.

Cross-Country skiing is divided into three kinds of races. Skiers with a disability in their lower body use a sit-ski, which is like a wheelchair on skis. There are races for athletes who stand, and also races for visually impaired and blind competitors. These racers have a guide with them to warn by voice or radio about what’s ahead on the course. Guides are so important that they get medals too when their athletes win.

The Winter Paralympic Games’ Nordic competition actually includes two sports in one – Cross-Country and Biathlon. The sport of Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and target shooting. In between ski loops, athletes have to quickly calm their bodies down to shoot at a target with a tiny bullseye. This takes incredible skill and training.

How do athletes who are blind hit the target? Their guide gets them positioned properly, and a tone sounds in their headset to tell them about the position of their air rifle’s pellets on the target.

To learn more about Para-Nordic Skiing visit www.cccski.com. MArk Arendz The Island CHAMP “I’m very determined. I try and try and try until the very end and then if I can’t do it, I’ll try a couple more times.” That’s what Prince Edward Island’s Mark Arendz tells other CHAMP kids. CHAMP stands for “Child Amputees” whom The War Amps support. Mark inspires these kids to reach for their dreams.

Mark knows all about that. He lost an arm in a farm accident when he was seven. But he never gave up on his love for sports and now he’s an elite biathlete racing for Paralympic medals.

He thanks his parents and The War Amps for always believing in his dream to be a Paralympic athlete. “I love to have fun playing all kinds of sports like soccer and baseball and cycling, but I love being a Colette Bourgonje competitive athlete with big challenges too,” Mark shares. He lives by his favourite saying: “How do Focus and Fun you move a mountain? One stone at a time!” Colette is no stranger to Paralympic ? success – she started her career at the Summer Paralympic Games as a wheel- Did chair racer. But she always loved to ski just for fun. Skiing is still fun for her, but You now she glides across cross-country courses as a world-class competitor. Know? Winning Paralympic medals has earned Colette a spot in the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame and she even has a street The longest Paralympic named after her! cross-country skiing distance Colette says that it took her many years is 20 km, the same as 50 laps of hard work to be the best she can be. “Paralympic competition is tough”, around a 400m running track. she adds, “so it’s important to pick the ? sport you like best. Try out as many sports as you can, but stay dedicated to the ones you love most.”

She says that even as a young girl she had a very competitive spirit for The diameter of a biathlon target is 15 millimeters. sports. But one of the things she loves That’s smaller than a Canadian $2 coin. From the most about sports is “the excitement shooting distance of 10 meters it looks even smaller! of focusing your energy on your goals.” 27?