{"id":19810,"date":"2021-02-16T22:37:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T02:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=19810"},"modified":"2021-02-16T22:37:00","modified_gmt":"2021-02-17T02:37:00","slug":"video-cross-country-ski-n-s-athletes-give-pat-a-lesson-on-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=19810","title":{"rendered":"VIDEO: Cross Country Ski N.S. athletes give Pat a lesson on sport"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

[adrotate banner=”113″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate banner=”105″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video\/photos by: Dagley Media<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Laker Song” at the start and end performed by DeeDee Austin, of Lakeview. (May 2020)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OAKFIELD:<\/strong> The snow was fresh and soft after a recent snowfall on Feb. 9, so what better then to try my hand at cross-country skiing and making the provincial team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know I could do it. I was full of hope, and this session was going to prove I could be a team member on the 2021 team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly before 4 p.m., I grabbed my snow pants, my Quebec Canada Games jacket that I was given (thanks again to that awesome guy who did); my mitts and a toque, and off I went to the trails at Oakfield Golf & Country Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an interesting story on how the trails\u2014one for cross-country skiing and one for multi-use (dogs; walking; and snowshoeing)\u2014came about. The trails are groomed in partnership with Halifax Nordic Ski Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOakfield Golf & Country club approached Halifax Nordic about cross-country skiing,\u201d said Lorenzo Caterini with Halifax Nordic in an email interview. \u201cThey have been great corporate partners and are great for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The trail at Oakfield Golf Course. (Oakfield Golf photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate banner=”34″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate group=”6″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not an easy thing keeping the trails groomed properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is why we ask users to join our club,\u201d he said. \u201cHalifax Nordic provides the equipment, but it\u2019s Oakfield staff that does the grooming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In total, Halifax Nordic grooms six park in different geographical areas to all as many ski days as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA grass venue like Oakfield requires less snow than traditional trails,\u201d said Caterini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to my attempt to make the team, it was time to get some quick lessons from athletes Jack MacMillan; Emma Archibald; and Grace McIntyre. It\u2019s McIntyre\u2019s fifth year on the team, and she\u2019s no stranger to The Laker News having been featured for her skiing several times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pat falls down go boom<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
After getting his skis on, Pat abruptly slid and trying to stop he fell. It was his only fall. (Dagley Media photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate banner=”31″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate banner=”95″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Jack MacMillan. (Dagley Media photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The first step for me was to get my skis attached to my boots, and Eric McIntyre, an avid skier himself and Grace\u2019s dad, helped me with that. After it was time to get my ski poles put on properly. Thanks Grace!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Eric is the mainland coach for the provincial team.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we have video of the lesson, I don\u2019t need to go into much detail. I put all I had into the effort of making my case on why I should be considered to make the team. That I had what it takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(I apologize to those users on the trails that well, we were in the middle of and were in your way for this. Sorry. Most seemed okay and understood. They\u2019ll see why now.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, I couldn\u2019t do ballet; taekwondo-do with Inner Strength; or wasn\u2019t a boxing champion; and didn\u2019t excel at being a hockey goalie. I was sure, this was what I was meant to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was meant to be a cross-country skiing athlete with Team Nova Scotia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Pat Healey speaking at the start of the video. (Dagley Media photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate banner=”92″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate group=”7″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Emma shows Pat how to push off on his ski. (Dagley Media photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Pat Healey asking the athletes some questions, before waiting for his fate on if he made the team. (Dagley Media photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After a quick session and trying it out myself, plus an interview with the athletes, it was time to learn my fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heck, I only fell down once, so that was a win right there, and should have earned me marks towards making the team, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was all up to how Eric and how the team members thought I did in learning the tips they gave me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate group=”2″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer from Eric devastated me. He said I wasn\u2019t ready to make the team. My dreams were shattered that I could not join my friends Grace, Emma, and Jack on the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Eric told me the sad news, each of the team members came by and gave me a supportive \u201cgood try\u201d pat on the shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Emma Archibald gives Pat a pat on the back after he learned he did not make the team. Grace McIntyre is in the back awaiting her turn. (Dagley Media Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Eric McIntyre gives Pat a “good try” supportive pat after he announced Pat did not make the team. (Dagley Media photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I guess it means I go back to the drawing board to see what I can try my hand at should this journalism thing not work out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are interested in trying out cross-country skiing, check out the provincial squad\u2019s website at https:\/\/crosscountryns.ca\/<\/a> .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoy trails, you’re invited to support grooming efforts and costs, by purchasing a Halifax Nordic membership by going to: https:\/\/halifaxnordic.ca\/membership\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate banner=”78″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[adrotate banner=”111″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[adrotate banner=”113″] [adrotate banner=”105″] Video\/photos by: Dagley Media “The Laker Song” at the start and end performed by DeeDee Austin, of Lakeview. (May 2020) OAKFIELD: The snow was fresh and soft after a recent snowfall on Feb. 9, so what better then to try my hand at cross-country skiing and making the provincial team. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,957],"tags":[1854,2,290,691,370],"class_list":["post-19810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news","tag-cross-country-ski-n-s","tag-fall-river","tag-grace-mcintyre","tag-oakfield-golf-county-club","tag-skiing","post_format-post-format-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19810"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19810\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}