The group was doing their own elevated rucking challenge, dreamt up by coach Riley Nadoroznick of Conviction Fitness.

He was introduced to rucking nearly 10 years ago while looking for better ways to train for the Spartan Race World Championships.

“Rucking is a really good way to train the aerobic system, train endurance without that beat down of running,” he says.

On race day, he felt prepared; fresh. These days, Nadoroznick is training others in the community, and one of his favourite activities is rucking.

From carrying a heavy book bag between classes to loading up a backpack for a night in the backcountry, it’s likely you’ve already tried rucking. Its definition is to move with a weighted backpack.

Simply put, rucking is walking under load, and it’s considered by some of fitness’ leading thinkers to be fantastic for both fitness and health.

When it comes to building an aerobic base, there’s no comparison to rucking.

“It’s a stimulus that allows you to get a ton of that zone 2 work (60-70 per cent of maximum heart rate) in that’s interesting, that challenges your tissues in different ways,” says Kelly Starrett, author of the Supple Leopard, and founder of The Ready State.

Rucking works the aerobic system, while also taxing the musculoskeletal system, which means that not only will it get your heart pumping, but you will also see benefits more commonly associated with lifting weights, without stepping foot in the gym.

Rucking has its roots in the military. For centuries, soldiers have been carrying heavy loads on their way to, and even in battle. Today, weighted marches remain part of their training.

But rucking has surpassed its military origins, piquing the interests of the likes of Starrett, Peter Attia, Michael Easter, even Whole30 founder Melissa Urban.

And many of them discovered the activity through GORUCK, a company that makes specialized rucking gear.

Last year, during the Sandlot fitness festival, GORUCK’s founder, Jason McCarthy, was joined by Starrett, Urban, army veteran Richard Rice, and author Easter, during a rucking deep-dive panel.

“The biggest mistake I see is people not doing it,” McCarthy said of rucking. “This is a great way for anybody on planet earth to be more active and to get stronger and feel better.”

Science supports his thinking. In a 2019 study, a group of 15 men took part in a 10-week rucking program. According to the study authors, at the end of the program, participants all experienced better physical performance.

But what about injuries? It turns out that rucking is easier on our joints than running. Easter describes a study out of the University of Pittsburgh, where researchers tracked 451 soldiers for a year. Out of their 28 injuries, 18 were from running, seven from weightlifting and just three from rucking.

And when we think about building fitness for life: “There’s nothing more useful than being able to handle a load for multiple hours,” says Starrett.

The pros are also using rucking in their training. For CrossFit Games athlete Emily Rolfe, rucking increases the load of her workouts, making those movements easier when she isn’t wearing her rucksack, or a weighted vest.

Rolfe runs and does movements like rope-climbs, muscle-ups and pull-ups wearing a weighted pack. She notes that some workouts at competitions require athletes to perform skills with weight on them, such as a pack, a vest, a sandbag, so training this ability becomes important.

“Like anything, if you make something harder, when you try the easier version, you can do it better,” she says. “Even if I practice a movement with a ruck bag and it doesn’t show up [in competition] it still gets me stronger and anything body-weight afterwards is much easier.”

Take the five-kilometre cross-country run at this year’s CrossFit Games. Rolfe came in first at a scorching 17:48.62, more than a full minute faster than second place, as well as half the men’s field.

That’s not to say everyone should be running with weight on their backs. Most are better off walking under load, even before they run, says Starrett.

This is because running is a difficult movement to master.

“What we tell people oftentimes is you need to go run to get fit,” says Starrett in a video clip from The Ready State, “and we’re like, hang on. Why don’t you just walk around your neighbourhood and then let’s get a little load on you before we talk about introducing this very complex running skill.”

Rucking is also a social activity.

Nadoroznick’s group in Regina is able to stay together during rucks and still get in solid workouts because they are carrying different weights. It will also make you tougher. Nadoroznick says some of the group’s favourite times to ruck is when the weather isn’t perfect, and the world hasn’t fully woken up. 

If there’s one thing in common between all ruckers, it’s the feeling of relief when you finally take that weight off. 

“Everything just feels awesome,” says Nadoroznick. “You’re calm. You know you’ve worked hard. Take the weight off and you just feel like you’re flying.”

HOW TO START RUCKING

Get geared up
You don’t need any fancy gear to start rucking. A solid pair of shoes (blisters can derail the best-laid training plans) and a backpack are all you need to get started.

Wrap up any weights (textbooks, dumbbells, kettlebells) in a padded material like a towel or a blanket. If you want to invest in rucking-specific gear, Rucking Canada and GORUCK have a variety of options.

Start low
Don’t go crazy with weight on your first rucks. Nadoroznick says you want the weight to feel light when you first put the pack on.

Start with 10 – 20 lbs for your first ruck. 

Find your tribe 
Rucking works your mind as much as it does your body. It’s a game of mental toughness. Find others to go with. There are clubs all over the country that offer group ruck meet-ups, just like Conviction Fitness in Regina.

Photography by GoRuck

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Read This Story in Our 2023 Fall Fitness & Food Issue
Featuring this year’s winners of the Amazing Race Canada, Ty Smith and Kat Kastner on our cover. Inside our latest issue, you’ll find all the inspiration you need to carry you through the autumn season. From delicious high-protein recipes and how to resist the crunch of potato chips to running through the high peaks of the Colorado Rockies and the latest in nutrition and fitness, these pages are packed with expert knowledge and advice.

Yoga, a year-round activity

Just because the weather turns cold, doesn’t mean you need to stay inside. Snowga, combining yoga and snow, is a popular way of shaking up your routine. Snowga practices tend to involve more layers than other outdoor practices. It’s a chance to embrace your inner child. The snow is also a lot softer than an indoor floor or hard ground, so Canmore, AB-based yoga teacher Sarah Harvie encourages students to try out their balance poses in the snow. “If they fall, they’re falling into snow,” she says. “It’s less intimidating than inside.”

