Page 25 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 3

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Local 55+ Competitors Do Well at Provincial
Games
By Tom Butkovich
Sixty competitors from Stormont,
Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott-Russell
and Akwesasne took part in the
Ontario Summer Senior Games in
Brampton last month, and ten came
home with medals. The medalists
included: Beverley Ray and Jackie
Merpaw, both of Cornwall, who
won gold in cribbage; Susan Kersley
(65+) and Donna Magher (55+), of
Williamstown, who both won bronze
in swimming; Murray MacLeod and
Michel Cadieux, of Cornwall, who
won bronze in men’s 55+ pickleball
(doubles); Monique Patenaude, of
Morrisburg, who won silver in golf These local competitors won medals at the Ontario Summer Senior summer of 2013, the local OSGA is
in the A division; Elise Muir of Long
Sault, who won gold in golf in the
B division; and Linda and Graham
Vickers, of Alexandria, who won
silver and bronze respectively, in 55+
prediction cycling.
Local Athlete Heads to Las Vegas for Ironman
Competition
By Jan Murray
Cornwall Triathlete Dan Contant,
competed in the Ironman World
Championship 70.3 in Las Vegas,
Sept. 9, 2012.
Photo supplied by Dan Contant.
After years of hard work and
dedication, Cornwall resident Dan
Contant earned the right to participate
in the Ironman World Championship
70.3 in Las Vegas, Nevada, which
took place on Sunday September
sportsenergynews.com
With summer games over, the
local executive of the Ontario Senior
Games Association is busy making
plans for their upcoming winter
games. Gold medal winners in the
local games will be eligible to go to
Hunstville in February for the Ontario
55+ Winter Games (previously
Winterfest). For more information,
on the winter games, contact the
coordinators: Stanley Fraser, 613-
525-3777 or stanleyianfraser@yahoo.
ca; or Monique Patenaude, 613-543-
3453 or monique.lavignepatenaude@
interavon.ca.
Looking a little farther ahead to the
Games in Brampton, last month. In front, left to right, Donna Magher, in the midst of planning to host the
swimming; Elise Muir, golf; Monique Patenaude, golf; Jackie Merpaw Eastern Ontario Regional Games
and Beverley Ray, cribbage. Back row, from left, Susan Kersley, next August. Over 600 competitors
swimming; Graham Vickers, cycling; Michel Cadieux and Murray from Eastern Ontario are expected to
MacLeod, pickleball; and Linda Vickers, cycling.
take part in 15 different events, in the
one day games.
9, 2012. Contant, 49, placed 2nd in racing the fastest triathletes in the
his age group (Men 45 – 49) in the world,” he says, admitting that he is
Ironman competition in Syracuse, both “excited and intimidated,” to be
N.Y. to earn a spot in the Los Vegas competing against “the best of the
competition. best.”
When all was said and done,
The race began with a 1.2 mile
Contant finished 38th in his age
swim at the Lake Las Vegas Resort.
group and 493 overall with a final
Afterward, each participant began a
time of 5:14:32. And while each of
physically demanding 56-mile bike
the competitors would obviously
ride through Lake Mead National
liked to have finished first, in a
Recreation Area. The athletes then
competition like this, everyone is a
concluded with a 13.1 mile run Contant has competed in several winner.
through Henderson’s picturesque triathlons in the past and believes the
residential area. best way for him to train is to vary his
workouts from one day to the next.
Contant says he likes triathalons
On Monday for example, he may
because of the challenge. “About 10
years ago I was invited to a swim, bike, swim in the morning and run in the
afternoon. Then on Tuesday he might
and run session with some friends,” bike and then switch back to running
said Contant. “It totally wore me out. and swimming again for Wednesday.
That’s the moment I fell in love with
He is quite passionate about the
the sport.” He strongly believes that
sport and spends approximately two
you get out of it, what you put into it hours training per day, longer on the
and has committed himself to training weekends.
every day and sometimes twice a day.
With so many competitors in
“It’s not always easy, but I have a very Las Vegas, Contant knows that
understanding family,” says Contant. competition will be fierce. “I’m