The season wrapped up for the Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team at the Nor Am finals and national championships at Mount Washington last week, with four days of solid racing for the team.
Whistler’s two contributions to the team, sit skier Brad Lennea and standing skier Matt Hallat, earned several podiums each over the course of the week, while facing skiers from provincial and national programs.
In the opening slalom, with snow falling steadily, Kathleen Forestell and guide Emily Glossop won the visually impaired category, followed by Carly Grigg and Shannon Morley of the B.C. Disabled Ski Team.
In the sit ski category Edmonton’s Kimberly Joines of the national team took the win, followed by Chantal Fowler and Lyne Tremblay.
Lauren Woolstencroft won gold in the standing event, followed by Nanaimo’s Andrea Dziewior and Alexandra Starker of Alberta.
In the men’s sit ski, former Paralympic champion Daniel Wesley made a surprise appearance to bump Whistler’s Brad Lennea from the centre podium. Jeff Standfield was third.
In the standing category, Gabriel Perrault of Quebec nudged past Toronto’s Steve Wall, while James Binfield of Ontario was third. Several members of the national team went off course, including Jeff Penner and Scott Patterson in the men’s sit ski race, and Matt Hallat and Arly Fogarty in the standing categories.
In the second slalom, the following day, Kathleen Forstell repeated her win in the visually impaired race, followed by Carly Grigg.
Andrea Dziewior took the women’s standing category ahead of Carla Yustak and Alexandra Starker, with Lauren Woolstencroft going off course.
Matt Hallat won the men’s standing race, followed by Morgan Perrin of the national team and Josh Byrne.
Brad Lennea won the sitting race, followed by Scott Patterson and Jeff Penner.
In the giant slalom on Thursday Kathleen Forstell picked up her third gold in visually impaired, while Kimberly Joines landed her second gold in the sit ski race, ahead of Chantal Fowler and Lyne Tremblay.
Woolstencroft made up for the previous day with a dominating performance, finishing more than 10 seconds ahead of Arly Fogarty. Andrea Dziewior was third.
Josh Byrne won the male standing category, followed by Morgan Perrin and Gabriel Perreault.
Daniel Wesley earned his second gold medal in the men’s sitting class, followed by Brad Lennea and Jeff Penner.
In the second Nor Am GS, Forstell picked up her fourth gold medal, Joines her third, Woolstencroft her third, and Hallat his second. Lennea finished second to Jeff Penner in the men’s sit ski group, while Arly Fogarty was second to Woolstencroft.
The Mount Washington races capped a successful year for the small but talented national team, which claimed 24 World Cup podiums and five Paralympic medals. The development team also had a promising year with several athletes posting personal bests.
