PRESIDENT S END OF SEASON MESSAGE

Transcription

1 PRESIDENT S END OF SEASON MESSAGE I vebeenreflec;ngonthetremendousamountofchangetheclub(yourclub) hasundergoneinthepastfewyears.likemanyofyou,ifirstbecameinvolved withtheclubthroughmykidsandthejackrabbitprogram.somehowiwentfrom beingaski alongdad,toagroupleader,toanexecu;vememberandfinallyclub president,allinthespaceofsevenyears. Alongtheway,theclubhasgrowntremendously.Itdoesn tseemlikesolongago thatwewererunningthejackrabbitprogramoutofthebackdoorofthemlacak CentreandtheextentofthetrailKanatanetworkwasthetrackswesetaround theparkadjacenttothebuilding.nowwehaveanewiden;fy,alargeand growingmembership(429membersthisyear!),brandnewgroomingequipment, asolidpresenceatriverfrontparkandatrailnetworkthatseescon;nualuse throughouttheskiseasonbyclubmembersandpeoplefromthecommunity.not tomen;onoursupportofthelargerskicommunitythroughhos;ngana;onal CapitalDistrictpointsrace(theKanataPretzelSprints)andCrossCountryOntario trainingcampsandthecoachingofpara Nordicathletes. Thisclubgrowthandpresenceisadirectresultofeverymemberoftheclub, par;cularlythevolunteerswhogive;relesslytomakeitallhappen.these volunteers,goingbacktothestartoftheclub30yearsago,aretobe congratulatedfortheirhardworkandperseverance.wewillcelebratetheclub s 30 th anniversaryataclubbanquetonmarch28,2009.ihopetoseemanyofyou theretoshareinthismilestoneintheclub shistory.iknowtheorganizing commi^eehasbeenscouringthearchivesforpicturesandanecdotesabout thosefirst30years.i mlookingforwardtoge_ngapeekatthepastandperhaps aglimpseoftheclub sfutureaswell. Finally,Iurgeallofyoutoconsideraposi;onontheclubexecu;ve.Itisonly throughyourfresh,newideascanwecon;nuetogrowforanother30years. CONTENTS PAGE TWO Banquet Feature PAGE THREE - FOUR Race Review Feature PAGE FIVE Athlete Profile PAGE SIX Chiropractor PAGE SEVEN BR/JR Feature PAGE EIGHT Track Attack Feature Challenge Feature PAGE NINE Adult Program Features PAGE TEN Racing Features PAGE ELEVEN Wildlife at the Y PAGE TWELVE Club Sponsors SteveHoward,ClubPresident ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING JoinusonMonday,April6thfortheAGM.Moredetailstofollow.Pleasesendnomina;onstoSteveHoward

2 Page Two 30 Anniversary Family Banquet EVENT DETAILS Date: Saturday, March 28th Time: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM Where: St. Isidore s Parish Hall (1135 March Rd., Kanata) Come celebrate the past, present, and future of Kanata Nordic! by Kaleigh Maclaren & Ardeth Kirkham Banquet Co-Chairs Myhow;meflies.For30years,KanataNordic(formerlyKanata CrossCountrySkiClub)hasbeenprovidingskiprogramsto residentsofkanataandsurroundingareas.it sabout;me someonethrewaparty,andthat sjustwhatwe redoing! TheKanataNordic30thAnniversaryFamilyBanquetisspecialfora numberofreasons:it sthefirstoneanditgivesusachanceto commemoratehowtheclubhaschangedandgrownovertheyears. It salsoagreatwaytocelebratetheendofthiswackywinter. Thebanquetisintendedtobearelaxedfamilyaffair,achanceto chatwithsomeskiingfriendsandtoenjoyafuneveningofslide shows,programawards,doorprizesandgreatfood.itiscatered,so noonehastocookandit sabuffet(ofitaliancuisinebybytown Catering),soyougettochoosewhateverandhowevermuchyou like.theremaybesomesinging.wewillkeepyourkids entertained.andjustwaitun;lyouseethecake! Peoplemayneedtostartoffintoquesandsnowpantsjustsowe recognizeeachother,butotherwisenothingtooformal.think business casualorsporty casual,though5 yearoldgirlsareallowed theirfavouriteprincessdress. Ifyouhaven treservedyour;cketsyet,whatareyouwai;ng for?wearefinallyhavinganindoorevent!ticketsareonsaleun;l March21standareataspecialpriceun;lthe14th. Banquet Program Someoftheeveninghighlights... 4:45 GuestsArriveandfind wherethey dliketosit 5:10 President swelcome 5:15 Buffet&Entertainment 6:20KanataPretzelRaceReview 6:30Dessert 6:40TrackA^ackAwards 7:00BunnyrabbitandJackrabbit Awards 7:45RacingatKanataNordic (YouthandPara nordic) Throughouttheeveningthere willbemanydoor prizeraffles Order Your Tickets Pictures We are still looking for pictures for the banquet. Please send pictures by March 16th to Kaleigh Maclaren. Bring Your Tickets they are your admission & your ticket for the door-prizes.

