Athletes take to the track
Young people prepare for annual Hay River track and field championships
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, May 19, 2016
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Youth across the Deh Cho are preparing for annual track and field championships in Hay River.
Cadence Erasmus leaps into the grass behind the elementary school on May 16 as she practises her running long jump. - April Hudson/NNSL photo
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The championships will run from June 1 to 3.
Training up for the games often requires arduous practice.
In Fort Simpson, students are expected to practise at least four days each week after school and need to attend most practices in order to make the championships.
At Bompas Elementary, young people without access to a proper track and field facility have been taking to the great outdoors to get in their much-needed training hours.
That includes running laps around the school building in an effort to build up speed and stamina and leaping from the sidewalk into grassy fields to outdo each other's long jumps, marking where they land with an invisible line.
Lydia Nelner, a Grade 5 student at Bompas, said the Hay River tournament is one of the highlights of the summer sport season.
She is no stranger to the competitive nature of track and field.
This year's event will mark her fifth time competing.
Last year, she threw 15.5 metres in the girls 10-11 softball throw. She also ran the 100-metre peewee prelims in 22.59 seconds, a time she hopes to beat this year.
She also took part in the girls 10-11 peewee high jump, and measured 1.86 metres in the peewee long jump.
This year, she said her focus is on running.
"I'm trying to increase my speed," she said.
As for the championships, she said she is looking forward to playing once more in Hay River's track and field facility.
"It's really nice there," she said.
Challenges are few for Nelner, but high jump poses one of the greatest difficulties for her.
"It's very hard," she said.
Student Grayson Klein said he has been to the championship twice in the past and is looking forward to returning.
"I'm really excited, especially for running," he said.
"My favourite parts of track and field are running and ball throw."
This year's set of competitors will have their work cut out for them to outdo last year's team, when Bompas Grade 1 student Gombee Jose brought home a gold medal for her age group.