Outdoor benefit

The energy that you pick up from being outside is valuable. 

When Kandra Cassar is teaching an outdoor yoga practice, she doesn’t always sync the routine with music, rather she connects with Mother Nature. “We’ll be doing a heart-opener and all of a sudden the wind picks up,” she says. “It’s just perfect.”

Taking your yoga practice outside can also affect strength and balance. When you’re in the studio, it’s a closed environment so you know that each time you place your foot, it’s going to be on something that’s flat. “When you’re outdoors, you’re practising on uneven surfaces,” says outdoor yoga teacher Jessica Humphries of ÉnerJ. So your stabilizer muscles in your ankles, legs and wrists get more of a workout as well as your core muscles.

There are also plenty of elements outside to create that deeper connection to nature. Cassar’s outdoor classes with Bohemian Bliss Yoga incorporate everything from bright sunflowers to calming lavender fields. “Flowers just make people happy,” she says. “There’s no way you would ever leave without a smiling face after a sunflower class.”

That time spent in nature is also good for our bodies. Stress is reduced and our immune systems get a little boost. “So in a time when we’re thinking about infectious diseases pretty much constantly, being able to boost our immune system and then reduce the stress that we’re experiencing as a society is huge,” says Prince Edward Island-based outdoor yoga teacher Heather Gunn McQuillan.

Take the ego out of it

Just like in life, yoga isn’t always perfect and taking our practice outside can help dissolve the ego around getting a pose to look a certain way.

“In the studio, we tend to compare ourselves against others, or we look in the mirror and compare; we look at ourselves,” says Humphries. “The teacher tells us not to be competitive or judgemental, but people just tend to be in that mind frame.

If you completely change your environment and add a fun aspect to it, we forget about the competition and the judgement and we just go into pure fun.

Jessica Humphries.

Don’t be afraid to take your yoga practice outside, even in the winter. Your body and mind will appreciate it.

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So Rivers, and later his brother, Jacob Puzey, joined them to hike. They’d make their way up to the mountain top with backpacks, take a break for refreshments, then run back down. With the focus on hiking in their training, both brothers noticed gains in their running.

“I don’t know that there’s a way to quantify it, but it’s indisputable,” says Puzey. “When people take the time to hike, it not only makes them more efficient hikers, it usually makes them more durable and more efficient runners as well.”

When training for a long run, hiking probably isn’t the first activity to come to mind. But as more runners are discovering, hiking could be just the key to unlocking a personal best in your ultra or marathon.

Hiking is one of the main activities runner and trainer Erica Van Vlack recommends her athletes incorporate into their training plans. She’s helped athletes prepare for races like Yukon’s trail ultra, Reckless Raven and the winter’s Yukon Arctic Ultra. She says it helps runners understand pacing and its importance through varying terrain.

Van Vlack says when runners start getting into longer distances in their training, they get “feet-happy.”

“They get super excited on downs and flats and they start to fly. But then as soon as you have to climb, you’re gassed,” she says. “That’s where pacing is so important.”

Hiking teaches pacing in a safe environment where your body isn’t heavily taxed.

Once you get comfortable with your hiking pace, you know how fast you can move uphill, then on the flats and downhills, you go at your running pace.

This is especially important for runners who are new to longer distances. “[They] will get discouraged in the distance stuff because they’ll be like, ‘I hit a hill and I’m gassed,’ and their legs will cramp up,” she says. “That’s what you don’t want to happen, especially early on in their race. That’s a big lesson that takes a lot to teach people in running, so hiking teaches it at a safe pace so they don’t hit a wall and get discouraged.”

Hiking isn’t the “sexiest” of training options, notes Puzey, but it’s where many gains can happen. Most of the athletes he works with are short on time, so they’re looking to maximize gains in the least amount of time.

“Whether they’re training for a marathon or a trail race, most people think that they need more stimulus, not less,” he says. “They don’t realize that it’s in the slow and easy monotonous stuff that the gains are made.”

He recommends incorporating hiking into weekly or monthly long runs. Rather than a three-hour continuous long run, perhaps you go for five hours and you hike two or three of them. “So you’re actually spending significantly more time and you’re still running, but you’re also practising those transitions,” he says.

How did hiking in Costa Rica affect Puzey’s fitness? About a month later, he tackled his first 50-mile trail race. It turned out to be exactly what he needed.

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Devries, 39, has been shaped by these waters. When he won the Cold Water Classic more than 10 years ago, the Tofino streets were empty. Everyone, it seemed, was at the beach to cheer him on.

Before Devries, Canadians didn’t have a roadmap to professional surfing success. For the last 20 years, he’s been drawing the path that others are starting to follow.

“He set the gold standard of how to be a professional surfer in Canada,” says Dom Domic, executive director of Surf Canada.
“Everyone’s been modelling their career after Pete.”

Devries first hit Domic’s radar in 2000. Back then, Domic was working for Surf BC and was impressed with the then 17-year-old’s riding at a local competition.

“He was really young and going up against the big dogs,” recalls Domic. While Devries didn’t win, he was runner-up in a challenging field featuring other Tofino surf legend Raph Bruhwiler. “From then on, he was pretty much unstoppable… he went on a pretty lengthy tear.”

Devries solidified his presence in the surfing community on a crisp Halloween day in 2009. More than 100 top-ranked international surfers had descended on Tofino for the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Canada. It was the first time the competition was held in Canada and Devries, a wildcard entry into the event, was a relative unknown to the field.

On that bright autumn day, the pride of Tofino made his mark, winning the final to become the first Canadian to win an international surfing event.

