Visser on the run
Islander to compete at the CCAA cross- country championships
Mitchell Visser’s plans for a few weeks of outdoor training has led to a chance to run at nationals.
The 22- year- old from Orwell Corner moved to Toronto in September to study prosthetics and orthotics at George Brown College. He was looking for an extracurricular activity to help keep him in shape when he heard about the college’s cross- country team and decided to try out.
“I had no real expectation to make the team,” he said in an email to The Guardian earlier this week.
“I surprisingly made the team and have drastically improved my running throughout the season with help from my teammates and knowledgeable coaches Mike Lavigne and Nelson Njeru.”
There were other benefits well.
“I also made some great friends on the team and have gotten to see parts of Ontario I would have otherwise never explored,” wrote Visser.
He will run in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association ( CCAA) cross- country championships Saturday in Toronto. He is looking to finish the eight- kilometre trail race in less than 32 minutes.
Vissers ran before moving to Toronto. It included charity runs during the past several years with the P. E. I. Roadrunners.
He has competed in seven halfmarathons and his goal is to compete
as in one in each province. He has already completed three.
Visser was on the academic honour roll at Montague Regional High School and graduated from St. F. X. in Antigonish, N. S., with a bachelor of science degree majoring in biology.
But he wanted to purse a career in prosthetics and George Brown College has the only program in Canada.
“I have always been interested in the health field and wanted a career that would directly impact the lives of others in a positive way,” he said.
“I come from a potato farming background so I enjoy working with my hands. Prosthetics and orthotics combines these characteristics into essentially my dream job where I can work hands on, and directly with people to positively impact their lives.”
Visser said he spent a lot of time volunteering during the past year in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s prosthetics and orthotics department with Gabriel Arsenault and his colleagues.
“They were extremely welcoming and have been amazing mentors to me, helping me gain experience and knowledge in the field.”
There are more than 300 runners from 35 colleges competing.
For more information, visit www. ccaa. ca.