3 The Page Three KANATA PRETZEL SPRINTS Pretzel Sprints a Winner Again by Shelagh Ryan Race Director Lastyear skanatanordicpretzelsprints,heldatthebonnenfantcentre,a^racted mostlyitsownclubmembersandafewskierscamefromotherclubs.thisyearmore thanafewfromoutsidekanatacameasthewordspreadthatthepretzelcoursewas sodifferent,sofriendlyandsomuchfun!theracerscomefromlearn to ski programsinsurroundingcommuni;es,includingcantley,quebec snakkertoknordic. Youngskiersfromagesofsixtosixteencompeted.Someofthemhadneverraced compe;;velybeforeandsomehadafewyearsexperience.thepretzelcoursewas laidoutmostlyinopenterrainsocheeringparents,rela;ves,friends,andcoaches couldeasilyviewmostofit.thejuniorskierscoveredaloopofapproximately250 metreswhilethecoursefortheseniorset,twelveyearsandolder,addedanother250 metreloopthatincludedalargerhilland;ghterturns. Mostcrosscountryskiracesarefairlylong,whichcanbedaun;ngtotheyoungest ones.thepretzelisaperfectraceforthemtogetatasteofwhattheycandowiththe skillstheyhavespentthesnowymonthstryingtomaster.everyoneisguaranteedtwo races,followedbytheknock outrounds.severalofthefinalraceswereveryclose andexci;ng,withmorethanonesurprisingfinish. Alertheyouthraceswerecompletedkidsandgrown upsalikewereinvitedtoenter ajust for funteamrelaysprint.fourteenteamswerecreatedonthespotfrom anyonewillingtopar;cipate:moms,dads,kids,andteenagers,expertsandbeginners weremixedtogetheronteamsoffourandsentoffonthejuniorloop.youonlyhadto lookaroundandseeallthelaughing,cheering,andhappyfacestoknowthatthis eventitselfwasawinner. Thepartymoodwasenhancedbymusicplayingthroughouttheday.Therewasfood topurchase,asilentauc;onwithaneclec;cmixofproductsforkidsandadults,a raffledrawforgilcer;ficates,andalargedona;onofpostersthattheveryable MasterofCeremonies,BrendenDuivenvoorden,chosetogiveawaythroughasing off.justbeforetheraceawardswerepresentedseveralbraveskierssteppedupto themicrophoneandsangforaposter(andforthecrowd sampleapproval).themost memorablewasapairingofnakkertokskiertovehalversonwithkanatanordic s MeganBa^y,whocombinedtheirvocaltalentstogiveusafinerendi;onofTheLion King s, IJustCan twaittobeking. Attheendofthedayseveralvisi;ngclubskiersthankedusfororganizingsuchafun eventandpromisedtopar;cipateagainnextyear.thefollowingweek,atanother localskievent,severalotherracersalsothankedkanatanordicforpu_ngonthe Pretzelrace.Theytoldtheirfriendsandarelookingforwardtonextyear sevent. TheannualKanataNordicPretzelSprintRaceissuretobecomeafirmfavouriteinthe localracingscheduleasitgeneratessomuchfunandafamilyatmosphere.ifyou wereunluckyenoughtomissthisyear seventmakesureyoumarkyourcalendar nowfornextyear:sundayfebruary21,2010. TOP