Local biathlon team gives youth a shot at national competition

A local sports team is aiming for growth is targeting all-ages with upgrades to the training grounds and a place for beginner to national-level athletes. 

The Highlands Trailblazers biathlon team has had a good year, with a new licence to allow a .22 rifle range at the Highlands Nordic training grounds, and several members of the youth team qualifying for the Canadian Biathlon National championships earlier this month. 

Chris Skelton, one of the club's leaders, said biathlon athletes have been training at Highlands Nordic for about 20 years using air rifles. With the addition of the .22 range, the club can now also host large events, and athletes don't have to travel to different ranges for training. 

"We've had a very, very, successful year in competition," said Skelton. "We've had athletes medal at Ontario Winter Games, we've had athletes medal at every competition we've been to." 

One member of the Trailblazers team, Malcolm McCulloch, went to the Canada games where he achieved a personal best and finished ninth in the pursuit event. 

McCulloch said the experience of competing at the event in PEI was a "pretty crazy experience." 

"The whole island was shut down for us," said McCulloch, who has been doing biathlons since he was six years old and he started in the biathlon bears program. 

Eight members of the team competed at the Canadian Biathlon Nationals including Maya Schaub, Anikka Guyon, Malcolm McCulloch, Simon Harman, Willow Michener, Max Nilsson, Nic Debray, and Tim Harman. The Highlands Trailblazers club was 14th in the club points ranking for the national competition, out of 45 clubs. 

The level six-to-eight team members range in age from 14 to 17 years old, but the club has also been pointing masters-age athletes into the sport with a few already part of the Trailblazers. There's also a level five (formerly the biathlon bears) group in the team adding to the total of about 35 to 40 athletes currently part of the Highlands Trailblazers biathlon program. 

Biathlon races include a cross-country race (done in the style of skate-skiing) and shooting targets. One of the more common events is the sprint, which consists of skiing a designated course or loop, coming into the range and shooting in the prone position (lying down), then skiing the same loop and coming back to the range to shoot in standing position, then skiing one last finishing loop to the finish line. 

Athletes must be able to handle the high-heart-rate cardio of skiing, and quickly calm their bodies for the precision of shooting targets. 

"That's the whole essence of the sport," said Skelton. "It's a very precise task that they have to do, and yet they're trying to do that as fast as possible while they are exerting themselves to their limit."

Now that the team has finished its competition season with nationals, Skelton said a whole new training cycle has begun, making it the ideal time for people to get involved in the sport. 

"This would be the time to join up for next season," said Skelton, adding there's a place in the program for everyone, whether they have strong athletic backgrounds or not. 

For more on the club and information on how to join, visit the Highlands Trailblazers Ski Club website here.