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Canmore's Hendry named to National Ski Team

CANMORE – The next generation of cross-country and para-Nordic athletes is rising in the ranks of the recently announced 2019-20 National Ski Team and – with their sights set on the next two Winter Olympics.
Cookie Race
Sam Hendry, left, pictured during the 2018 Cookie Race in Kananaskis, makes the 2019-20 National Ski Team.

CANMORE – The next generation of cross-country and para-Nordic athletes is rising in the ranks of the recently announced 2019-20 National Ski Team and – with their sights set on the next two Winter Olympics.

With the guidance and mentorship of experienced Paralympic and Olympic athletes, the new team is focusing on training for the 2022 and 2026 Olympic Games.

“This talented group of para-Nordic skiers are an experienced group of athletes who have two clear goals in mind: win medals and continue developing the next generation of athletes,” said Nordiq Canada chief executive officer Shane Pearsall in a press release.

“Depth is critical to mounting a podium attack, and we have a nice blend of veterans and NextGen athletes driven to put the Maple Leaf on the international podium.”

Among the members announced to the National Ski Team is 19-year-old cross-country skier and local athlete Samuel Hendry.

“I was super excited and I didn’t really see it coming,” Hendry said. “So it was a big surprise for me and, of course I was really happy to hear that I made the team.”

Hendry has been on skis since he was two years old and there are no signs of him slowing down. After graduating high school, Hendry decided to pursue cross-country skiing professionally.

“Now that I’ve made the national team, I’m more motivated as ever to keep going,” Hendry said.

Brian McKeever, Paralympic champion in cross-country skiing and para-Nordic skiing, is one of the veteran athletes leading this year’s National Ski Team’s Para-Nordic racing. He is one of the first athletes to take part in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Leading the Para-Nordic racing team alongside McKeever, are Paralympic champion Mark Arendz, Collin Cameron, Natalie Wilkie, Emily Young and Brittany Hudak.

Nordiq Canada’s development and prospect team are made up of five para-Nordic athletes, including Jess Bachinsky, Kyle Barber, Ethan Hess, Cindy Ouellet and Lyne Marie Bilodeau.

“We have a really good team and a really good program that are working that’s making the athletes as fast as possible. I think everybody has the same mentality,” McKeever said.

While the athletes are the face of the team,  McKeever said everyone involved is a key component to the support of the National Ski Team.

“We’re working towards similar goals … and there’s a lot of trust,” McKeever said.

“Everyone has a role … we trust each other to do their job [and] as athletes, we can focus on training.”

Hendry joins the 2019-20 National Ski Team along with senior development athletes Julien Locke, Katherine Stewart-Jones, Graham Ritchie, Antoine Cyr and Julien Smith, while Remy Drolet, Elizabeth Elliot, Benita Peiffer, Anne-Marie Petitclerc and Anna Pryce represent the junior development athletes.

With the guidance of veteran winter athletes like McKeever, Hendry is excited to learn and take his commitment to cross-country to the next level.

“I love getting out to train with Brian and a lot of other senior members on the national team like Russell Kennedy, who had some really good world cup results this year,” Hendry said.

“The chance to work with Eric Rotton, the new coach for the national team from Norway is really cool as well. He knows a lot about skiing and I think I should be able to make a lot of progress working with him this year.”

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