ATHABASCA — For young athletes across the province, the countdown for the 2024 Alberta Winter Games is on, and competitors from Athabasca are no exception. Four up-and-coming cross-country skiers from the area will be strapping on their skis for the largest winter sports competition in the province, at all 11 years of age.
Carmen Froese, 11, Anders Lundell, 11, and Anja Allen, 10 going on 11, are excitedly anticipating the Games, which are being held in Grande Prairie Feb. 16 to 19. The skiers are three of the four Athabasca-based athletes who qualified for the Games in cross-country skiing.
“I was pretty excited,” said Lundell. “I’ve always wanted to attend a big competition like this.”
“I’m very nervous like I was on the qualification (run),” said Froese. “I’m very excited to ski again, ‘cause there hasn’t been a lot of opportunities for that, and I’m very excited to go and just be with all those people and in that environment, and also just to race, just to compete.”
Qualifying races for were held Dec. 16 at Gold Bar Park in Edmonton, where members from the Athabasca Northern Nordic Ski Club, part of Zone 5, went head-to-head with skiers from Westlock, Edmonton, St. Albert, and Uncas — a locality under 40 kilometres east of Edmonton.
Allen said the qualifying race, “was really nerve-wracking,” but upon hearing she would be competing in the Winter Games, she said “I was really, really happy and really excited.”
Froese said she felt a similar sentiment when she got the good news. “I was very happy, because (I’m) going with all those other people who have qualified too. So I was very happy and it felt very accomplishing,” she said.
“I felt, I wouldn’t say super confident, but I felt confident enough that I could make it,” said Lundell.
Allen and Froese will be competing in the U-12 girls category, and Lundell will race in the U-12 boys division. Corie Lynn Minville will also be heading to the games to compete in the U-16 girls group, and Henrik Asfeldt, head coach of the Ski Club, said Dominic Minville is still waiting on race results to secure a place at the games in February.
Despite the nerves felt by Allen and Froese, the pair said they’re both looking forward to their first experience competing in the Alberta Winter Games.
“I’m just going there to have fun, meet new people and just have fun,” said Allen. “I’m also excited for the opening ceremony, I think that would be really fun.”
Lundell said while he’s also looking forward to meeting new people at the Games, he’s also focused on the competition aspect. “It would be nice to get top ten, I think that would be a big accomplishment.”
“I think I have the same attitude as what I had going into the qualifier, because I’ve never done this before so I’m just gonna try it out first, get the feel for it,” said Froese.
“I’m not really bothered (about) what happens at the Alberta Winter Games, ‘cause in my mind it’s all for fun, and to meet those different kinds of people and to be in that environment,” she added.
X-C Experience
The two young cross-country skiers may be headed to their first Winter Games, but they’ve both got years of experience under their belts.
Allen said she got initially got into the sport with a family member around the age of five. “For a while, I’ve been cross-country skiing with my dad when he goes … I like hanging out with my dad, and it’s really fun to be with other people and hang out with them while still working out,” she said.
Froese started at the same age, when she entered in the Nordic Club’s Jackrabbit program for kids between. “I just love the environment and the people who do it. I also love when you’re skiing and seeing all the nature, and just being out on the trails I think is amazing.”
Lundell recalled taking a handful of cross-country lessons when he was younger but said the prospect of learning and growing brought him back to the sport this season.
“I have been doing downhill skiing for past couple of years and I’ve always kind of been good at cross-country skiing, so I thought I would try to improve my skills and try out.”
All three athletes are also active year-round, which they say helps to condition them for the poling and skiing that comes with winter. And with little snow to train in the usual areas such as on the trails at Muskeg Creek park, the extra off-season training can be a bonus.
“I like being active,” said Allen. “I do downhill skiing, gymnastics and dance.”
“It’s been kind of hard to practice this year … it also helps when you’re in other sports,” said Froese, who’s involved in the local swim club as well as the Athabasca Ukrainian Dance Society.
“They’re both winter and summer (sports), but I find it helps just building up those different kinds and varieties of muscle,” she added.
“Doing a bunch of sports brings up some stamina for those big uphills and the strength for the downhills,” said Lundell, adding extra training provides “the stamina to just go hard and not feel like dying.”
Allen, Froese, and Lundell said they will be spending the month ahead of the Winter Games continuing their training in preparation for the competition.
Lundell said his training regimen will involve “keeping up all the sports, maybe get out on the hill a couple times to practice, and just try and keep up the exercise.”