Earlier in his career, Devries tried living out of his suitcase to compete in international surfing events. But prolonged life on the road was not for him. His son, Asher, now 12, was born shortly after his remarkable 2009 victory. The family, including wife Lisa, enjoy spending time on the water together—surfing, or paddleboarding in the inlet from their home at high tide.

“He’s a homebody,” says Domic. “His family is everything.”
Instead, Devries found another way: free surfing. Doing what Domic calls “strike missions,” Devries leaves home for a couple weeks at a time rather than months.

Competitions can help surfers gain sponsor attention but where Devries truly excels—and where he’s focused the bulk of his career—is in free surfing. It’s easily compared to free climbing, free skiing, or free snowboarding where athletes favour cool projects or challenges over competitions. They’re often accompanied by filmmakers or photographers who capture all the action.

Many of Devries’ trips—from Haida Gwaii to Iceland, or Chile—are documented and transformed into films or photo essays.

All of this requires Devries to be in peak physical condition.

“He’s not simply a really good surfer, he’s a truly elite athlete,” Malcolm Johnson, former editor of the now-defunct SBC Surf Magazine told Explore magazine in 2012. “The things he does in the water require an incredible amount of strength and balance and flexibility.”

Devries believes in everything in moderation. He walks his dog every morning along the beach, goes for coastal hikes with his family on the peninsula’s many trails, retains his balance and strength in a home gym and spends lots and lots of time surfing.

“I feel like consistency is the most important thing as you get a little older as an athlete,” says Devries. “Not too much, not too little. You can maintain and sustain.”

His off-water workouts are all about improving strength, but while balancing. BOSU ball movements feature heavily in his home-gym routine.

Also important, especially when the water is so cold, is the warm-up Devries performs before each surf session. He gets his joints—ankles, knees and hips—loosened up.

“Anytime you’re landing an air on water, you’ve got an unbalanced surface, especially once the wave is broken and it’s turned into whitewater,” he says, “so you’re always kind of off balance, even as you’re solidly on your board.”

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While he has travelled extensively to warmer waters, and says it’s freeing to just surf in boardshorts, Devries always wants to come home to the cold. Widely regarded as being among the best cold water surfers on the planet, he’s the first Canadian to be featured on the cover of Surfer Magazine and is a stalwart ambassador of Vancouver Island’s west coast. While the images of Devries surfing capture attention, the temperatures keep most away. The waters off Tofino’s coast range from about 7 C in February to about 14 C in August.

In the winter, brave surfers bob in the water, thick neoprene hoods pulled tight. Their numbers multiply as the days grow longer and the weather less temperamental. Devries’ winter surf sessions last about 1.5 to two hours, and in the summer, they are
as long as eight hours—if the conditions are right.

Tofino’s waters aren’t even the coldest he’s surfed in.

Earlier this year, on the cusp of travel opening up, he and a group of buddies travelled to an island in the Bering Sea to chase waves. He’s also been to Iceland, which he describes as some of the coldest water he’s surfed in.

“In Tofino, once you have good wetsuit gear and you’re all sorted, it’s totally manageable all winter and then going to places like that [Iceland and Alaska], it’s kind of like a different level of pain in order to get out on the water,” he says. “The waves dictate how long you’re going to be out there. If it’s a long session, you’re absolutely freezing by the end.”

Devries grew up as a multisport athlete, taking part in basketball, floor hockey, soccer, baseball and tennis. He started skateboarding and surfing in his pre-teens and eventually transitioned to surfing as his full-time sport by age 16.

He’s washed dishes at a local bakery and sold boards at a local surf shop. When he got his first cheque from surfing at age 17, he realized he could make a career out of the sport he loved. But it was a route he had to blaze; for a Canadian, it had never really been done before.

“Surfing wasn’t really a thing in Canada,” says Reed Platenius, the 2021 national surfing champion who lives down the street from Devries. “The freak [Devries] is, he is so competitive and he just somehow made it a career for himself. I feel like if it wasn’t for him, a career path in surfing wouldn’t even be a thing in Canada.”

Why surfing? It was the most challenging of the sports Devries tried and he was enthralled with the variability.

“The weather systems are constantly changing. It just makes it so challenging,” he says. Surfers have a saying that you’ll never surf the same wave twice. “Everything’s always fresh.”

It takes a lifetime of experience to read the water and know the right conditions that will turn a ripple into a wave.

The coast holds secrets tight, but Devries has charmed it to share and he’s passing that knowledge on to the next generation of Tofino surfers.

“On the west coast, there’s so many different little nooks and crannies where there are waves. They require completely different swell directions, or wind directions, or tide,” says Platenius. “He’s been really generous to pass on that information.”

The missions to far-off, or remote locations alongside filmmakers and photographers are his bread and butter, and a specialty.

“He’s the hardest-working guy,” says Platenius, who has accompanied Devries on a few free surfing missions and has learned that a lot goes on behind the scenes of those iconic shots.

A few years ago, Devries and surfing pals sought remote waves at a river mouth on Vancouver Island. The terrain they tackled immediately after the helicopter drop stopped them in their tracks. They made 30 metres in 45 minutes, lugging their gear up a steep incline into the rainforest. Sun turned to rain and knee-deep mud. They hiked two hours in the dark to their camp, sleeping in wet gear until dawn. When they woke, they discovered they weren’t yet at the coast; a surfer’s false summit. On they hiked, and when they finally made the shore, they were barely able to paddle the currents due to the effort to even just get to the remote break.

Surfing in the wilderness also means that Devries is often away from the technology of modern life.

“Being able to get outside and get away from everything, it clears my mind,” he says. “I’m lucky to have surfing where you’re completely disconnected. If you’re running or biking, you can probably check your phone, if you get a message, get a ding. I feel very thankful to be involved in something where you have no choice but to disconnect and get away from it all.”

