P.E.I. athletes attend training camp in N.B.
Seven Biathlon P.E.I. athletes participated in a summer training camp along the Bay of Chaleur in northeastern New Brunswick recently. Hosted by Biathlon New Brunswick, 36 athletes from across the Maritimes gathered for two packed days of roller skiing, range practice, agility activities and high heart rate shooting, culminating in a very challenging competition under hot and hazy conditions. The P.E.I. representatives at the camp were athletes Liam Ellis, Simon Hale, Sarah Goodwin, Reagan Mills, Andrew MacLeod, Anna MacLeod and Toby Rowswell, along with coaches Paul Ellis and Judy Hale. The competition included roller ski/run distances between five kilometres and 12.5 kilometres, with three or four bouts of .22-calibre shooting depending on the level of the athlete. In a typical biathlon race, the shooting distance is 50 metres, and five rounds are fired in each bout at five targets. From start to finish, the clock is running for the competitor — there is no timeout for shooting and penalty loops or time is added for missed shots. “Camps such as the one in Charlo provide excellent team building and competition experience for biathletes in the offseason,” says coach Judy Hale, who will be the camp director for P.E.I.’s upcoming fall biathlon camp at the Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park (Brookvale) from Sept. 21 to 23. “In a Canada Games year, this type of regional training and experience is really important.”
Olympic winter sport
Biathlon is an Olympic winter sport, which combines competitive, free-technique cross-country skiing and small-bore rifle marksmanship. Many biathletes train throughout the off-season with range practice, roller skiing and other cross-training activities like running and cycling. Biathlon P.E.I. offers a full range of programs from introductory levels available at Brookvale, Mill River and Souris, to the elite athlete level as well as for athletes who wish to remain active for life (available at Brookvale). Biathlon P.E.I. hosts an annual Summer Run and Shoot Series that is open to members of the public who wish to try the sport. The next event in the series is scheduled for the Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park on Monday, Sept. 3, at 5 p.m. Participants must be 13 years of age or older, and take a range safety clinic available on site for new participants. For more information on joining an upcoming program, or volunteering, email biathlonpei@ gmail.com.