Heroes of Tomorrow: 10 Things You Don't Know About David Greer
My best finish in a cross-country skiing event was..... My 24th place finish at World Junior Championships in Praz de Lys, France, and second Junior at an OPA Cup race in Shilpario, Italy, or gold medal at the Canada Winter Games individual classic.
My biggest inspiration in life is.... Bill Miller (my Grandpa) - for his positive attitude towards every part of life.
Growing up I have always wanted to be.... A ninja turtle.
My favourite sport team is.... Montreal Canadians or the Vancouver Canucks.
My favourite movie is.... Into the Wild.
Before a race I will listen to....
Eluveitie/Lamb Of God/Gojira.
If I could Rule the world for a day I would.... Arrange for huge government grants for Canada's amateur athletes.
If I could only have one more meal it would be..... A selection of European cheese with fresh baked baguettes.
My favourite place in the world to visit is .... Montana Mt. (near Carcross, Yukon) mountain bike park.
My greatest Olympic moment is.... The 2002 Men's 1.5 kilometre sprint race in Salt Lake City.
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Club Volunteer of the Month: Hartley Woodward (Manitoba)
Over 25 years ago, Hartley Woodward made a short trail across his pasture so his wife Margaret could learn to ski. That trail was the start of the Bittersweet Ski Trails, named for the bittersweet vines growing there in the Assiniboine Valley. A ski hut, a woodshed and trail signs eventually followed. He planned those early trails, and every year he works to maintain and improve them. They have now grown to a 33 km system that crosses the properties of three landowners!
Hartley has always encouraged friends and neighbours to ski the trails, and they became the nucleus of the Bittersweet Ski Club. The Club helps cover his expenses and assists with the annual trail clearing.
Hartley takes pride in his beautifully groomed trails and he skis them daily. His vision, energy, generosity, and his dedication to the sport of skiing have been an inspiration to anyone who has had the pleasure of skiing Bittersweet. |
CCC Wishes to Thank All its Volunteers!
Cross Country Canada wishes to extend its appreciation to all officials and volunteers that help stage ski events across Canada and in particular those who have provided leadership at the following Haywood and AltaGas sponsored events:
Sovereign Lake Nordic Club: Sharon Clarke
Callaghan Valley Cross Country Ski Club:
Rob Bernhardt
Highland Trailblazers: Richard Lemoine
Alberta World Cup Society: Rob Hogg
Black Jack Ski Club: Jonas Sandström
Club Skinouk:
Pierre Millette
Canmore Nordic Ski Club: Blair Dunbar
2009 FIS Whistler World Cup: John Aalberg |
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Valued Partners and Sponsors
Funding Partners:
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Cross Connections April 2009
Co-editors: Chris Dornan, Cathy Sturgeon and Nadia Smith |
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Dear Cross Connections Subscriber,
Enjoy the news! We welcome your feedback anytime.
In celebration of Earth Day, we wish to remind you to please consider the environment before printing this email.
Thank you and happy reading!
Nadia Smith
Assistant Administrator
info@cccski.com |
Beckie Scott Joins StatoilHydro to Inspire Heroes of Tomorrow
Two-time Olympic medallist, Beckie Scott, travelled to Whistler Olympic Park on April 4th to inspire nearly 75 young athletes to participate in the sport of cross-country skiing as part of Cross Country Canada's partnership with StatoilHydro Canada.
In support of the Beckie Scott Youth Ambassador Program, Beckie and her husband, Justin Wadsworth - a three-time Olympian and coach of the United States Cross-Country Ski Team spent the day with athletes from Vancouver, Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton working on technique and skiing strategies. Each athlete had a chance to ski in a series of practical sessions that included a downhill slalom course, a terrain park and modified pursuit event that included a short run, transition zone and ski. Beckie and Justin also signed autographs and many of the skiers posed for photos wearing the gold and silver Olympic medals won by Beckie at the 2002 and 2006 winter Olympics.