But he’s never gone for long. Tofino and his family call him home. His son Asher is a talented surfer, but currently prefers other activities like hockey. He’s getting close to the same age his dad was when he decided to surf full-time. If he decides to follow that route, he’ll have the next generation of surfers, like Platenius, and his dad, still leading the way, legacy in progress.

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Runners have long kept animal companions. Most common are trail dogs; ultra runner Chris McDougall runs with his rescue donkey Sherman; then there’s Vernon, B.C.’s Shanda Hill and her run buddies—her tribe of goats.

When Hill initially got the goats she hadn’t planned on running with them but found them to be excellent training partners. The 40-year-old ultra-endurance athlete had five goats before she moved in with her partner and doubled the pack. There’s now Yoda, Wicket, Spirit, Sparky, Hudson, Gonzo, Thumper, Bucky, Huck, and Chewie. All are Nigerian dwarf goats, except for brothers Gonzo and Hudson who are half LeMancha.

The goats join her on some short runs: “nothing too crazy,” she says. Hiking and paddle boarding at nearby Kalamalka Lake are also activities they enjoy together. “It may seem unique,” says Hill, “but to me, my goats are kind of like dogs.”

Yoda is the oldest—now four years old—and very special to Hill. He joined her in 2018 alongside his brother but after the sibling was killed by a cougar, they developed a tight bond with Yoda going everywhere with Hill—from home to landscaping work and joining her on some training sessions.

“The beautiful thing about goats,” she says, “is that they’re pretty hardy, they’re really sure-footed and you know they’re never going to bite anybody.”

Hill and the goats are regular fixtures along the Okanagan Rail Trail. She says they can be quite stubborn and know their limits. “They’re very independent and they’re very strong-willed,” she says, “so when they decide that they’re tired they will literally wait for somebody theyalso activities they enjoy together. “It can follow like a herd, and they will turn around and go back with that person.”

Hill is the first Canadian to complete a double deca triathlon—20 Ironman-distance races in 28 days but this summer she has decided to stay closer to home and run trail races, including the Freaky Creeky 100 in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park and the Dirty Feet Heartbreak 100 in Kamloops.

Yoda may have to do some catch up, however, at his peak he was running between 10 and 12 kilometres with Hill, but he has put on a few pounds in the off season and so will start with some hikes and—just like any athlete—build a training base.

It has been said that two of the best ways to stick to a training program are to do it with pals, and to make it fun. As Hill kicks her own training into gear, she certainly has both of those covered. 

Photography by Keylight Photography

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THE CHEF
MATTHEW KENNEY

The first thing chef Matthew Kenney does upon waking is drink a big glass of water. He follows that up with a few minutes of stretching. “Yoga is a big thing for me,” he says, “so even though I don’t have time to do a full practice in the mornings, I like to get some quick movement in.”
Kenney says his day doesn’t start until he’s taken a cold shower. “I’m following the trend; it’s true,” he says. “I like to do 30 seconds of freezing cold at the end of my shower. It really wakes me up and keeps me feeling young.”

Favourite part of the morning: Green juice. He has a juicer at home and makes his own.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER
PAUL ZIZKA

When photographer Paul Zizka wakes up in the morning, he takes a look outside. “I glance out the window to see what the mountains look like and whether they are lit up or shrouded with fog or clouds,” he says. “The view is never the same two days in a row, which is something I love about living in Banff.”
The best part of Zizka’s morning is when his three-year-old daughter comes into his room exactly at 6:50 a.m. “Her bright spirit helps me get out of bed,” he says. “Gosh, if only I could be so cheerful and talkative in the morning.”

Day doesn’t start until: Zizka has had a cup of coffee. “A double shot Americano, to be exact,” he says.

THE TRAINER
PETE ESTABROOKS

Fitness trainer Pete Estabrooks starts his day the same each morning. Before heading to bed, he lays out the running clothes he’ll don in the morning in the order he’ll put them on. He gets up between 5:30 and 5:50 a.m. each morning, meeting dogs Luna and Billie on the way to greet his partner. From bed to running is seven to 12 minutes. “What follows is a moving meditation,” he says. “Five to eight kilometres of easy running, connecting with my partner, comfortable conversation, fresh air and a communion with nature that leaves me grateful for the moment and another day.” I can tell you the adage is true; you will never regret a run that you just finished.”

Day doesn’t start until: Estabrooks has run with the dogs and kissed his girl.

THE OLYMPIAN
ARIANNE JONES

When Olympian Arianne Jones wakes up in the morning, she drinks a glass of greens with lemon to rehydrate from sleep and takes her dog Blueberry out for a walk to enjoy the fresh air and movement. Then comes her favourite part: coffee.
What doesn’t Jones do? “Check my phone. I keep my phone out of the bedroom and try not to check it until I am at my desk,” she says. “This digital boundary helps me show up for my day clear, productive and creative. It makes a huge difference on my mindset for the day.”

Favourite part of the morning: Coffee. “I am a total snob and really enjoy a great coffee with some oat milk,” she says. Jones usually enjoys it in her infrared sauna while listening to a podcast. “Detox, coffee and good vibes to start the day.”

Photo: Arianne Jones enjoys a coffee in the morning, which was a shared indulgence for those IMPACT interviewed.

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Canada’s Paralympic team is a fraction of the size of the Olympic team; 49 athletes and guides compared to the 215 athletes who just finished competing in Beijing and brought home 26 medals (four gold, eight silver and 14 bronze).

The Canadian Paralympic team is stacked with talent and experience. Thirty athletes are returning from the 2018 PyeongChang team, while 19 athletes will be making their Paralympic Games debut.

Among the team’s veterans are cross-country skier Brian McKeever, Canada’s most decorated Paralympian with 17 career Paralympic Games medals. He will be competing in his sixth Winter Games alongside para ice hockey player Billy Bridges, who is also competing in his sixth Winter Games.

