The Olympics bring a wealth of benefits to any host country and its communities. We’ve seen this in action as we’ve travelled with the torch; it binds a community, ignites spirit, creates memories and leaves tremendous opportunities.
In Alberta we’ve seen some stellar benefits for our athletes. In addition to some stellar training facilities at places like Canada Olympic Park and Nakiska Ski Resort, the torch made a stop to the Canmore Nordic Centre yesterday – where it was carried in the finest of forms. The Canmore centre, also a legacy of the ’88 Olympics, is a training grounds for many of the 20 athletes where the torch made its way around the centre for a spin on skinny skis.
It was a pretty cool site when the torchbearers made their way around one of Canada’s premier Nordic training facilities ski by ski. It was a train of 20 skiers, including George Martin, who was a course marshal for the ’88 Olympics here in Canmore. I caught up with him just moments before the flame was back in his eyes. “It will be an exciting feeling to have that torch in my hand; I am very thrilled to see it again.”The group of 20 skiers included Kurtis Wenzel, who is the youth World champion of the sprint biathlon. “The traditional biathlon no longer exists, it’s now broken up in to three or four differing events and Kurtis has mastered one – the sprint,” said his mom, Trish.
Did you know that half of the Olympians who will be representing Canada in these games are based or are from this province? One would think it might have a little to do with the wonderful training facilities
Make sure to catch the Travel Alberta Olympic Torch Relay videos on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/TravelAlbertaCanada
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