HALIFAX, N.S. - A Fort Simpson athlete is viewing the Canada Winter Games as a positive experience despite competing with an injury.

Charlene Deneyoua skis back onto the course on Feb. 16 at the Canada Winter Games. - photo courtesy of Chuck Lirette

Charlene Deneyoua was the only athlete from the Deh Cho to be part of Team NWT. Deneyoua, 19, is a ski biathlete.

After qualifying for the biathlon team in January Deneyoua had to balance her athletic training with her studies at Olds College in Olds, Alta. Deneyoua spent at least an hour and a half in the gym daily focusing primarily on cardio-vascular training.

The training came into play when Deneyoua arrived at the biathlon course, located approximately 45 minutes outside of Halifax, for a practice ski on Feb. 12. The course was "very hard and technical" with rolling hills and icy patches, said Deneyoua.

"It was very fast, I didn't know how I'd survive with my rifle," she said.

Deneyoua started strong on her first race, the 12.5 kilometre individual on Feb. 13. She'd finished her first lap when disaster struck.

After coming down a hill Deneyoua had to make a 90-degree turn. While doing a step turn to navigate the corner, one of her skis caught a groove and she fell on her back directly on top of her rifle.

Deneyoua got up and finished two more laps before conferring with her coach and withdrawing from the race with two laps remaining.

"I couldn't finish because I couldn't feel my back," Deneyoua said.

After a physiotherapy session that included having her back iced and taped Deneyoua had a day to recover before her next race.

Deneyoua completed the 7.5 km sprint on Feb. 15 in 44 minutes and 27 seconds despite 30 to 40 km/h winds, falling snow and a windchill of -12 C. She finished last in her field but was still happy with the result.

"I had a big smile at the end of my races," she said. "I was happy and excited I had finished. It was really rewarding."

Deneyoua went on to finish 36th out of 39 competitors in the 10 km pursuit race the following day with a time of one hour, seven minutes and 49 seconds. The competition in the junior women division was challenging because many on the biathletes had just come back from an international race, Deneyoua said.

Although her injury prevented her from competing as well as she'd hoped Deneyoua said she's viewing the Canada Winter Games as a learning experience. She plans to continue competing and possibly join a club in Alberta.

The games were an eyeopener for the biathletes from the NWT and now they know where to set their training goals, said Doug Swallow, a coach from Hay River who accompanied the team.

"It's always good to get extended competition like that," he said.

Deneyoua was one of four biathletes from the territory to compete at the games. Joseph Lirette of Hay River finished fifteenth out of approximately 30 junior males. Gaylen Pischinger and Brandon Norris of Fort Smith each had personal best races.

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