The program, which gives Scott the opportunity to introduce Canadian youth to the sport, provides current and future athletes the opportunity to educate themselves and progress through Cross Country Canada's long-term athlete development model. The model consists of seven stages from the grassroots to elite level.
While Beckie, Justin and the athletes from Hollyburn Jackrabbits, the Nordic Racers, Spud Valley Nordic, Whistler Nordic and Squamish Nordic Ski Club enjoyed the early April sunshine, David Martin, renowned producer was busy capturing all the ski activities on video. A 3 minute promotional video will be produced for StatoilHydro to help Beckie and Cross Country Canada encourage young athletes from all regions of Canada to become engaged in the sport.
"Having new opportunities to pursue excellence through sport will change the lives of aspiring Olympians in every corner of this country," said Beckie Scott, who represents the pinnacle of Cross Country Canada's development model. "Supporting skiers at the grassroots level, while educating them on setting proper goals within the various stages of their development, is crucial to ensuring Canada's success continues on the world stage well into the future."
The Beckie Scott Youth Ambassador Program, which targets Canadian youth between the ages of six and fourteen in regions of StatoilHydro's core business, represents StatoilHydro's commitment to provide more than 1 million dollars in support over three years to Cross Country Canada. The financial commitment will be used to ensure the growth of the sport at the grass roots level while supporting the efforts of Canada's developing skiers as they work towards success at the national and international level. |
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Club Spotlight: Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club - A Lake Superior Gem
(credit: Carla Buckner)
It's not the 36km of trails, or our great group of volunteers. It's not the 136 Jackrabbits, or the over 350 cm of average snowfall. It's everything together that makes Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club an integral part of our community.
With the help of all of our partners we have been embarking on new initiatives to increase membership and also to serve the community for its betterment. For the past two years on Family Day we have increased club membership by offering free ski rentals, snowshoes, and lessons to any person in the community. Each year we have seen 120 - 170 participants. Some who have never been on skis or snowshoes before! Also, we are currently looking at ways to start a Para - Nordic program and sponsor disadvantaged youth.
Our club is a vital part of this community, yours can be too. And yes, as you read this we are still skiing!
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Canadian Winter Athletes Make History Topping 2009 World Championships' Overall Medal Count
Canada's Olympic and Paralympic winter sport athletes showed the world they are on track towards reaching their goal of owning the podium in 2010. Canadian athletes made history during the 2008-09 season by finishing first overall in World Championship medal counts, Own the Podium and its partners announced on Tuesday.
Canadian athletes combined to win a total of 28 medals, including six gold, nine silver and thirteen bronze, at Olympic winter sporting events, topping the perennial world-leading Germans and the United States who finished tied for second with 27 medals each. The Men's World Ice Hockey Championships is still to be contested in Switzerland between April 24 and May 10, 2009.
Canada's Paralympic athletes also served notice they are focused on finishing on top of the medal counts in 2010 after racking up 29 World Cup gold medals to secure the number one spot this year. Russia was second with 25 medals, while Germany was third with a total of 14. In World Championship rankings, Canada's Paralympic athletes finished in second position behind Russia and ahead of Germany.
"This truly is a breakthrough season for Canada's high-performance athletes, and the first time ever that Canada has finished ahead of the Germans in overall medals won at World Championship events," said Roger Jackson, chief executive officer, Own the Podium. "These results demonstrate that Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes are now capable of delivering podium results at high-pressure events."