KANATA FINISHERS Atom Girls 1.FionaGrant 2.MiaTsilemos 3.OliviaMacAskill Atom Boys 2.JonathanZhang 3.GregorNordstrum Peewee Girls 3.AnnaVigneron Peewee Boys 3.SheamusO Connell Mini Midget Girls 1.ShelbyHoward Mini Midget Boys 1.AidanKirkham 2.JohnathanRoscoe Midget Girls 1.Ka;eDuivenvoorden 2.ElyseCharrier Midget Boys 1.BrendonHoward 2.AlexanderBergstrom 3.BrandonPaul Congratulations to all Kanata Participants! See Full Results

4 Page Four Kanata Race Day in Pictures Volunteers: Thank You! KanataNordic,likemostcommunity clubs,isrunsolelybyvolunteers.for thepretzeltohappencountlesshours wereworkedinadvancebyasmall teamofhighlydedicatedvolunteers. Manymorevolunteerscameforward tohelponracedayandtoallofthese peopletheclubandtherace par;cipantsoweahugethanks. KanataNordicisluckytohaveagreat groupofpeoplewhoarecommi^ed totheclubandpassionateabout skiing. ShelaghRyan,RaceDirector Click to see race videos The 2009 Nakkertok Juniors (aka The Cookie Race) Ka;eDuivenvoorden(KanataMidgetRacer) SaturdayFebruary28wasagreatdayforskiingand evenbe^erfortheannual CookieRace at NakkertokNordicSkiClub.Withonelookaround, youcouldseethatitwasaraceforall,fromshortto tall,compe;;vetorecrea;onal.somewalkedaway proud,somewalkedawayexcitedabouttheirfirst raceresults,othersjustdiditforthefunofitand some,likeme,diditforthecookie! WewererepresentedbyahandfulofKanataNordic YouthRacersandevensomeofourJackrabbitskiers. RacerBrendanHowardplacedsecondintheMidget categorywitha;meof8:44over3km,only7 secondsfromthefirstplacefinisher.tracka^acker AlexBergstromalsocompetedintheMidget categoryandfinishedwitha;meof11:07oravery respectable12 th overall.firstyearracernatasha O Connellplaced15 th (Mini Midget)witha;meof 7:21over2.5km.Ka;eDuivenvoorden,me,placed 17 th andhada;meof13:26over3km.inthe recrea;onaldivision,sheamuso Connellplaced4 th witha;meof4:05over1km. Asforthecourse,wellIthinkwecanallsayitwillbe hardtoforget!the3kmracershadaverydifficult coursethatincludedtheeverhighclimbmontée McCarthy,andtheinfamousDirk sdive.ofcourse thedifficulthillspaidoffastheracerswereseen comingdowndirk sdive,asquoted, Shoo;ngdown thehillwithspeedofahundredshoo;ngbullets! Thespeedwasevengreaterthanusualduetorain thedaybeforeandasaresultaveryfastcourse. The2.5kmcoursewasalsoachallengewithanearly hillthatwasn tsteepbutseemedtogoonforever. Thegoodthingaboutthecourseisthatthedown hillsprovidetheopportunitytorecoverandgetyour speedbackandcatchyourbreathagain,unlike MontéeMcCarthy! Weallhopetocomeoutnextyearandenjoyracing andea;ngcookies.thenakkertokjuniorsisan excellentraceforbeginnerracers,andiwould suggestittoanyone.hopetoseeyounextyear!