Team Canada’s youngest member is Logan Leach, 19, who will be making his Paralympic Winter Games debut in para alpine skiing. The team’s oldest athlete is wheelchair curler Dennis Thiessen, 60, who is competing at his second games.

Athletes will be competing in all five sports at Beijing: para ice hockey, para nordic skiing (which includes both cross-country and biathlon), para alpine skiing, wheelchair curling and para snowboard.

Josh Dueck, chef de mission for the Paralympic team, is proud of all the athletes competing. “The past few years have been filled with many challenges and uncertainties, and while each person’s journey to the Games is unique, all 49 athletes have worked so hard to get here and are so deserving of their place on this team,” he says. “I know the performances and stories of these incredible athletes will elevate, motivate and unite Canadians across the country, displaying the joy and resiliency of the human spirit and the power of sport to change lives.”

With help from Canada’s Sport Institutes, we’ve compiled a list of athletes to keep an eye out for at the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Winter Games.

PARA ALPINE
When to watch: March 5-6, March 8, March 10-13

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Katie Combaluzier, 28
Hometown: Toronto, Ont.
@combokate

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Alexis Guimond, 22
Hometown: Gatineau, Que.
@alexis_guimond

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Mollie Jepsen, 22
Hometown: West Vancouver, B.C.
@mollie_jepsen

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Mac Marcoux, 24
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
@macmarcoux

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A post shared by Alana Ramsay (@ramsay_alana)

Alana Ramsay, 27
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
@ramsay_alana

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PARA ICE HOCKEY
When to watch: March 5-6, March 8-13 (Gold Medal Game: March 13)

@hockeycanada

PARA NORDIC SKIING
When to watch: March 6-7, March 9, March 12-13

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Mark Arendz, 32
Hometown: Hartsville, PEI
@markarendz

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Brittany Hudak, 28
Hometown: Prince Albert, Sask.
@brittany_hudak

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Brian McKeever, 42
Hometown: Canmore, Alta.
@brian.mckeever

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Natalie Wilkie, 21
Hometown: Salmon Arm, B.C.
@natalie_wilkie_

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Emily Young, 31
Hometown: Kelowna, B.C.
@emsterlou

PARA SNOWBOARD
When to watch: March 6-7, March 12

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Lisa DeJong, 32
Hometown: Biggar, Sask.
@lisa_dejong12

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Alex Massie, 26
Hometown: Barrie, Ont.
@bubzurchin

Tyler Turner, 33
Hometown: Campbell River, B.C.
@tyturner14

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WHEELCHAIR CURLING
When to watch: March 5-12

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Ina Forrest, Mark Ideson (skip), Collinda Joseph, Dennis Thiessen, Jon Thurston
@curlingcanada

Lead Image Photo Credit: Brian McKeever competes at the Canmore Para Nordic World Cup on Dec. 5, 2021. Nordiq Canada/Nathaniel Mah

Canada is sending 215 athletes as part of its Olympic delegation and will be led into the opening ceremony by veteran speedskater Charles Hamelin, who is attending his fifth Games, and hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin at her fourth Olympics.

We’ve put together a list of athletes to keep an eye on during the Games thanks to some help from CSI Calgary, CSI Ontario and CSI Pacific. Watch for our ‘Who to Watch at the Paralympics’ next month!

GO CANADA GO!

Alpine Skiing

When to watch: Feb. 4-17, Feb. 19

Broderick Thompson
Hometown: Whistler, B.C.

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Biathlon

When to watch: Feb. 5, Feb. 7-8, Feb. 11-13, Feb. 15-16, Feb. 18-19

Megan Bankes
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Adam Runnalls
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Christian Gow
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Scott Gow
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Bobsleigh

When to watch: Feb. 10-20

Cynthia Appiah
Hometown: Toronto, Ont.

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Justin Kripps
Hometown: Summerland, B.C. (currently lives in Calgary, Alta.)

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Chris Spring
Hometown: Priddis, Alta.

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Cross-country Skiing

When to watch: Feb. 5-6, Feb. 8, Feb. 10-13, Feb. 16, Feb. 19-20

Dahria Beatty
Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon

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Curling

When to watch: Feb. 2-20 (mixed curling medals are awarded Feb. 8)

Rachel Homan and John Morris
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont. (John and Rachel), but both live in Alberta

@homan89 @johnnymo_7

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Figure Skating

When to watch: Feb. 4, Feb. 6-8, Feb. 10, Feb. 12, Feb. 14-15, Feb. 17-19

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (Ice Dance)
Hometown: Toronto, Ont. (Piper) and Unionville, Ont. (Paul)

@pipergilles @paulpoirier

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Madeline Schizas (Women’s)
Hometown: Oakville, Ont.

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Freestyle Skiing

When to watch: Feb. 3, Feb. 5-10, Feb. 13-19

Noah Bowman (Halfpipe)
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Simon D’Artois (Halfpipe)
Hometown: Whistler, B.C.

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Rachael Karker (Halfpipe)
Hometown: Erin, Ont.

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Mikaël Kingsbury (Moguls)
Hometown: Deux-Montagnes, Que.

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Megan Oldham (Slopestyle & Big Air)
Hometown: Parry Sound, Ont.

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Cassie Sharpe (Halfpipe)
Hometown: Comox, B.C.

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Luge

When to watch: Feb. 2-10

Trinity Ellis
Hometown: Pemberton, B.C.

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Justin Snith and Tristan Walker
Hometown: Calgary, Alta. (Justin) and Cochrane, Alta. (Tristan)

@jsluge @tristanluge

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Reid Watts
Hometown: Whistler, B.C.

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Short Track Speed Skating

When to watch: Feb. 5, Feb. 7, Feb. 8, Feb. 11, Feb. 13, Feb. 16

Kim Boutin
Hometown: Sherbrooke, Que.

