Page 35 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 127
P. 35

www.sportsenergynews.com                                                            Issue #127  August 2023                               35




      Diary of a Weightlifter - Diary of a Weightlifter

      The 2023 Canadian Masters Championship.



      By Thorin Gault                       107kg  for a successful  attempt,     Continued from page 24                the instructors who work at Big Ben
                                            breaking my own Canadian
                                                                                    those are things that  make  playing   Ski Centre in Cornwall. “When I’m at
                                            Masters record by 1kg. I was
                                                                                   sports fun. What I find most difficult   Big Ben, I get to teach people how to
                                            feeling quite strong and confident     about the sports I play is the late game   snowboard so they can have fun with
                                            and called for 111kg on my final       times. Now that we are older, we play   their friends and family out on the ski
                                            attempt, which I narrowly missed.      later in the evening which can mean   hill. It’s great to have the opportunity
                                                                                   being very tired when you go out     to pass on some of my snowboarding
                                              My result in the snatch              to  play  or getting  up tired  the  next   knowledge  to people  of all  ages so
               FPO
               FPO                          guaranteed me winning the              morning.”                            they  can enjoy it  as much as I do,”
                                            gold as  long as  I  was  able  to
                                                                                                                        explains Bryce.
                                                                                    A sports memory that remains special
                                            successfully make one clean and        to Bryce  is earning  the Dorothy     Looking  ahead  to sports-related
                                            jerk attempt.  This seemingly          Cummings Memorial  Award during      goals, Bryce shares that he’d like to
                                            easy task became a bit dramatic        the 2015-2016 minor hockey season.   continue  playing soccer and hockey
                                                                                   This award is granted to players who   and hitting  the slopes well into
                                            as about half-way through my
                                                                                   best display qualities  of enthusiasm   adulthood.  “It will  be a fun way to
                                            clean and jerk warm-up it became       and sportsmanship throughout the     stay in shape and keep in touch with
                                            evident that I had injured my right    Char-Lan Novice (U9) Division.       good friends when I’m older,” he
                                            leg.  By  the  time  it  came  to  my   Bryce is also quite enthusiastic    explains.
                                            opener I was hurting pretty bad.       about snowboarding. He fell in love   These  days, when Bryce  has free
                                            Knowing that I may only get one        with the winter sport when he was    time, he likes to hang with his friends,
                                                                                   seven years old. Today, he is one of   ride his dirt-bike, and hunt.
                                            shot at it, I lowered the attempt to
                                            a typically easy 123kg, which I
                                            made with a combination of guts                                                       Cornwall’s Oldest Paint,
           he     Canadian       Masters                                                                                           Blind & Shutter Store.
                                            and adrenaline.
      TWeightlifting Championship                                                                                            Family owned Business Since 1988
      took place from July 14-16, in          Fuelled by my competitive                Presents “Famous Sports Quotes”
      Midland Ontario. There were 157       spirit and a big ego, I jumped to
      competitors ranging in age from       128kg for my second attempt,
      30 to 90 years old, representing      even though I did not need to add
      ten provinces. This was the first     to my total. At this point my body                                             Jollie Meeks talking about Kobe
      time the National Masters event       refused to cooperate and I did                Now Available Oil Based Stains
      was held over three days, and         not get the bar past my waist. I
      the organizing committee did an       declined my final attempt.
      excellent job.                          This  was  my  9th  gold  medal                                 100% Canadian
         I competed in the men’s 50-54      at Nationals, (along with a silver                                made oil based
      age group in the -96kg (211.3lbs)     in 2021,)  and  the  win  will  give                                   stains
      weight  class. The  first  challenge   me enough points to be inducted
      was that my weigh-in was at 7         into the Canadian Masters
      a.m., with our session starting to    Weightlifting Hall of Fame at the
      lift at 9 a.m. Typically, the heavier   end of the season.
      weight classes lift later in the day,   Now for a short break to heal
      so I was not accustomed to the        up  and  then  back  to  work  to                  Since 1988
      early wake-up call.                   prepare for what should be a busy                                            Celebrating 35 years

         My snatch warm-up went quite       2024 with Canadians in Rouyn-                                                 Quality & Service At The Right Price!
      well, and I opened with an easy       Noranda, Pan-Ams in Costa Rica,        Paints, Blinds, Shutters
      101kg before bumping up to            and Worlds being held in Finland.       240 Pitt Street • 613-933-8924 • www.jas-mar.com
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