BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
For downhill ski racers Alex Mosher and
Jillian Keast, their battles start even before they put on
their ski boots.
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Lockerby students Alex Mosher and
Jillian Keast qualified for the 2005 Mars K2 Juvenile
Downhill Skiing Championships in Alberta. |
The two local athletes share an immense love
for their sport - they must because they travel to Sault Ste.
Marie each weekend to make sure their skills are honed razor
sharp.
Not having a home ski hill to practice on
hasn't stopped Keast and Mosher from qualifying for the 2005
Mars K2 Juvenile Downhill Skiing Championships, to be held at
Mont Norquay in Alberta March 20-24.
Both Keast and Mosher make the three-hour
drive to the Soo to practice with the Searchmont Ski Runners
club.
It's just part of wanting to be one of the
top young skiers in the province.
"It makes me hungrier," said Mosher. "We
train every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Sault Ste.
Marie. It's very tiring to come back on Sundays and get up to
go to school the next day, but it's worth it because we
qualified for the national championships."
Keast has learned to deal with the long drive
between the two Northern Ontario communities.
"I listen to music the whole way there," said
Keast. "I do it because the sport is my passion and I feel I
should be going because I want to continue my skiing as far as
I can. I can go to many different places because of skiing,
where most people don't ever get to go, so making the trip is
worthwhile. I want to go to the Olympics or World Cup events in
the future, but it will take a lot of hard work and I am all
for it."
Mosher, 14, is thrilled to be going to take
on Canada's best.
"It feels really good for me because it was
my last year to qualify for the event," said Mosher. "I didn't
make it last year, so this is a really big accomplishment for
me. I am going to try my best. I will try to finish in the top
30, but it will be hard because the best skiers from every
province will be there."
Keast, 13, will be one of the youngest
competitors at the event, and even though she hasn't set lofty
goals, her competitive fires are raging.
"I have never been to a national
championship, and most of the skiers I will be up against are
in their second year of K2. I am not planning on getting
a
top-30 finish, but as long as I don't finish
dead last then I will be alright."
Mosher and Keast will compete in the slalom,
giant slalom and Super G events.