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Charles Hamelin
Hometown: Sainte-Julie, Que.

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Skeleton

When to watch: Feb. 7-12

Jane Channell
Hometown: North Vancouver, B.C. (she now lives in Calgary, Alta.)

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Blake Enzie
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Mirela Rahneva
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont. (she now lives in Calgary, Alta.)

Ski Cross

When to watch: Feb 17(women’s), Feb. 19 (men’s)

Reece Howden
Hometown: Cultus Lake, B.C.

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Brady Leman
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Brittany Phelan
Hometown: Mont-Tremblant, Que.

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Hannah Schmidt
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.

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Marielle Thompson
Hometown: Whistler, B.C.

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Ski Jumping

When to watch: Feb. 3-7, Feb. 9-14

Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Snowboarding

When to watch: Feb. 5-12, Feb. 14-15

Laurie Blouin (Slopestyle & Big Air)
Hometown: Quebec City, Que.

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Brooke D’Hondt (Halfpipe)
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Liam Gill (Halfpipe)
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Eliot Grondin (Snowboard Cross)
Hometown: Sainte-Marie, Que.

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Elizabeth Hosking (Halfpipe)
Hometown: Longeuil, Que.

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Mark McMorris (Slopestyle & Big Air)
Hometown: Regina, Sask.

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Read IMPACT Magazine’s December 2020 Cover Story:  Mark McMorris – The Comeback Kid

Max Parrot (Slopestyle & Big Air)
Hometown: Bromont, Que.

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Darcy Sharpe (Slopestyle & Big Air)
Hometown: Comox, B.C.

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Speed Skating

When to watch: Feb. 5-8, Feb. 10-13, Feb. 15, Feb. 17-19

Ted-Jan Bloemen
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Ivanie Blondin
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.

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Laurent Dubreuil
Hometown: Lévis, Que.

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Gilmore Junio
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

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Check out the 2014 November/December edition of IMPACT for a story about Junio.

Women’s Hockey Team

When to watch: Feb. 3-20; medal events are Feb. 16-17

https://www.instagram.com/teamcanada/

Lead photo: Team Canada freestyle skier Sofiane Gagnon competes in round one of Women’s Moguls Qualification during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games on Thursday, February 03, 2022. Photo by Darren Calabrese/COC

On August 18, 2016, Erica Wiebe woke before her alarm and threw up in the toilet. It was the second week of the Rio Olympics and after watching fellow athletes’ performances, it was finally her chance to take to the wrestling mats.

She could barely eat or drink and spent the 15-minute bus ride to the venue listening to Sean Paul on repeat. Hold and believe, oh we already won, we still hold on.

When Wiebe walked into the building, it felt like she’d arrived. “I felt 10 feet tall and I felt completely ready to go and compete,” she says.

“I already felt like a champion and all that was left was to just be present and release everything that I had done to prepare for the last 10 years.”

Erica Wiebe

She made it through her first match, then her second. If she won the semifinal, she’d be guaranteed a medal: gold or silver. When the bell chimed after six full minutes of action, Wiebe looked down at her colour and up at the scoreboard. She’d done it. She had scored three points, her opponent had zero and she was off to the Olympic final at her very first Games.

Her opponent would be tough. Guzel Manyurova of Kazakhstan already had two Olympic medals; a silver and a bronze. She was a legend in the sport, someone Wiebe looked up to. She remembers thinking that Manyurova likely really wanted that gold medal to complete her collection. Not today, she thought.

Wiebe was first to score in a match that started off slow. She would go on to score two more times to win Olympic gold in the 75kg division of women’s freestyle wrestling.

In her youth, Wiebe was a multi-sport athlete. She played team sports through elementary and high school including basketball, soccer and volleyball. In high school, she was introduced to wrestling through a unit in gym class and then sought out the co-ed club after school with her best friend. “We just thought it was a fun opportunity to wear spandex and wrestle with boys.”

She loved the physicality of the sport and the technique involved. It was unlike anything she’d done before. She was hooked.

Her mom saw how much Wiebe loved wrestling and took her to nationals in Nova Scotia. They were there without a coach. Wiebe won. After she graduated high school, she moved to Calgary to go to school and joined the University of Calgary (U of C) Dinos in 2007.

Wiebe had been to the Olympics before, though never as a competing athlete. She was a training partner at the London Games in 2012 and got to experience the sights, the sounds, the energy and the range of emotions that go hand-in-hand with the Olympic experiences.

“I had committed to myself that I would do whatever it took to be there in Rio,” she says.

When Wiebe returns to the Games this summer as the reigning Olympic champion, things are going to look a lot different. But for an athlete who’s become a household Canadian name on the wrestling mat, being adaptable is just part of the game.

Olympic qualification for Canada’s wrestlers looks a little different than for other sports. Ahead of an Olympic year, Wrestling Canada will hold a tournament to decide who would be on the Olympic team. Once they’ve selected that squad, the athletes have to then go out and qualify their IOC quota spot at an international competition. Wiebe, along with Rio teammate Danielle Lappage qualified to be on the Canadian Olympic Wrestling team in December 2019.

They were on their way to Ottawa to compete at the Pan-American Olympic Qualification Tournament on March 11, 2020.

It was the same day the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The world hit “pause.”

Since all the athletes had already travelled to Ottawa for the competition, organizers opted to push ahead despite the developing coronavirus pandemic. The competition was meant to be a homecoming of sorts for Wiebe, who grew up in Stittsville, Ont., a small community about 30 km west of downtown Ottawa. However, the competition took place without fans.

“It was just surreal,” says Wiebe, who ended up qualifying for her second Olympic team, “and you know, a week later we heard the news that the Games were to be postponed and [it] started this cascade of uncertainties.” The team had planned to take a week off, but when they tried to get back to training, it was anything but routine.

