Despite a year without a coach, seven of Jasper’s paddlers qualified and competed in the Alberta Summer Games last month.
The biannual event was hosted in Airdrie and attracted more than 3,000 young athletes, who went head to head in everything from basketball to canoe polo.
Jasper’s athletes—Liam Fengler, Reed Eady, Luke Eady, Ty Bielec, Bentley Fawcett, Keandra Gruys and Nalani Gruys—all qualified in the canoe and kayak events, after completing time trials in the Jasper Aquatic Centre last spring.
The best result from the weekend-long games came from Keandra Gruys who finished fourth in the K-1 Slalom—a solo paddle through rapids on a course of hanging gates. Her sister, Nalani Gruys, came in right behind her in fifth.
Although not reflected in their results, Jasper’s athletes competed in the canoe polo event, despite having never played the sport before.
“It was fun, but we lost all of our games,” said Luke Eady, who’s best finish was 10th in the K-1 Whitewater event.
Since Jasper is without a coach and has been since Sean Allen left town last year, the athletes were provided with one from the Alberta Whitewater Association. Paul Manning-Hunter of Calgary assisted the athletes before the games, to get them into shape for their competitions.
According to Reed Eady, who finished sixth in the K-1 Wildwater event and attended the games in 2012, that training is important because “in Jasper we can only practise whitewater.”
While at the games, Lori Rimmer—who chaperoned Jasper’s athletes—spoke with a representative from Alberta Whitewater and requested assistance in finding a new coach to run camps next summer.
She said the conversation was well received and it’s looking promising for Jasper’s paddlers.
Nicole Veerman
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