5 Page Five KANATA NORDIC SKIER PROFILE Matthew Pollex In each issue we feature a Kanata Nordic club member. In this one we introduce you to Matthew Pollex (photo below), who skis with the Track Attack group, this season coached by Dev Paul. by Marlene Alt Editor, Kanata Nordic News Ma^hewPollexisanac;ve,well rounded11yearoldingradesix.his mother,chris;ne,homeschoolshimalongwithhissisterkaylyn9,and brotherluke,5.ma^hewplayshockey,some;meswithahomeschool league,plussoccerandlikestoswimandrun.herunsyearround, some;mesonatreadmill,andtriestorunatleastonceaweekfor about3km.hisotherhobbiesincludeplayingpiano,chess,andba^le forwesnothonthecomputer. Ma^hewfirststartedskiingfiveyearsagowiththeBunnyRabbit programatkanatanordicandsays, Ilikeditrightaway.Hefindsthe peopleattheclubveryfriendlyandwhenaskedwhathemostlikes aboutthesportreplies, Ilikegoingfast.Consequentlyhehasa preferencefortheskateskitechnique.asanyoneknowswho'scoached JR3,whenthekidsarefirstformallytaughtska;ng,mostofthem instantlyloveit. ThisyearMa^hewcompletedthe10kmraceattheGa;neauLoppet (formerlykeskinada)andwashappywithhisresults.inpreviousyears hehadenteredthe5kmracesothiswasabigjumpinthedistance. Matthew would recommend cross country skiing for the fun and the fresh air. BesideshisregulartrainingwithcoachDevPaulandtheTrackA^ack group,ma^hewgoesouttothebonnenfantoutdoorcentremost Tuesdaystoskiwithhismotherandsiblings.Ma^hewalsosome;mes skisatthenakkertokclubinthega;neauhills,whereseveralcousins aremembers. Ma^hewsayshewoulddefinitelyrecommendcrosscountryskiingto others, Forthefunandthefreshair. Thereisn tmuchthatma^hew doesn tlikeaboutthesportexcept,likemanyofus,beingoutthere whenitisreallycold.whenaskediftherewasanythingthatwould makeskiingmorefunforhimheinstantlyreplied, IfDevwouldletus haveahotchocolatebreak!

6 Page Six Self-Inflicted Stress? by Dr. Michael Gibson Chiropractor and Director, The Wellness Group Doyouwakeupfeelingasthoughyouhaven t sleptatall,ormaybeyou vejustdozedhereand there?doyouhavetroublecomple;ngasentence beforeracingontoyournextthought?areyou sickfairlyolen?areyoueasilyirritated?areyou stressedoutaboutyourspouse,yourkids,your job,yourfamily,youragingparents,yourhealth, yourmoneyproblems,yourfuture? Ifyouanswered yes toanyoftheseques;ons, youarenotalone.youprobablysufferfromstress alongwiththebe^erpartofthehumanraceand thebadnewsis,youarelargelyresponsibleforit! Butthatisalsothegoodnews,sinceyoucando somethingaboutit. Mostofthe;mewhenyouthinkofstress,you thinkoftheemo;onalkind,thekindthatcomes fromtoomuchtodo,oradeadlineyou rein dangerofmissing.butthat sonlyonekind;there areactuallythreedifferentkindsofstress. PHYSICALSTRESS.Yousitatacomputerallday. Yourchildwatchestoomuchtelevisionorplays videogamesforlongperiods.youareoverweight, perhapsevenobese.yourpostureislessthan suppor;ve.you vebeeninvolvedinanautomobile accident. Free Consolation for Members! Todiscoverthebenefitsofchiropracticcareatnocostor obligation,thewellnessgroupisofferingclubmembers afreeinitialconsolation. Theconsolationisworth$60.00,includesa computerizedpostureexam,advancedneuro spinal exam,andacompleteneurologicandorthopedicexam. FormoreinformationcontactDr.MichaelGibsonat info@mykanatachirporactor.comor and mentionyouareamemberofkanatanordic.the WellnessGroupisconvenientlylocatedinKanataat420 HazeldeanRoad,intheVanLeeuwenCentre. CHEMICALSTRESS.Whatareyourea;nghabits? Sodaandchipsratherthanwaterandfruit?How aboutwhereyoulive:istherealotofpollu;on, smog,uncleanair,waterwithheavymetals?do youeatalotoffastfood?smokecigare^esor drinktoomuchalcohol?howaboutrecrea;onal orprescrip;ondruguse? EMOTIONALSTRESS.Theserunthegamutfrom moneyproblems,maritalorrela;onship problems,agingparents,atyrantforaboss,death ofalovedone,anewjob,movingtoanew loca;on. Allofthesesitua;onscausestresstothebody thatmaycompromiseyournervoussystemand interferewiththewaysinwhichyourbrain communicateswithyourbody.thebestwayto copewithstressistobe awareofthethreekinds, howtheyaffectyourlife,andhowyouchooseto respondtothem.changeyourthinkingandyou changeyourreac;ontostress. Youcanchoosetoeatbe^er,getmoreexercise (crosscountryskiingisexcellent),talkoverthe situa;onwithatrustedfriendorprofessional.try afreshperspec;ve.focusonthegoodinyourlife, withgra;tudeforallyouhave.dosomethingnice foryourself.meditate.learntoshutoutthe disquie;ngvoicesinyourheadthatcausestressin yourlifeandreplacethemwithposi;vethinking. Inaddi;on,oneofthebestwaystominimizethe effectsofstressistoincreaseyourbody sability toaccommodateitbykeepingyournervous systemin;p topshapewithsafeandeffec;ve chiroprac;ccare.