With the Dinos, she had walked into an elite training environment. Today, Wiebe’s is a small but mighty team. When they returned to Alberta after the tournament in Ottawa, they had nowhere to train. U of C had closed and most gyms were closed. In July, they started training outside. The grassy field they practised on felt more like a parking lot in the summer heat. In the fall, they were allowed back into the U of C, but it was short-lived. They’ve since found a home at a private sport facility where the team is able to practise with COVID-19 safety protocols in place.

In the spring, without anywhere to wrestle, Wiebe says they did a lot of indoor cardio by way of bike. She kind of enjoyed it and decided to purchase a set of wheels for herself. Being outdoors in the fresh air and trying a new sport were good for her mental health.

Even when it comes to recovery, Wiebe’s go-to activity is getting to the mountains for a hike. “Being active in the mountains means finding the calmness and strength that is part of that experience,” she says. “Trees are built by their downward hunger for earth and upward yearning for light. These aims teach us many things about what it is to grow strong and tall.”

This past fall, Wiebe added another challenge. She started her MBA at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business and Cornell University’s SC Johnson Graduate School of Management. She has always prided herself on being a student-athlete, graduating from U of C with a degree in Kinesiology in 2012 and then an honour’s arts degree in 2016. Her post-Tokyo plan was to attend school once again, but when she applied last January, she had intended to defer a year.

When the news dropped that the Olympics would be postponed a year, the program asked her if she’d consider starting right away. She said yes. Wiebe is now about halfway done with the program and has deferred her current course load to after the Games, now scheduled to take place July 23 to August 8.

Heading into Tokyo as the reigning Olympic Champion won’t be too much of a change for Wiebe. She was ranked second in the world ahead of Rio. However, a lot has changed for the sport itself. There’s new weight classes at play in Tokyo and an athlete’s competition won’t be completed in one day; it’s been extended to two. Not to mention that there will be limited fans allowed at the venue and none of them will be from Canada. “I know that my friends and family, like everyone, was so excited to go to Tokyo but obviously they can’t be there in person,” she says.

“I know I’ll be able to feel their support a couple thousand kilometres away.”

Erica Wiebe

Wiebe is thankful for her Olympic gold medal. She’s proud of it. But she’s not defined by it. In Tokyo she won’t be focused on defending her title, rather showing the world she’s the best at what she does. “The gold medal is up for grabs,” she says. “I have been preparing for these last five years to showcase the depth and range of what I’m capable of.” And if that means a gold medal, so be it.

Career Highlights

• 1^st 2011 Commonwealth Championship, 72kg
• 2^nd 2012 World University Championship, 72kg
• 2^nd 2012 FISU World Championships, 72kg
• 3^rd 2013 Pan American Championships, 72kg
• 3^rd 2013 FISU World Championships, 72kg
• 1^st 2014 World University Championship, 75kg
• 1^st 2014 FISU World Championships, 75kg
• 1^st 2014 Commonwealth Games, 75kg
• 1^st 2015 Canada Cup, 75kg
• 1^st 2016 Canada Cup, 75kg
• 1^st 2016 Rio Olympics, 75kg
• 1^st 2018 Canada Cup, 76kg
• 1^st 2018 Commonwealth Games, 76kg
• 1^st 2019 Canada Cup, 76kg
• 3^rd 2019 Pan American Championships, 76kg
• 1^st 2020 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series, 76kg
• 1^st 2021 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series, 76kg

What is Olympic freestyle wrestling?

In Olympic freestyle wrestling, athletes are trying to score points by skillfully pinning their opponent, or putting them at a disadvantage.

• Freestyle wrestlers are allowed to grasp their opponent’s legs, can trip them and they can use their legs or upper body in any action.
• Matches are six minutes long and are divided into two three-minute halves with a 30 second break in between.
  Canada has a colourful history in Olympic wrestling. Canadian athletes have won 11 medals in the sport since Los Angeles 1984 and 17 dating back to London 1908.
• Women’s wrestling was added to the Olympic programme in 2004, when Tonya Verbeek won silver in the 55kg weight class. Canada has seen a female athlete on the podium at every Games since.
• Verbeek took home bronze in Beijing and silver in London (both in the 55kg division) while Carol Huynh won gold at the Beijing Games and bronze in London in the 48kg division.

Canadians Competing in Tokyo

Four wrestlers nominated to represent Team Canada at Tokyo 2020.

• Amar Dhesi, 125kg – August 2-3
• Danielle Leppage, 68kg – August 3-4
• Jordan Steen, 97kg – August 6-7
• Erica Wiebe, 76kg – August 1-2

How to watch wrestling at the games

Wrestling is a popular sport in Japan. It is set to take place during the second week of the Olympics, from August 1-7.

• It will take place at Makuhari Messe Hall A, near Tokyo’s Disneyland. There will be 18 gold medals up for grabs: 12 for men and six for women.
• Men can take part in freestyle wrestling or Greco-Roman wrestling in different weight classes, while women compete in freestyle wrestling in six different weight classes: classess: 50kg, 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg, 76 kg.
• Olympic schedule & results.

Photos by Graham McKerrell and Wrestling Canada Lutte

Read This Story in Our Outdoor Summer Digital Edition
Get outside and play!
We’ve covered DIY Bike Maintenance, Wildlife Travel, Open Water Swimming, Ultramarathon Training, Paddleboarding, Family Adventures, and Dogs and a Cat to watch on Instagram! Work out with Canada’s Top Fitness Instructors and be inspired by our Athletes with IMPACT.

The world of audio storytelling has been getting larger and larger. There’s a huge variety of show formats now from one-on-one interviews and deep conversations, to audio storytelling with original reporting. The outdoor world is no different. Happy listening.

