DeGroot finishes in the medals at Canadian Championships
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr
The Nelson Daily Sports
The sporting public has heard a lot of Rossland’s George Grey and his success on the cross-country scene.
Now that Grey has retired, the fans may start to hear a little more about Nelson’s Shawn DeGroot.
DeGroot, 16, won the silver medal in the Junior Boy’s 1994 at the 2011 Haywood Canadian Ski Nationals held last month in Canmore, Alta.
“It wasn’t really a surprise . . . okay maybe a bit, in the distance races,” DeGroot, who placed 10th overall in the Junior Boy’s Division, told The Nelson Daily. “I got about the same results last year, but I improved on my sprinting (in Canmore).”
The 2011 Haywood Canadian Ski Nationals attracts all of the top athletes in Canada.
DeGroot, who skis under the Rossland Black Jack banner, competed in all of the major races — skate, classic, sprint and mass start.
He accumulated 217 points in the four races.
“The competition was fun, (but) it was surprisingly warm out (for Canmore),” explained DeGroot, who raced three of the four days in a T-shirt.
“That means using klister for classic races for grip, it’s really sticky wax (kind of like tree sap or honey) that makes a mess and is a real pain to clean up.”
Although he skis for Black Jack to receive expert advice from former National Ski Team coach Dave Wood, DeGroot spends most of his time training on his old stomping grounds at the Nelson Nordic Ski Trails.
“I go (Black Jack) occasionally to train and get technique, but still do the majority of my training in Nelson,” said DeGroot, adding his dedication, commitment, perseverance, and lots of time on the trails as the reason for his success.
The season has gone extremely well for the 5’9”, 140-pound dynamo.
DeGroot finished first overall 1994 for the BC cup series, seventh and first in 1994 in junior boys at the NorAms (North Americans) in Kelowna and fourth in the Rossland Blackjack Loppet.
DeGroot, in Grade 11 at L.V. Rogers, still has another year in the junior circuit. So next year is a big one for him.
“I’d like to make the B.C. ski team, get good results at cross country running provincials and continue skiing and training hard and to have fun,” DeGroot, who finished 24th overall at the 2010 B.C. High School Cross Country running championships in the fall.
“I’d also like to qualify for FIS junior Nordic World Ski Championships in Ezerum, Turkey, although that would be quite tough.”
Those goals might be lofty for some. But if you’ve ever seen Shawn DeGroot train, his determination and perseverance, that a bet you don’t want to make.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
