With the 2013 Canada Summer Games in her sight, Gemma Hansen traded boats to increase her chances of making Team B.C.
Hansen will head to Sherbrooke, Que., with the rest of her kayak/canoe team members this week to compete in Week 2 of the Games. The kayak/canoe events are slated to take place Aug. 12-15.
"I just switched to canoe," said Hansen. "They had an extra spot for the C-4 team so I decided to go for that."
The 15-year-old is one of nine athletes, coaches and mission staff from Prince George to join Team B.C. in Quebec. Four of Hansen's teammates with the Prince George Barracudas Swim Club, Sterling King, Danica Ludlow, Haley Black and Patricia Fortier, started their competition Sunday and continue swimming through Friday.
"I've known these kids forever and for them to make the Canada Games for swimming is so great," said Hansen. "The program in Prince George for higher athletes is a good. Our coaches are really good at pushing the kids to get where they need to be.
Hansen may have qualified for the swim team as well if not for kayak/canoe B.C. coaches noticing her and convincing her to tryout kayaking for the 2010 B.C. Summer Games.
"Because I had an athletic background with swimming they recruited me to compete for Zone 8 for the 2010 BC Summer Games," said Hansen. "You have a lot of endurance [in the pool] and it can be transferred."
Hansen competed again at the 2012 B.C. Summer Games where she earned a silver and two bronze medals. One medal was in the outrigger canoe (a six-person boat) race. She also medaled in the skills competition.
She has modest goals for herself in Sherbrooke.
"I would like to receive personal best times and just better myself in the sport," said Hansen.
The soon-to-be Grade 10 student at D.P. Todd secondary school will share the C-4 boat with Brook McLean of Kamloops and Yasmine Semeniuk of Maple Ridge. The fourth member of the boat will be named this week.
Another goal Hansen has is to help increase kayak and canoe in northern B.C., through the Prince George Canoe and Kayak Club, which her dad Mark started in January.
Hansen spent last week in Kamloops at a Team B.C. canoe training camp to prepare for the Games.
"It was three practices a day and very good training getting us all ready for the games," she said. "It's really great team building and you get really close to the girls on the team."
After the Canada Summer Games, Hansen said the next step for her is to work towards qualifying for the 2014 national championship in kayak/canoe. And, hopefully, by the time she's ready there will be a women's canoeing event in the Olympics.
No matter what the elements are, Hansen said nothing beats paddling on the lake or river.
"You get rain, cold, sun but you've just got to keep going and enjoy it as much as you can," said Hansen. "I find it really calming just being out in nature."
* UNBC Timberwolves men's basketball coach Todd Jordan is in Sherbrooke this week coaching the Team B.C. boys B-ball team.