30 For 30 Podcasts

Starpowered storytelling
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

Great audio and amazing storytelling backbenche this series, which is produced by ESPN. Each season (there’s eight so far) has a different theme. Some will use the entire season to tell a story, while others are contained to singular episodes.

Episodes to try

• season 1, ep. 3: On the Ice
• season 4, ep. 3: Six Who Sat
• season 6, ep. 2: Out of the Woods

Billy Yang Podcast

One-on-one conversations
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

Host Billy Yang speaks with some of the top athletes, creative-types and entrepreneurs. If you like deep dives in interview format, this is the podcast for you.

Episodes to try

• ep. 12: Scott Jurek
• ep. 23: Courtney Dewaulter
• ep. 55: Adam Campbell

Climbing Gold

Deep dive with climbing names
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

If you’ve ever tuned into the world of climbing, you’ll be familiar with this show’s host. Alex Honnold (you know, the guy who climbed Yosemite’s El Capitan without a rope) dives deep into the culture of his sport. This podcast is fresh off the press, or soundwaves, and features interviews with some of the sport’s biggest names.

Episodes to try

• ep. 1: More Bird Than Larry Bird;
• ep. 5: A Magician Needs a Stage
• Bit of Gold Bonus: Crack Wars;

The Dirtbag Diaries

Grassroots storytelling
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

Inspired by the campfire tale, Dirtbag Diaries highlights explorers who reach for the stars and sometimes fall short.

Episodes to try

• ep. 10: False Summit
• ep. 161: Sacred Slopes
• ep. 162: Flight of the Monarch

Nitty Gritty Training

Running and OCR Training
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

Remember the obstacle course racing (OCR) craze? The hosts of this podcast never left, they’re living it. Join OCR Champion Faye Stenning and Olympian Jess O’Connell as they discuss training strategies for running, fitness and OCR, nutrition, injuries, and more.

Episodes to try

• Rebecca Hammond – Dr. Queen of the Beach to You
• Dr. Peter Duggan Tells It Like It Is

Out Alive Podcast

Stories of survival
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

What happens when things go wrong? Backpacker’s Out Alive seeks to answer this by speaking to the people who had tragedy strike while they were outside.

Episodes to try

• Tragedy on the Appalachian Trail Part 1; A Snowy Second Chance

Outside Podcast

Outdoor variety
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

Since 2016, Outside Podcast has been sharing stories from the outdoors. Backed by the veritable Outside Magazine, episodes come out weekly, so there’s no shortage of fresh content. From an epic treasure hunt, to important conversations with people who spend their time outdoors, to surviving scary situations, this podcast has your outdoor listening needs covered.

Episodes to try

• The Doctors Prescribing Nature
• Why You Desperately Want to Jump in a Lake
• How the Pandemic is Teaching Us to Listen to Nature
• The Story Behind the Forrest Fenn Treasure Hunt

The Rich Roll Podcast

Long conversations with exceptional guests
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

What do a free-climbing legend, action-loving actress and a tenured neuroscientist have in common? Well, you likely won’t find them sharing a drink together, but they are among the over-100-and counting-varied guests featured on the Rich Roll Podcast. Rich Roll, a plant-fuelled ultra-endurance athlete, hosts guests from various backgrounds who delve into all things wellness. With longer run times (1.5 to 2.5 hours), episodes really get at the heart of each guest’s thoughts.

Episodes to try

• ep. 323: Dan Buettner
• ep. 406: Wim Hof
• ep. 536: Mirna Valerio

She Explores Podcast

By women, for women
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

The She Explores catalogue is more than 180 episodes deep and counting. Using interviews, in-the-field audio and listener submissions, host Gale Straub highlights female adventurers and the outdoors.

Episodes to try

• ep. 114: Safer Alone in the Backcountry
• ep. 138: Purpose and Perspective in the Superstition Mountains
• ep. 159: The Promise of Climbing; ep. 164: Outdoorsy Puns and “Subpar” Parks

Some Work All Play Podcast

These coaches are your new best friends
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

Hosts Megan and David Roche will quickly have you feeling like one of the gang. The duo has a coaching background and answers reader questions, touching on topics for athletes of all stripes.

Episodes to try

• ep. 4: Imposter Syndrome and Strides
• ep. 43: Healthy Competition and Hills are Hard
• ep. 45: Racing Season and Fears/Phobias

Trail Runner Nation

Conversations about the trail
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

With an amazing library of over 500 episodes, there’s no shortage of audio content over at Trail Runner Nation. Episodes tie in coaches, athletes and more for a well-rounded look at the world of trail running and its peripheries.

Episodes to try

• ep. 484: Tolerating the Transition – What to Expect on Race Day
• ep. 522: Failure is Part of Success

Wildertainment

Entertaining Wilderness Stories
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

This podcast tackles entertaining wilderness adventure stories. Wildertainment weaves together audio pieces that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

Episodes to try

• Helicopter Crash Mountain Survival
• ‘Shocking’ Mountaineering in Canada / Jimmy Chin Photoshoot

The Xterra Podcast powered by Braveheart Coaching

Highlighting endurance endeavours
Spotify • Apple Podcasts

A relatively new player in the world of podcasts, Xterra Podcast powered by Braveheart Coaching is hosted by five-time off-road triathlon world champion Lesley Paterson and her husband, Dr. Simon Marshall. They talk with guests who enjoy epic outdoor adventures.

Episodes to try

• ep. 9: The Science of Endurance with Dr. Alex Hutchinson
• ep. 12: The Power of Endurance Sports

Read This Story in Our Outdoor Summer Digital Edition
Get outside and play!
We’ve covered DIY Bike Maintenance, Wildlife Travel, Open Water Swimming, Ultramarathon Training, Paddleboarding, Family Adventures, and Dogs and a Cat to watch on Instagram! Work out with Canada’s Top Fitness Instructors and be inspired by our Athletes with IMPACT.