7 Page Seven bunnyrabbits & jackrabbits SEASON Thank You! Ourclubhasbeenblessedwitha crewofenthusias;c,crea;ve andcommi^edleaders.ourbr andjrprogramscouldnothave happenedwithoutyou,andyou allwentaboveandbeyondwith someamazingac;vi;eseach week.manyofusarejuggling mul;pleac;vi;eswithourkids, andyetallfoundthe;meto helpdevelopouryoungskiers eachsaturdayalernoon.you haveplantedtheseedsofalove ofskiingandbeingoutdoorsin thewinter.thankyou,thank you,thankyou!! Specialthanksalsotoour groomerswhoworkedhardand putmanyhoursinthisyear groomingtoensurethatwehad greattrailseveryweek! MythankstoJulieGourleyfor offering(unsolicitedeven!),to becomethehotchocolate coordinator;andtoallofthose whohelpedwiththehot chocolateonsaturdays.lessons weremadesomuchmore enjoyablethankstoyourefforts! by Ardeth Kirkham Jackrabbit Coordinator ThishasbeenmysecondseasonasJackrabbitProgram Coordinator,andonethingIcansayisthateachyearhasbeen verydifferent!lastyearwehadperfectcondi;onsjustabout everyweekend myjobwaseasy. ThisyearthestoryhastobeMotherNatureandherbo^omless bagoftricks.inowunderstandthecanadianobsessionwith weather.althoughcondi;onswerechallengingat;mes,our leadersandourskiingfamiliesmadethebestofit.itwas wonderfultoseesomanyhappyfaceseachweekatthewelldeservedhotchocolatebreaks. Iwaspar;cularlypleasedtoseethecontribu;onofourKanata Racersandotherhigh schoolageskierstoourprograms.our younghelpershavebeeninvaluabletomanyofourgroups they remembergamestheyplayedwhentheywerestar;ngout,or actedasbuddiesfortheskierswhoseparentsorgrandparents weredeliveringalesson.theiryouthandenergyallowedthemto relatetoourkidsonaspeciallevelthatwilldefinitelyinspiremany youngskierstostaywiththesport.manythankstochris;ne, Sabrina,Ka;eD,Sabina,Olivia,Jonathan,Ka;eM,Megan(aka CaptainO Ba^y),andRhiannon. Astoourfunday,itwasAWHOLELOTOFFUN!Ourgroupleaders pulledtogetherdaysbeforetheeventtomcgyversomething completelydifferentfromtheoriginalplan,andweendedup havingamostexcellentfinaletoourseason.thedaywaswarm andsunny,thesnowwassolandslushy,andshoutsandhoots andhornsrangthroughthewoods.thescavengerhuntsreigned supremeasthemostpopularac;vi;esforall,askidsracedtotheir nextclue.kidswereexcitedbythemanydifferentac;vi;es, makingitthekindofdaythey lllookforwardtonextseason.