On the Paralympic side, the 2010 goal was for Canada to be in the top-three nations in total gold medals won at the Paralympic Winter Games, and Canada reached its goal for the second year in a row, thanks to a strong showing in para-alpine skiing and the performances by Brian and Robin McKeever in cross-country skiing. Canada's para-alpine athletes dominated the world's best with a total of 16 medals, while the maple leaf was raised above the podium six times at para-nordic world championship events in 2009. Wheelchair curling also contributed to the 23-medal total in Paralympic winter sports by winning its first-ever gold medal at the World Championships. |
Para-Nordic Profile: Robbi Weldon Targets First Paralympic Winter Games in 2010
Robbi Weldon is clear on what the goal is as a member of Canada's Para-Nordic Team. "I want to get to Vancouver-Whistler and win gold in both cross-country skiing and biathlon." said the 33-year-old mother of two (daughter Keegan and son Alexander). "We've been training 600 to 700 hours a year for this, and it's not just participating, it's competing to own the podium, to be on the podium in 2010 for my country." Weldon has had no problems reaching the IPC World Cup podium in the three years she has been on Canada's national team. The Thunder Bay, Ontario resident, captured four medals in 2008-09 including one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, while cross-country skiing around the world with her guide Brian Berry. In just five years since learning about Para-Nordic skiing on CBC radio at her home, Weldon and Berry have joined forces to win eight medals against the world's best Para-Nordic skiers. "I'm definitely surprised at how quickly I have achieved success," said Weldon. "It has been a huge learning curve for me to realize what it takes physically and mentally to be an elite racer." An active participant in all sports during her childhood, Weldon was diagnosed with Stargardt's Disease (genetic form of Macular Degeneration) affecting central vision at 15. In college, she was introduced to two sports for the blind: goalball and powerlifting. Weldon went on to set national and world records in the squat, bench press and deadlift in 1995-96. But her Paralympic dream was ignited on the ski trails in 2004. After taking up skate-skiing two years earlier, Weldon heard about Para-Nordic skiing at the world level and took advantage to compete at the Haywood Nationals in her hometown of Thunder Bay, Ont., in 2006. It was the first year the Para-Nordic disciplines were integrated into the national championships. While Weldon enjoys quality time with her children usually in the outdoors doing a wide range of activities including biking, hiking, camping, and water activities, she remains focused on Paralympic gold and helping to grow the sport in Canada. And she has already noticed Paralympic sports developing at a high level in Canada thanks to the 2010 Paralympics being held in Vancouver-Whistler.
"The sport is growing in interest," said Weldon. "A lot of people hear about it and ask all sorts of questions like whether Berry [guide skier] skis in front or behind me. I think [Vancouver 2010] is a great chance to see it for yourself, and it's great to be able to educate and bring awareness of the sport to people with disabilities also - to show that you can do this at a recreational level all the way up to an elite, international level."
And the sport will be even better off if the world gets to watch Weldon climb to the top of the podium.
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Cross Country Canada welcomes Inge Bråten As New Senior National Team Coach
Cross Country Canada solidified the final dimension to its world-leading coaching and technical support team by naming Norway's Inge Bråten as Senior National Team Coach.
Bråten brings more than three decades of experience in the sport to the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team. A former high-performance athlete who competed on Norway's national team, Bråten has helped guide some of the world's best nordic athletes, including the legendary Bjørn Daehlie. Inge's track record includes 13 Olympic gold medals throughout his career as a coach and personal trainer. Most recently, Bråten led Sweden to three gold and two bronzemedals at the 2006 Olympics in Torino.
"Inge joins a talented team of individuals who have helped lead our athletes to personal best performances this year," said Al Maddox, executive director, Cross Country Canada. "We are confident he will play a critical role within our support team by delivering a high level of instruction and motivation, and ensuring our athletes are fully prepared to win in this final drive towards 2010. We are delighted to have Inge join us in Canada."
Outside of coaching, Bråten was educated as a teacher, and employed with a sport school in Europe. Bråten also spent 12 years working in television where he developed a sport channel focused on nordic sports in Sweden. He has also worked as a commentator for Eurosport, and is well versed in the challenges of elite world cup head-to-head ski racing.
In his new role, Bråten will be responsible for collaborating with all of the support teams and contributing to the comprehensive program delivery, leadership and coaching for the World Cup and Olympic team athletes.
"I attended a seminar in Canada in 1992 and have been looking forward to an opportunity for the last 16 years to come and coach with the Canadian team," said Bråten. "I really just want to come and fit in with the team the best I can, and follow the plan that is in place while trying to get the best out of our skiers. It is a very talented team of athletes." | |
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Thank you,
Nadia Smith
Cross Country Canada |
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