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Where Canada’s Olympians get their start

Photo : L-R Victoria Desfosses 19, Charlotte Nettie 85, Olar Photo Credit: Louise Olar.

Photo : L-R Victoria Desfosses 19, Charlotte Nettie 85, Olar Photo Credit: Louise Olar.

Central Region Cadet Support Unit
News Release

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Desfosses from 5470 Air Cadet, Sqn in North Bay competed along with 84 Sea, Army and Air cadets from across Ontario this past weekend at the Central Region Cadet Biathlon Provincial Championship in Sault Ste Marie.

While the biathlon events in Sochi, Russia got under way, these local athletes similarly competed in both an Olympic-style Team Relay Race and Individual Mass Start event on one of Canada’s most technically-challenging courses.

"The conditions were excellent for racing on both days of this competition,” advised Major Pierre Breckenridge, 10 year veteran Chief of Competition for these annual Provincial Championships.

"We are proud of our facilities and impressed by how many cadet athletes were able to use these conditions to their advantage and demonstrate how fierce the level of competition continues to grow to year after year with a wide variety of cadet units and teams being represented in both the medal standings and in the selections for Team Ontario.”

“The course was in great shape but was incredibly challenging,” explained an exhausted Jessie Gravel after coming across the Finish Line of her 7.5 km.  race.

“It’s really difficult to ski as hard as you can and then have to instantly slow your heart rate back down and concentrate on shooting a perfect shot loop after loop in the race.

"But that’s part of what I love about biathlon.” Jessie Gravel of 696 Air Cadet Squadron in Blind River earned a place on Team Ontario for the fourth time.

A seemingly unlikely combination, the sport of biathlon combines the intensity of cross-country skiing with the precision of marksmanship.

And this third stage of the Canadian Cadet Movement Biathlon Championship Series (CCMBCS) combined these elements into a challenging and well run event that was used to select the 18 athletes that will represent Ontario at the fourth and final stage of the series.

With the National Championship being held in Martock, Nova Scotia March 2nd to 9th.

“The competition went off very well.  Some innovative new approaches, the enhanced training of officials, along with the great teamwork and cooperation from coaches, athletes, and officials made the competition run smoothly and successfully,” offered Captain Jason Higgins, the Technical Delegate for this year’s competition who has worked at numerous national and international level biathlon events including the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

“The Skill level this year also improved over last year, making the competition very close.  There is a good young and strong team of athletes heading to Nationals this year: Ontario will be well represented in Martock.”

Former Air Cadet Jean-Philippe Le Guellec, who got his start in biathlon through the Cadet Program, was mere seconds off the podium at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games himself this weekend, and there are several cadets watching his success intensely and looking to follow his inspiration in this amazing sport.

The aims of the Cadet Biathlon Program are to promote physical fitness, to act as a catalyst for a cadet fitness/sports program, to promote the safe handling of rifles, and to stimulate and maintain an interest in the Cadet Program. 

The Program consists of male and females aged 12 to 18 years of age.

There is no cost to join and most activities are free of charge to participate in. To find out about the exciting opportunities that await youth in your area look at www.cadets.ca to find a Sea, Army or Air Cadet unit in your area.

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