THUNDER BAY – Sports – In the middle of the heat wave that has settled over Thunder Bay bringing with it record high temperatures, some of the best Nordic athletes in the province have been out working on their cross country ski technique and fitness. Instead of seeking out snow, over 100 skiers from across Ontario strapped on roller skis and hit the pavement around Kamview Nordic Centre, many of them thinking longingly of cool winter temperatures.
The skiers are taking part in the annual Lake Superior Ski District (LSSD) Cross Country Ski Dryland training Camp. In its 9th year, this camp, hosted by Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club, has hit the largest number of participants to date with over half of the athletes from out of town.
Big Thunder’s head coach, Adam Kates, hopes that the athletes will come away from the five day camp with the mentality to pursue excellence in everything that they do, “To see so many enthusiastic young athletes out participating at our biggest camp to date is extremely rewarding and provides such a motivating atmosphere for the entire group,” Kates said after a group workout. “I get tremendous amount of personal satisfaction sharing my experiences with these athletes and look forward to our camp continuing to be a major focal point on the Ontario High Performance calendar for many years to come.”
The local National Development Centre athletes and coaches have also been on hand at the camp acting as mentors and leaders for the up and coming skiers. In his first year with the team, Head Coach Mark Doble was blown away by the support in Thunder Bay and also by the athletes themselves. Doble commented, “Outreach programs such as these help support the whole program in Ontario. To have such a large group of athletes and coaches engaged in such a positive atmosphere will only build the system in Ontario and I’m so happy to say that I am a part of that”
The Camp continues on Thursday with a long run out at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.