While walking along the beach at Boundary Dam during the canoe/kayak event at the Estevan 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games, it would appear to most that Team Regina’s athletes seemed a lot smaller than their competition.
That’s because 14 of the 16 kids on their roster are under 13 years of age. A further seven of these athletes are 11 years old and younger or both in the case of one girl during the July 28 to 30 canoe/kayak competition.
“I didn’t have a birthday cake,” said Gracie Neiser, who turned 11 on July 28, “but a coach was like ‘I broke my leg’ to get me into this one place and then once we were all there they were all ‘surprise’ and they sang me Happy Birthday and I got cupcakes.”
Brianna Hartness, coach of Team Regina, said the majority of athletes in the canoe/kayak event are 15 or 16 years old and have been training in this sport for quite a few years. She said most of their kids have been paddling for two years with some members of their team, including Gracie, only taking up the sport in the past year.
“This year is a learning experience for them to get some racing experience and to see what the Games are about,” said Hartness, noting the kids have been holding their own by making a number of finals.
Zoe Mortin, 11, helped her Regina teammates McKenzie Millar, Mattea Patterson and Jasper Paul win a gold medal in the K1 200-metre relay final. She said getting a chance to compete with kids four and five years older is fun and interesting because it gives her a chance to see how well she can do.
“I would say you have to keep believing,” said Zoe. “You can’t just think I got this. It’s I can do this.”
Gracie said the Summer Games are a good way to get more experience in racing and get better at the sport. She said hopefully down the road that might transfer into even bigger and better competition.
“My older sister and her best friend want to be at the Olympics together,” said Gracie, shortly after competing in the K2 4000m race with Zoe. “Maybe we can go to the Olympics too.”
