The season’s snowfall is a reason to rejoice for many skiers.
Some of those skiers belong to the Highlands Trailblazers, a non-profit ski club partnered with the Highlands Nordic ski resort in Duntroon. The facility and the club work hand-in-hand offering a healthy sporting culture and ski programs.
Over the course of the season, club members have rejoiced about more than the snow.
At the Ontario Youth Championships in Huntsville on March 1, which included ages 11 to 13, the club placed third after two full days of racing.
Skate racing and relay competitions took place on the first day, then, about 40 racers competed in the mass start race on day two.
The Highlands Trailblazers team placed first in the Southern Ontario division and third in the province, said Gord Salt, the club’s program coordinator and longtime coach.
Sixteen-year-old Sabine Cornell has been skiing with the Trailblazers for almost ten years.
“I’ve been skiing since I could walk, with little strap-on skis,” she explained with a chuckle.
“She’s ready to graduate,” said Salt.
The racing development program connects skiers from ages 10 to 17 with coaches and provides an avenue into competition.
“Racers are an exceptional group of people,” said Salt. He described skiing as a solo activity.
“It’s not like they have a lot of people cheering them on.”
Cornell races in the Ontario circuit. At the Eastern Canada championships last month at Mount St. Anne, Quebec, she placed first in the sprint race and third in the classic mass-start, 10-kilometre race, qualifying her for nationals.
“I like being outside with people who also love the sport and my friends. It’s also so much fun when you’re going fast,” she said.
The Nordic Canada Ski Nationals takes place in Canmore, Alberta during the week of March 17. Despite training through a hip injury, Cornell is excited to be competing.
“It’s really cool to race against high-level athletes and to see some of the national team. That will be fun to watch,” she said.
Along with skiing, Cornell is also a runner. She said that participating in the programs with the Trailblazers has helped her develop athletic goals. Salt has also helped keep her eye on future skiing endeavours.
“He has helped me a lot to become a better skier with my technique and improve all parts of my skiing. He also encourages me to keep seeing what I can do in the upcoming years,” she said.
Whether at a competitive level or just for fun, “I think I’ll always be skiing,” said Cornell.
She balances a busy schedule of training, extracurricular activities, and school, “I like doing everything,” she said.
“That’s what you do it for, to see athletes mature as people first and racers second,” said Salt.
