Two Sochi-bound biathletes are asking the public to be considerate of roller skiers training on Canmore roadways in advance of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Rosanna Crawford and Brendan Green have had several close calls while roller skiing, forcing them into the ditch. For the most part, drivers show Canmore’s Olympic athletes respect, however Crawford said she’s had cars come so close, they’ve hit her poles.
“Every once and a while you have the people flying by you at 90 km/h, laying on the horn even though we’re out of the way. I feel people don’t understand in order to be the best we can in the winter, we have to train in the spring, summer and fall here in Canmore,” Crawford said.
“For the most part, people are pretty aware. You get the odd driver who lays on the horn and flies by too close for comfort. A couple of days ago I had three vehicles laying on the horn heading up to the Nordic Centre. There were no cars around and these two old ladies went flying by laying on the horn. I don’t know what they were thinking,” Green said.
Roller skis have no breaks and are known to wipe out on gravel. The shoulder leading to the Nordic Centre can get dangerously rocky, Crawford says, so giving the athletes a wider berth is appreciated.
“(Roller skis) are a little scary. It’s a lot different than being on snow. Your centre of gravity is a little off. People don’t realize we have no breaks, so going downhill is a little scary because the shoulders are pretty gravel-y and you’re not sure if you’ll hit a pothole,” Crawford said.
Green said things have gotten worse over the past five years, as the roads have gotten busier. Considering roller skiing makes up 30 per cent of his yearly training hours (and 3,000 km a year), he’s forced himself to spend more time on the short five-km roller ski loop in order to stay safe — especially after he missed all of last season with a back injury.
This spring he’s nearly been hit twice, and last week he fell after he was tripped by a dog on a retractable leash. The dog’s owner was pushing a burley and talking on her cellphone when the dog rushed in front of Green.
“I find myself spending more time on the Nordic Centre loop, but even that’s getting full with people going for walks with their dogs and pushing chariots,” Green said.
Most drivers are considerate, but Crawford thinks others just need a gentle reminder.
“We really appreciate Canmore and all the support they give to the athletes. I think it’s more the weekenders. Remember when you drive into town, you see that sign that says Canmore is home to the cross-country and biathlon national team, so this is where we train, this is where we live, so keep an eye out for us,” Crawford said.
In a pre-Olympic year, the roller skiers have focused on hill climbs, so they’re likely to be spotted on valley hills.
“The Legacy trail is a little too flat. Going into Sochi they have some monster climbs, so if you see us going up Silvertip or up from Quarry parking lot, we’re getting ready for Sochi,” Crawford said. “If you’re willing to cheer for us in the winter, you have to cheer for us in the summer too.”
