{"id":37453,"date":"2023-08-05T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-05T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=37453"},"modified":"2023-08-05T11:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-05T14:30:00","slug":"mackenzie-spence-eye-olympic-spots-give-back-to-younger-cheema-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=37453","title":{"rendered":"MacKenzie, Spence eye Olympic spots, give back to younger Cheema athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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WAVERLEY:<\/strong> The water on Lake Thomas was crystal clear Wednesday afternoon Aug. 2 as summer program athletes from Cheema participated in a coaching session offered by two national team members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craig Spence of Dartmouth and Windsor Junctions own Sloan MacKenzie hosted the coaching session for approximately 20 participants in the summer program at the Waverley-based club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two are athletes supported by CanFund this year helping them train for Olympic qualifying championship events coming up in mid-August in Germany with Team Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To participate in the coaching session it was $10 each. The community stepped up and made donations that saw some at least 10 summer program participants who may not have been able to take part due to cost limitations be involved thanks to a donation. In all, MacKenzie and Spence had hoped for maybe $200\/$300 raised. They got more than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had $1800 in donations which will go a long way in helping us train and be prepared for competitions,\u201d said MacKenzie and Spence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some of the canoers, including Leena Stevens (yellow), stick together during the coaching session. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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While Spence was on the water leading the 20 participants in either canoes or kayaks, The Laker News\u2019 Pat Healey joined MacKenzie in one of the motorized boats and headed out onto the slightly choppy waters on Lake Thomas in Waverley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacKenzie stayed behind the group shouting instructions to the few athletes who were in kayaks instructions. The techniques they were working on differed then that what Spence was having the canoers do as they went up Lake Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two had the athletes do various training items to about the middle of Lake Thomas (if the trees nearby were bare one would have been able to see Old Creel Canoe & Kayak across from The Vegetorium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the looks on the faces of all the young athletes\u2014about 90 per cent who were girls\u2014and their conversations with mostly MacKenzie, but Spence too at times, they were all having fun and learning how to improve their technique to be better canoers\/kayakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This participant was showing good stroke and form during the on the water portion of the coaching session. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Waiting to hear what the next technique will be that they will do in the middle of beautiful Lake Thomas. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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When you’re being told something good about your effort, but are called by someone differents name. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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MacKenzie was asked why her, and Spence were putting on the coaching session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018We want to give back to the community and the kids here at Cheema and to raise money for CanFund for sponsoring us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spence said CanFund has stepped up to sponsor the two athletes in their drive for excellence at competitions and hopes of making the Olympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted to also do something we enjoyed and that was practicing with the kids, teaching them, but also having fun and doing something for the community that has done so much to allow us to even get to this point,\u201d said Spence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the support from CanFund means a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt means we can do everything we need to be at the top level,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know qualifying for Olympic spots are extremely difficult so to be able to get the proper nutrition; equipment; to be able to do training camps, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we have support from CanFund we can do all those things which you can\u2019t do without their support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VIDEO: From the waters of Lake Thomas, the participants were learning lots from two of the best in Canada, Sloan MacKenzie and Craig Spence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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