Grade-12 student Elise Dube had the opportunity to train alongside top snowboarding athletes from around the world during a training camp in Europe.
The training camp was held in Pitztal, an alpine valley in Austria, from Nov. 14 to Dec. 3, 2014. The talented teenager travelled with the B.C. Snowboarding team, which she has been a part of since May 2014.
Dube said she did not waste any time while she was in Europe. She spent a lot of time on snow, and when she was not snowboarding, she said she was working out at the gym.
“It was awesome,” she said. “It was pure training every single day.”
The intense training also allowed her to gain experience in different tracks while snowboarding with people from around the world including Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and the United States.
Dube also had the opportunity to race on two different days. She finished the first race in the thirteenth position out of 40 competitors, and got the eighth place in the second race.
The high-school student said one of the most exciting parts of her trip was to meet athletes from the Canadian National Snowboarding team. She said she was able to share ideas and “get some insights” about their careers and lifestyles.
Now that she is back, Dube only has a few weeks to enjoy the holidays before she leaves for her next race. She will compete with the B.C. Snowboarding team at Cooper Mountain in Colorado, U.S.A., on Jan. 2, 2015.
