The lack of snow that affected Vancouver and the local mountains this past winter failed to dampen the spirits of our snowshoeing team. The season got off to an adventurous start with our athletes and coaches trekking through the snowshoe trails of Cypress Mountain. Snow wasn’t all they braved during their weekly practices, as the mild winter revealed fallen branches, running streams, and watery mud.

As the Winter Olympics descended on Vancouver, Cypress Mountain was closed to the public, prompting our group to relocate to Kitsilano Beach. There, our athletes trained by snowshoeing on the sand to a cheering audience of Sunday morning strollers and joggers.

The season culminated on February 26-28, with four of our athletes and two coaches travelling to Campbell River to the snowshoe qualifiers held at Mount Washington, which had an abundance of snow. Athletes from all over, from Victoria to Kelowna, engaged in an exciting display of athleticism, sportsmanship and competition. In the end, Vancouver’s Jan Mareels, Bill Gauld, Ian Brennan, and Troy Gardner performed admirably as they faced adversity and stiff competition on
the track. Coaches Richard Wong and Brenden Chu were extremely pleased with the level of performance they witnessed at Mount Washington.

Many thanks go out to all the parents, caregivers, head coach Nanci Martin, and coaches Darren Inouye and Vanessa Ho for making this past season a great success!