I spent a wonderful day in Canmore, AB. on Sunday Oct 26, 2008. The snow as not falling yet and it was unseasonably warm (15 C or about 45 F). I was there to drop my 13-year-old son Tynan at his day training camp for Biathlon at the Bill Warren Nordic Training Center (www.coda.ca/facilities/bill_warren.cfm). If you don’t already know Biathlon is a great and time-tested sport including cross-country skiing and precision shooting.
My son really became interested a few years back when he was introduced to Biathlon at a summer camp at COP – Canada Olympic Park (www.coda.ca/facilities/cop.cfm). I have started to learn more about it I find myself running into Biathlon experts on a weekly bases. The sport is much bigger that it might appear here in North America. In Germany Biathlon stars are some of the most famous athletes around. Tens of thousands of spectators show up at events that can include 20 km of skiing interlaced with a number of target shooting sessions. Going from extreme cardio to a steady hand for sharp shooting as fast as possible requires a certain type of athletic skill and training.
(http://www.coda.ca/facilities/cop.cfm) What I find most interesting about this sport transition for my family from Alpine ski racing to Biathlon is that as soon as Tynan told me he was ready to change the flavor of his winter sport, the contacts began to magically appear in my daily life. This year Fitter is working to support Alberta Alpine, (http://www.albertaalpine.ca/?q=video) and low and behold my key contact there is Adam Hull who is an ex-biathlete.
Then I learn of the new introduction program called “Girls with Guns” which is working to round up more young ladies to pursue the sport. (www.biathloncanada.ca/main.php) It so happens the entire Canadian women’s team was roller skiing around Calgary selling their new calendar to raise funds for their road to the 2010 Olympics (http://www.boldbeautifulbiathlon.com/).
I also learned the husband of a old friend from my World Cup Speed Skiing days is in charge of Nordic Events for the 2010 Olympics. Mr. john Aalberg is an ex-Olympian and ran Nordic operation in 2002 at SLC and now is heading Nordic operations for 2010.
(http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/competition-schedules-and-venues/venues/-/41244/32528/1hzn6v3/whistler-olympicparalympic-par.html ) Then just yesterday at the Olympic Oval I start chatting with a young athlete walking up the stairs and learn that he is Jaime Robb, a National Team Biathlete working to earn his place for Canada in Vancouver 2010.( www.biathloncanada.ca/main.php?p=2443&lan=1 )
So I thought I was sadly leaving behind the world of Alpine Ski Racing to pursue this new sport where I knew no one and very knew very little about it. And in less than 3 months a world of wonderful people who know so much about the sport have randomly walked into our lives. It creates a warm feeling and great karma when this kind of good fortune presents itself in life.
I will surely miss seeing my kids race down the Rocky Mountains on razor sharp skis at breakneck speeds, but I also look very forward to the newfound environment I will find myself in racing and watching my kids race around the Rocky Mountains with gun (or without) in tow and a mission in mind to master another skill on this wonderful road of life on which we all journey down. I am looking forward to a great winter regardless of what kind of skis I have strapped to my feet I hope you are too!
