Calgary teen enjoys memorable first paratriathlon
Take one look at Stefan Daniel’s sporting resumé and it’s easy to see why the 16-year-old Calgarian is a rising junior-aged star not only in Alberta, but throughout the country.
Daniel — who took home gold in the junior 3,000 metres and silver in the 1,500 metres earlier this month at the Alberta Schools Athletic Association track and field championships in his hometown — is enjoying a season the likes of which countless athletes dream of.
His performance on Saturday only added to it, as the youngster made his first paratriathlon a memorable one, crossing the finish line at the International Triathlon Union’s AME Para World Cup event second overall with a time of 1:04.52, sparked by a lightning-fast swim of 9:44 at Hawrelak Park.
“The swim went well. I just wanted to keep going and swim in a straight line. I knew I would have a pretty good swim because I’m a para-swimmer, so that’s one of my strengths,” said Daniel, who was the first of the 25 athletes to emerge from the shallow water and finished behind only Aaron Scheidies of the U.S. on the day.
“This was close to home and I wanted to give (paratriathlon) a try.”
Undoubtedly talented, Daniel is also a refreshing jolt of humility when talking about his abilities, as the Canadian record-holder in the S9 50m backstroke isn’t one to tout his own athletic prowess.
Instead, the humble teenager is quick to credit the host of coaches and programs that have helped turn him into a 2016 Canadian Paralympic hopeful — along with his 20-year-old brother and paraswimmer Christian — for the Games at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “I do track with the University of Calgary Athletic Club and that’s helped my running a lot and I swim at the U of C Swim Club and then I incorporate the bike with Steven Burke, who’s the national para coach,” he said.
The 2012 Triathlon Alberta youth para athlete of the year also attends the National Sport School in Calgary, where he’s been given the flexibility to balance a hectic training schedule with his academics.
“Sports is my life and every day I train,” said Daniel, whose right arm is seven inches shorter than his left due to the absence of half his radius bone. “To swim, bike and run, I just love doing it.”
Daniel’s impressive finish didn’t go unnoticed by the likes of Scheidies, who was quick to introduce himself to Daniel just across the finish line and ask the youngster whether the two would meet in London this September for the Paratriathlon world championships.
“This is my first race, so I don’t know if I’ll go to London,” said Daniel, who had triathlon experience under his belt heading into Saturday. “I just want to work on swimming and track and incorporating the bike into things and see where things take me.”