Cape Breton's Magazine

On the Road to the Canada Winter Games Boxing All of till? Nova Scotia teams for the 1987 Canada Winter Games have not yet gone through their final selec? tion at the time of our publication deadline. And we have of course not been able to talk to every athlete who is a potential member of the teams. Nor will every athlete in this article necessarily be in the final selection. But the conversations here should give an impression of the commitment behind both individual and team efforts by Cape Breton athletes on the road to the Games. concentrating totally on what you're doing. And you don't have a worry in the world. It's just great. You finish the race. You're like--you're in a natural high. Cross-Country Skiing Alexandre Syverson, Cape North: Well, first--I didn't like cross-country skiing at first. My mom used to go out, and she always nagged me, "Come out and ski." No way would I go and ski! Till I went to my first practice. We had a little race. I nearly fell on my face in the starting gate. And then I went up and passed every? body, because they were all younger than me. I loved it. It's the competition that I liked. When I won those Caper Races, that's what hooked me on it, (You liked the competition.) Yeah. But now, I love the sport. I experienced something really great, the end of last season, the last race of the year. It's something the coach talked about. It's called "sensation racing"--where you race, and you don't feel any pain. Your head is like in the clouds. And you're just sort of floating through.this race course-- you're flying through the race course. (How does that happen?) I don't know. Your mind and your body are ready to go. And everything just seems to go perfect. Your warm up is just right. The conditions are good. You get out there racing, and you're (So it's not a feeling that comes after you've been going for 10 miles, and sudden? ly you begin to feel no pain.) I felt it right from the start. I shot out of the starting gate. I was moving really fast. You don't feel any pain at the first of the race, anywray. But I was moving really fast, and everything just felt like it was going, going, going. I went up the first hill. Felt no pain. I was going on a blis? tering pace--like faster than I've ever gone before. I thought to myself, "Maybe I should slow down. 'Cause maybe I'm not go? ing to finish," But I knew, "Just keep go? ing. 'Cause it's just great. Just go with it," That race--it was at 1 o'clock. And it was during our March ski camp for the provin? cial team. We raced in the morning. We warmed up for 30 minutes--probably skied 4 or 5 kilometres. Then we did a 5-kilometre race--time trial. We were forced into do? ing it. And then we skied around to cool down a bit. And then at 1 o'clock--2 hours later--we went into this race. And I CAPE BRETON'S MAGAZINE, NUMBER FORTY-FOUR WRECK COVE, CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA SECOND CLASS MAIL -- REGISTRATION NUMBER 3014 CELEBRATING OUR 15th YEAR (1)