8 Page Eight track attack SEASON by Dev Paul Track Attack Head Coach TrackA^ackhashadasuccessfulwinter,withsessionsattheYCamp onsaturdaysandthursdayeveningsandanumberofga;neaupark ou;ngsaswell.theprogramprovidesthekidswithlotsoffun, games,relays,compe;;onamongstthemselves,touchfootballon skis,and;metrials.wedidmoreclassictechniqueearlyinthe winter,whenthecondi;onsweremoreconducivetoit,butwithall oftherainandfreeze/thawcycles,wehavebeendoingmoreska;ng lately. OntheracefrontourTrackA^ackcrewpar;cipatedintheSkinouk cup,nakkertokraces,kanatapretzelsprints,tayvalleyloppet,and thega;neauloppet5kclassicand10kskate.alexbergstrom,elyse Charrier,MathewPollex,AidenKirkamandBrandonPaulalldidquite well,witheachoftheminthemedalsthisseason.alexandelyse alsowontheirdivisionsintheo^awacatholicschoolboardxcski races.astheircoachiliketosetaworthyexampleandwonthe WinterludeTriathlon,finishedaspeedy43rdattheGa;neauLoppet 53kskate,thenthenextweekendbrokemyanklefallingindeep snow! SpecialthankstoStefanBergstromandKathrynAdeneywhohave filledinformesothetracka^ackcrewcouldkeepdoingtheirthing, Track Attack 300 KM Club The"300KilometreClub" encouragestracka^ack skierstologtheirdistance fromeveryskiou;ng, workingtowards300 kilometresforthe season.skiersgetdouble thedistanceforkilometres doneinracesandcanalso countdistancescovered runningorfromwalkingto school.wehaveseveral skierseitherpassedor closinginon300. Includingthemileageof parentsandcoach,we havecollec;velylogged 4500kilometersforthe seasontodate! challenge & touring Challenge/touringpar;cipantswereadedicatedgroup,headingoutregularlytoGa;neauPark toenjoythegreattrails.morethanoncetherainyweekdayweathergavewaytosunny condi;onsforoursaturdaymorningski,anddespiterathericycondi;onsintown,thetrailsin Ga;neauParkwerealwayswellgroomed.Weolenhadtheluxuryofskiingonfreshly groomedtrails,andarelookingforwardtothemildertemperaturesofmarchandthe wonderful,carefreefeelingofspringskiing. Theparkwaysofferedachancetoperfectouruphillanddownhilltechniques,snowplowingfor some,doublepolling,telemarkandoffsetforothers.ou;ngsvariedfrom10to20km,witha visittolacphilippe,lacpinkandmackenziekingestate.thechickadeeswerealwayswai;ngforusat ShillyShallyontrail#1andweevencaughtsiteoftheoccasionalwoodpecker. by Dena Schanzer

9 ADULTS novice group Ourobjec;veistoteachthebasicsofclassic crosscountryskiingsothatthepar;cipants understanditwellenoughtoprac;ceontheir own.wealsohopetoteachthemtoskisafely andhavesomefunwhiledoingso. Page Nine TheAdultNovicesareadiversegroup.Some haveneverbeenonskis,othershavebeenaway fromthesportformanyyears,s;llothersare downhillveteranswhosecuriosityaboutallthe funtobehadonthetrailshasfinallyledthem tous.twoinstructorsallowsustohandlethis widerangeofskilllevels.eachlessonhasamain focus,suchashillworkorperfec;ngthat everelusiveweightshilfromwhichmost nordictechniquesflow. novice and intermediate Whileweconductmostoftheclassesalongside thejackrabbitsandbunniessaturdayalernoons attheycamp,wescheduleonesessionin Ga;neauPark.Thisallowsforalengthierskiand introducestheskierstothisworld classfacility justacrosstheo^awariver.wealsoinclude someoff trailteaching;metocovertopicsthat includepreparingabasicfirstaidkit,andwhat topackinadaypack. Wehopethatallofourpar;cipantsenjoyedthis year'sprogramandwelookforwardto welcomingthembacknextseason. Richard Batty & Jim Trach Adult Novice Coaches intermediate group Peter Elliot Intermediate Instructor KanataNordicofferslessonsattheintermediate levelforadultswhowouldliketoimprovetheir classicskiingtechnique.thisyearitwasa learningexperienceforallconcernedsincethis wasthefirst;methatiwasleadingagroupof students. Aleranli^letrialanderrorwefoundagood prac;cearea(wherewewouldn'trunover BunniesandJackrabbits)andstartedreviewing thebasics.thelevelofexperiencerangedfrom beginnerrecrea;onalskierstothosewitha goodgraspofthebasicswhowantedtotakeit upanotch.someoftheskierswerealso runnerswithagoodfitnesslevel. Classicskiingisoneofthoseac;vi;esthatis easytostart(simplywalkingonskis)buthardto perfect.everylessonstartedwithareviewof thediagonalstrideandasearchformoreglide fromeachstride.otherskillscoveredincluded speedystep turnsgoingdownhill,avoiding herringbonesgoinguphill,andaddingkickinto thedouble pole.eachlessonendedbytaking thelongroutebacktothechalettoseeifthere wasanyhotchocolatelel. Althoughtheperfectclassic skiingdaysoffresh snow,crisptrack sets,andsingle digitsbelow zerowereali^lehardtofindthisyear;weall hadfuninthesnow,improvingourclassicskiing.

