Team Lakeland skiers overcoming adversity at Sask Winter Games

Once she gets out there and straps on her skis, Boyer is as fierce of a competitor you’ll see.

At the cross-country ski course held at the Cooke Municipal Golf Course, there is a crazy 180-degree turn in the pee wee circuit that could potentially be a hazard in a group race. Even in the middle of a four-race
crowd, Boyer attacked the turn fearlessly and finished third in her heat in the free skate event.

“She just seems to enjoy competing, she’s very tenacious,” said Joan Jeffery, one of Boyer’s coaches with the Sturgeon River Nordic Ski Club. “She deals with things in her life that I think make her capable dealing with other (adversity), worse conditions, cold weather.

“She has a very good attitude—super kid.”

Boyer started skiing with the Sturgeon River club this year, after first skiing with the club as part of a program with her Spruce Home School. Ever since, she’s been very passionate about the sport and hopes to go pursue it for years to come.

“It’s good for me, it’s a good sport. It helps me because I can learn different things about it,” said Boyer. “I want to go to the Olympics, the Winter Games, that’s all I want to do.”

Her teammate Matt Gill had a similar introduction to the sport, as he tried it out at Spruce Home and fell in love with it and started to excel.

Despite being in the second-oldest age group of midget boys, Gill posted the best overall time with 17:47.6 at the Classic Start on Tuesday, even beating all the juvenile boys’ times.

“I’m one of the younger guys, so just beating some of the older guys felt pretty cool,” said Gill.

“That was quite amazing,” said Jeffery with a laugh.

Beating those older than him is nothing new for Gill. Although he’s midget-aged, Gill is dominating the juvenile age group this season in the Sask Cup race circuit. In the six Sask Cups this year, Gill has four gold medals and a silver finish. The worst he’s done this season was a bronze medal finish in the second race of the season.
“Matthew is a pretty exceptional young athlete,” said Jeffery. “He races in the Sask Cup series throughout the province and races up in the next category, because that’s where his competition is.

“He doesn’t have enough competition in his age group, so he skis up and usually wins.”

Gill also had the option to represent Saskatchewan at the Haywood Noram Western Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships in Prince George, B.C., but decided to stay home instead and compete in his last Sask Winter Games.

“He chose the (Sask) games, which was pretty good, because he’s a good mentor for the other kids,” said Jeffery. “We’re happy to have him here.”

The three-person relay will conclude the cross-country event.

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea

by Jeff D'Andrea

Team Lakeland skiers overcoming adversity at Sask Winter Games

What's Trending