Burns Lake has high hopes for local resident Elise Dube (not pictured), who is getting ready to snowboard at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George. Dube will compete in parallel giant slalom on Tuesday Feb. 24, and snowboard cross on Feb. 28.
Also making Northern B.C. proud is Emily Dickson (pictured), who is originally from Burns Lake. The 17-year-old won four medals in the first week of the Canada Winter Games.
Dickson first took the podium on Feb. 15 for a bronze medal in the 12.5 km biathlon event. She then won a silver medal on Feb. 17 in the 7.5 km female biathlon. And if that wasn’t enough, she took the gold in the biathlon 10 km pursuit on Feb. 18, and another gold medal in the female 3x6km relay race.
Dickson told [i] Lakes District News [/i] that the Canada Winter Games have been an amazing experience for her.
“I am so excited that I can share these medals with the rest of B.C.,” she said.
Dickson was fast on her skis on Feb. 17, excelling at the shorter sprint distance and moving a step up the podium from her result earlier in the games.
“My race on Tuesday [Feb. 17] was similar to Sunday [Feb. 15] where I did well in my first time in the range in the prone position,” she explained. “My skiing was solid but I had a few issues with my standing shooting so I had to push hard and ski it off.”
In biathlon, competitors who miss targets are penalized by adding extra laps to their race. Dickson, who is known to be a fast skier, used the penalty to her advantage, skiing hard and landing in second place.
“I am just so thrilled and excited,” she said after winning the silver medal. “I am so proud of my teammates and all of the B.C. girls today. Everyone had a solid day with great results.”
The talented teenager attends the Canadian Sport School in Prince George, where she has lived for the past three years. The hometown advantage helped calm Dickson’s nerves and made for a memorable Canada Winter Games experience.
“It was a very cool atmosphere here with family and friends and teammates cheering me on,” she said.
After completing her first race on Feb. 15, Dickson had more than an hour to wait for the final skiers to finish and the results to be posted.
“I knew I was close but there was quite a bit of suspense waiting so when I heard the news I certainly felt relieved but also so excited.”
Team B.C. has a delegation of 348 athletes, coaches, managers, and mission staff representing British Columbia at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, February 13 to March 1.