10 Page Ten Kanata Nordic Goes Para-nordic by Harris Kirby Racing Coordinator TheKanataNordicracingprogramhasundergoneatransforma;oninthepastyear.Itisina buildingphasesinceolderracersgraduatedfromhighschoolandwentofftouniversitylastyear andyoungerracersarenotyetreadytotackletheontariocupracingcircuit.intheinterim periodwehavepickedupanumberofadultracerswhoarevisuallyimpairedorinawheelchair sothattheclubnowhasapara Nordicskiprogram,withsomeelitemembers. Para Nordicskiingisdividedbetweenstandingorsi_ngonskis.Athletesinthesi_ngcategory usuallyhavealowerlimbdisability,suchasskierswithspinalcordinjuries,cerebralpalsy,ms, MD,orPolio.Sit skiersuseaspeciallydesignedchairthata^achestoapairofskis. Thestandingcategoryisdividedbetweenskierswhoarevisuallyimpairedandthosewithalimb disability,suchasanamputa;onbeloworabovethekneeorbelowtheelbow.visualimpairment includesprofoundblindnessoralesserlimita;on.mostvisuallydisabledskiersfollowbehinda guidewhoskisimmediatelyaheadinformingtheathleteofcoursealtera;onsduringtherace. TheKanataNordicPara Nordicprogramhasfiveadultathletes,fourofwhomareblindandone whoisasit skier.oneoftheseathletes,olganazarenko,wongoldandsilvermedalsinatthe 1992WinterOlympicGamesinAlbertville,France.TwootherPara Nordicmembers,Margarita Gorbounova,(Olga sdaughter)andalexeinovikovarevyingtocompeteoncanada spara Nordic skiteamatthe2010winterolympicsinvancouver.margaritaandalexeicompetedagainstan interna;onalfieldinearlymarchintheinterna;onalparalympiccommi^eeworldcupatthe WhistlerParalympicPark. MargaritaisbeingfeaturedintheGeneralMillsAspiringOlympianscampaign,withherpictureon boxesofmul;graincheeriosandgoldengrahams.buyaboxandgotothegeneralmillswebsite tosubmitthecodeprintedinsidethebox.eachcodeprovides$1tohelpsupportmargarita s Paralympicgoal. Thelegallyblindskierscannotdriveacarandsodependonpublictransitandsupportfrom otherstopursuetheirskiing.theyalsoneedskiguidestotrainwiththemthroughouttheseason. Helpsupportthesedeterminedathletesandfellowclubmembersbyvolunteeringalilorsome trail;me!tofindoutmorecontactharriskirby. MoreaboutPara NordicSkiingfrom Cross CountryCanada

11 Page Eleven Wildlife at the Y by Marlene Alt Editor, Kanata Nordic News Left: A long-tailed weasel in its winter coat Right: Peter the Skunk and A black-capped chickadee IfyouhaveonlyeverbeentotheBonnenfantOutdoorCentretochaseyourli^leBunnyrabbitorJackrabbit duringlessonsonasaturdayalernoon,youprobablyhaven thad;metono;cemuchwildlife.butthereis quiteavarietytobefoundoutthereamongsttheskiers,eveninthecoldestdaysofwinter. Thelargestoftheresidentcreaturesarethewhite taileddeer.theyarecommonthroughmuchofkanata,as developmentcon;nuestoshrinktheirnaturalhabitat.apairofdeerfrequentsthebackhalfoftrail#1andcan olenbeseenamongstthecedars.theareaisli^eredwiththeirscat. Porcupinesarealsocommoninthearea.Theirpresenceisgivenawaybytreesstrippedofbark,olenhighup thetrunks.theyfindredpinebarkpar;cularlytasty.lastsummertherewasafamilyofporcupineslivingatthe forestedgenotfarfromtheformervailbuildingsite. ThereisaresidentskunkatthecampthattheYstaffnamedPeter(theyrefusetorevealtheskunk shuman namesake).skunksdon