Written by MYRISSA KRENZLER
Citizen staff
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Friday, 18 July 2008 |
Denny Morrison, an Olympic silver medalist in long track speed skating in 2006, shows six-year-old Jordan Newberry how to perform an agility drill at the Xplore Sportz kids camp Friday at CNC. (Citizen photo by Brent Braaten)
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PACIFICSPORT NORTHERN BC
Chris Werrell, 23, from Burns Lake, and brothers Denny, 22, and Jay Morrison, 24, from Fort St. John, signed autographs and talked about their involvement in sports. Denny brought the silver medal he won in speed skating from the 2006 Torino Olympics for children to hold.
The meet and greet was part of a week-long camp held by PacificSport Northern B.C. The camp is for children aged seven to 12 and allows them to experience sports they normally wouldn’t play in school. Regional co-ordinator Kim Robinson said children play two to three different Olympic or Paralympic sports per day which include: wheelchair basketball, kayaking, wrestling and rugby. The program also introduces children to different professional athletes from northern B.C.
Denny, current world champion and record holder in the 1,500-metre long track speed skating event, said this helps children realize they too can be professional athletes. “It puts a real perspective on it,” he said. “We started out exactly how they are and that’s something we try to let them know and just let them realize they have the potential to do anything that we’ve done.”
“I think they’re great for opening up some beginning skills for kids to start thinking about and working on,” Werrell, a cross-country skier on the national development team, said about the camp.
Jay Morrison, a long track speed skater on the Canadian national team, agreed. “It’s just nice for them to have something to do.”
The camps are taught by certified coaches and are held for two weeks during the summer and on professional development days during the school year.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )
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