Race announcements to come...
Possibly major marathon and international trail/ mountain race.
What inspired you to excel in your chosen sport?
-The connection to the environment and the meaning behind achieving what many think is unachievable.
Who or what event inspired you to participate in sports?
-My father first started me in Ice Hockey. After 22 years I switched to distance running. Found out after 3 years of running, that my great grandfather was a distance runner.
How many competitions have you participated in these past few years? What motivated you to join these competitions?
-In 2008, as of April 3 I have competed in 9 competitions in this year alone with 3 wins. The top one so far winning the 2008 Canadian Snowshoe Championships.
Do you have a training program and what types of training programs do you do? And how do you monitor your program. What was the high point in your athletic career? How do you get through the difficult periods in training
-I incorporate personal knowledge and training (level 2 NCCP distance running coach, Stott Pilates instructor) with feedback and advice from top coaches and runners to create my template for my training. I then apply these principles in a targeted fashion which prioritizes physiological development, mental strength, goal timelines and spirit. I keep track of all my racing and training on my website. The highpoint of my career so far has been making the first relay team to run around the entire world and meeting my wife during the run as she was another teammate from Japan. All distance running training can seem difficult for many people but the activity is nothing compared to having to fit training into a full time work schedule because of getting no sponsorship from the Aboriginal sport community or Aboriginal organizations.
Where do you train, what types of equipment do you use ie: exercise equipment and do you have a Coach.
-The training I do often involves both extreme ascent and descent work along with altitude. I incorporated and funded my own altitude training sessions in 2005 and 2006. For the sessions I would incorporate heart rate monitors and sometimes altimeters and treadmills when mountains weren’t available.
What type of athletic abilities do you need to perform your sport? Example, Physical Ability: perform quick movements or cover a given distance in the shortest possible times. Speed-Endurance, Aerobic Stamina, Maximum Strength, Speed-Strength, Strength-Endurance and Flexibility. Elaborate on one specific area that you enjoy the most.
-Mountain Running incorporates more physiological systems than any other form of running because of the extreme changes in terrain. The most used one is the Lactate Threshold and the body’s ability to operate at the highest level of efficiency for both oxygen use and heart rate without compromising running pace or form.
Along with training, do you also go to school? What field of study and why?
-I started running in 1999 when I was with the 2nd Battalion of the PPCLI. I left to go to university, get a degree and run cross country. After graduating with a Bachelors degree in Recreation Management and Community Development, I have been a Program Specialist for the Banff Centre’s Aboriginal Leadership and Management Development department; a Recreation Consultant looking after all of SK’s Aboriginal communities access to recreation funding for the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association; and the Specialist for Aboriginal Sport and Youth with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
How important is healthy living in your chosen career. How important does Nutrition play in your Training Program.
-Both aspects of healthy living and nutrition are important for the work that I do and for my personal training. I do receive nutritional sponsorship from Sequel Naturals and they supply me with Vega – a whole meal Vegetarian health optimizer.
What role does culture play in your training?
-My Métis, Cree, Iroquis and Coast Salish heritage are within every step I take. I know I am performing a traditional activity and a sport of traditional pride for our people.
Have you ever experienced a runners high and have you experienced this and how did it feel?
-Long distance training involves getting out there for a long time and after the longer runs, I definitely feel better about myself and my day. If these sessions are done first thing in the morning, the rest of the day almost becomes secondary because you know you have already achieved for that day your step towards becoming a better person and athlete.
As an athlete, what words of encouragement would you offer to aspiring young athletes?
-There are many chosen paths that will present themselves to be taken. Begin to be as truthful to yourself with every choice you make and those bigger decisions will guide themselves when they come later. Just as an athlete who takes those steps towards working or embracing their weakness as a strength, you too shall become your own warrior when you relax and truly embrace your passion.
