Local skiers train with Paralympic Alpine Ski team

North Bay skiers Michael Whitney (front left in red
Jacket), Kaemon Dubeau (front right in grey and green jacket), Jordan Mino (second row sitting down in grey and black jacket). Photo submitted to BayToday.ca

Three local skiers from North Bay attended a weekend training session with Jeff Penner and Jeff Dickson members of The Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team, who are headed for the Paralympic Games in Turin, Italy. Penner motivated these riders and encouraged them to work hard, stay focused, and told them to set goals like aiming for the 2010 Paralympics.

Micheal Whitney and Keamon Dubeau, are junior stand-up skiers competing in Slalom and Giant Slalom and are training as part of the junior program with The Ontario Disabled Alpine Race Team in preparation for the 2006 Ontario Paralympic Winter Championships. They had the opportunity to train with some amazing athletes including mono/hemi, amputee and a blind ski racer who have competed at both regional and national levels.

The Nipissing Association of Disabled Youth (NADY) Trackers Program has provided the foundation for both Dubeau and Mino to learn to ski using specialized equipment. Dubeau, (13) has achieved a level of independence in downhill sking, while Whitney, (12) races with the Bomb Squad of the North Bay Ski Racers. Jordan Mino, 16 mastered a Bi-Ski and will now learn to ski in a Mono-ski. All three athletes hope to take their ski ability to a more competitive level. NADY will be holding a training session for interested skiers to become volunteer Instructors on January 15th and 22nd at 9 A.M. at Laurentian Ski Hill Upper Chalet.

The 2006 Ontario Paralympic Winter Championships will be held in Huntsville during January 13-15, 2006 and are the first of their kind in Ontario. These championships are a premier multi-sport competition for athletes with physical disabilities. Over 200 athletes and coaches from all regions of Ontario will compete in seven different sports including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair curling, swimming, nordic skiing, downhill skiing, wheelchair rugby and sledge hockey.

Jake Beaton, Sebastien Blais, Ashlee Dagenais, Kevin McKenna, Jordan Mino, Adam Miller, Joshua Selin, are all players from the North Bay Ice Breakers and they will play for team Northern Ontario in the sledge hockey. The Northern Ontario team will be joined by six other players from the Ottawa area and will compete against 5 other teams from the province.

Submitted to BayToday.ca