When you love to do something and you pour yourself into it, it can bring you places you may have never expected to go.
With hard work and perseverance, life brought Mitchell Harris, a Grade 8 student from McLurg High School, a long way from his home in the Landis area, to Prince George, B.C. to participate in the recent 2015 Canada Winter Games.
For the past year Mitchell, son of Russ and Sue Harris, has dedicated himself to the preparation of the recent 2015 Canada Winter Games. It’s been a long process, but a journey well worth it.
Along with 12 other down hill skiers (six boys and six girls) from across the province, Mitchell took to the skies Feb. 13, landing in Prince George ready to proudly represent Team Saskatchewan in the Alpine racing event.
The 13-year-old spent his February break competing in different downhill ski races. The races, which were held just outside of Prince George at Purden Ski Village as well as Tabor Mountain Ski Resort, took place from the Feb. 15 to 19 racers competing in a different style each day: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G and Ski Cross. When asked what he feels when racing, he says, “in a race run, all there is, is pure aggression.”
Mitchell , has been a member of the Table Mountain Alpine Race Team for four years, skiing since he was nine years old. In February of 2014, Mitchell participated in the Saskatchewan Winter Games, which then led to the tryouts for the 2015 Canada Winter Games. Along with mental, physical and dry land training, he attended various ski camps to help improve his skill.
“This opportunity has taken me to Mount Hood, Oregon where I was able to ski on a volcano in July,” says Mitchell .
Advancing from all of Canada in his event were only six out of 63 youth males in his age group; Mitchell being the only male in Saskatchewan out of his age group to advance to the games, a huge accomplishment.
Like all parents, his are proud of where his hard work has led him and, along with the rest of his family, are his biggest support system. Mitchell says the Landis Community Recreation Board helped contribute financially and his coaches, Olympian Wendy Lumby, Dwight Bergstrom and Sarah Jones, cheered him on, along with Sask Alpine, his fellow athletes from the Table Mountain Alpine Race Team, family and friends.
“My favorite part of the games was meeting and interacting with kids from the other provinces,” says Mitchell. The athletes not only competed, but also mingled with each other, with an athlete’s lounge provided to interact with each other. They were also treated to a dance at the end of the week.
Athletes represented different age groups (12-35), different provinces as well as the territories and a wide variety of sports including ringette, wheelchair basketball, biathalon and speed skating to name a few.
As for the future, Mitchell says, “I want to keep racing as long as I can. When I am finished, I would like to coach the next generation of athletes.”