thibernatebutdorestagreatdeal,beddingdowningroupsandcomingouttofeed. Peterhasbeenoutalotlately,likelydisruptedbysomemaintenancebeingdoneintheareahehasse^ledin. Petercanolenbeseenneartheinnerparkinglot. Alessfamiliarmammalfoundintheareaisthelong tailedweasel.itlookssomethinglikeaferretandis12 15 longandbuiltlowtotheground.inwinterthesecreaturesareen;relywhiteexceptforablack;pontheend oftheirtails.weaselsareomnivoresandhuntrabbits(butofcoursenotbunnyrabbitsorjackrabbits). Birdsspo^edatandneartheYCamprangefromcommontoquiterare.Amongtheformerarebrowncreepers (familiarwintersingers),black cappedchickadees,red breastednuthatches,white breastednuthatches,blue jays,bohemianwaxwings,cedarwaxwingsandnortherncardinals. Keepingthesebirdscompanyinwinterareseveraltypesof woodpecker:thepilated,downyandhairy. Lesscommonarethered tailedhawk,whichisalargebird.agreat greyowlhasbeenspo^ed,ashasahawkowl,whichisna;vetothe borealforestincanada'snorthandisrarelyseenaroundo^awa. Thehawkowlisslenderandlong,haspointedwingsandcanhover likeafalcon. Whenyouareoutonthetrailsenjoyingtheremainingweeksof favourableskicondi;ons,don tforgettolookintothetreesandup aboveforthecreatureswithwhichwesharethosewoodsandfields. Thank you to Rick Jarvis (Director, Otonabee Day Camp, Coordinator, Outdoor Education Centre, National Capital Region YMCA-YWCA) for his extensive contributions to this article and for the photos. Thanks also to Club member Drew Avis for telling us about the hawk owl he spotted in early January.

12 Page Twelve Kanata Nordic Sponsors ThankstosponsorsinthecommunityweareabletoprovideKanataNordicmemberswith greatbenefits.readontoseeallthememberbenefits. Free Consultation for Members Todiscoverthebenefitsofchiroprac;ccareatnocostorobliga;on,The Wellnessgroupisofferingclubmembersafreeini;alconsola;onworth $60.00.Formoreinforma;onvisittheirwebsite, orcall thank you New sponsor! Barrhaven Source for Sports Wehaveaddedanewpartnerinthecommunitythismonth,withasponsorshipby BarrhavenSourceforSportsat1581GreenbankRoad.Wheneveryoupurchaseany regular priceditemsthestorewillcreditkanatanordicfor10%ofthepurchaseprice, whichtheclubwillreceivebackincash,helpingtokeepourmembershipcostslowand fundingspecialac;vi;eslikethepretzelraceandclubbarbeques.simplyletthesource forsportsstaffknowyouareakanatanordicmemberandquotetheclub sphone number, (ifyouforgetthenumberit sonourwebsiteorbe^eryetwriteit onyourmembershipcard). End of season sale Ourongoingsponsor,FreshAirExperience, nowhasasaleonallskiequipmentand evenwaxes,at20 40%off.Andthenew bikesforspringarearrivingdaily!ifyou purchaseanyfull priceditemsbesuretolet themknowyouareakanatanordicmember togeta10%discount.freshairexperience islocatedat1291wellingtonavenueinthe Westboroneighbourhood. Save your receipts from Kanata s Boston Pizza KanataNordicgetsa10%rebatefromeach receiptcollectedtoputtowardsourclub opera;onsandspecialevents.tocheck outtheirassortedmenugotoboston Pizza swebsite. Tosubmityourreceiptspleasegivethem tokaleighmaclarenor her. Message From The Editors We d like to thank all our contributors, contacts and references for their help in putting together another great issue of Kanata Nordic News. We hope you enjoyed it, we d love to hear your feedback on the issue, and your ideas for future issues. Please don t hesitate to contact us. Marlene Alt Kaleigh Maclaren