Held once every two years, and alternating between winter and summer, the Canada Games represent the highest level of national competition for up and coming Canadian athletes who compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in their respective sports.
From Feb. 11 to Feb. 27 more than 2,700 athletes from across Canada will compete in 20 sports including biathlon, figure skating, archery, judo, hockey and snowboarding.
Lakes District News spoke to Allie in Halifax while she was preparing for her up and coming events. Allie said that she is one of only eight biathletes from B.C. that have qualified to compete in the 2011 games.
She qualified for the Canada Winter Games based on training camp results as well as a qualification race held at Callaghan Valley, Whistler Olympic Park in December and will be competing in a 7.5 kilometre sprint, a 12.5 kilometre individual race and a 10 kilometre pursuit race. She will also compete in a relay event.
This is Allie’s first trip to the Canada Winter Games, however she has previously gained medals by competing in two B.C. Winter Games in a number of biathlon events as well as competing in two B.C. Summer Games in target shooting.
Allie has been a member of the B.C. Biathlon Team for four years and has trained with the Omineca Ski Club in Burns Lake.
“My dad has been my coach for six years,” she said.
“I train six days a week and go to the gym in between my classes,” Allie added.
She is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Science program at the University of British Columbia in Prince George and has been recently training with the Caledonia Nordics team in Prince George.
“I am still coaching at the Omineca Ski Club in Burns Lake on weekends, so I am still around,” she added.
Allie has also previously competed in the 2008 and 2009 National Biathlon Championships, the 2010 National Biathlon Championships in the youth women’s sprint coming in eighth, the youth women’s individual coming in 10 place and the youth women’s pursuit placing eighth.
To the Canada Winter Games, Allie said she plans to bring a smile and an eagerness to compete.
“I am very excited to be here,” she said to Lakes District News.
“I am pretty happy to have my dad here to support me,” Allie said, adding that she is there to have a lot of fun and hopefully win a medal or two.
