Two local paddlers from St. Albert are training to represent Alberta in the Canada Summer Games in the individual sprint kayaking race.
Jeremie Bennett, 16, and Jason Watamaniuk, 15, will compete in the 200m, 500m and 1000m races in Winnipeg, Manitoba between Aug. 7th to 10th.
The boys will compete against others who are several years older but they hope their year-round training has made them ready for the challenge.
“It’s hard work but I’ve learned so much about training and nutrition. I’ve set high goals for myself this season,” says Bennett.
Bennett has been kayaking competitively since 2014 but has been involved in the sport since he was 11. He competed in Western Canada Summer Games in 2015, nationals in Halifax in 2015, and in Ottawa in 2016 and he will continue to compete this August in Welland, Ontario.
Watamaniuk started two years ago with the summer camp and bantam programs at Kirk Lake. He moved to the high performance program by the end of that summer of 2015. He has competed in the Prairie divisional championships the past two summers. Watamaniuk will join Bennett to compete in Welland.
Coach Zakaria Mahmoudi said the teens have been training hard to prepare for the races, the Canada Summer Games being the highest goal for the year. The games run from July 28 to Aug. 13.
“Our athletes are passionate about their success on the water,” says Coach Zakaria Mahmoudi. “Canada Summer Games will be a great learning experience for our young athletes to be among the best paddlers in the country.”
The teens train with the St. Albert Canoe and Kayak Club, which is part of the Greater Edmonton Racing Canoe and Kayak Club.
For more information visit http://www.sackc.com/or www.canadagames.ca
