Dear Editor:
This weekend, at the B.C. High School Cross Country Championships something special happened.
On a horribly wet morning, a very special junior boys team from the North Shore pounded along the muddy and slippery course. This West Vancouver secondary team was composed of Aidan Doherty, Jason Kim, Nick Zurkovic, Tom Boddington, Alexander Farlinger, Logan Copeland and Ges Bushe.
With water running down their faces, blurring their vision, water dripping into their already full shoes, these boys crossed the finish line to bring their team in fourth in the province. Tom and Nick ran their best races of the season. I watched the heart in these boys’ faces as they crossed the finish line. With their two strongest runners out with injuries they still came within two points of winning the bronze medal in the province.
Coached by Colin Dignum, incoming commissioner of B.C. High School Cross Country, and Leslie Buchanan, these boys are the personification of grit and determination.
How do I know this?
Because my son trained with them this season and the race he ran on Saturday was a bit different. Every muscle movement able-bodied people take for granted is hard for my son. Speaking, keeping his balance, opening a heavy door, doing up his coat requires great effort. Ges’s movement disorder, chorea atethosis, made cross-country running that much more of a challenge.
Only the province’s best athletes go to provincials.
This year was the first time B.C. staged a “para-athlete” race. My son’s season was supposed to end in October, but his coaches asked Ges if he’d like to go too. He was asked because he had shown up to almost every practice, he’d done his best in every regular season race (which still meant he came in dead last), but he did it all with a grin on his face. He’d behaved like a champion.
At the B.C. High School Cross Country Championship he had the opportunity to compete like one.
And the people watching him experienced something special too. For able-bodied athletes, seeing someone struggling to do something they take for granted gives them a chance to reflect on their experience.
It’s the genesis of true human connection. Perhaps it makes their own success that little bit richer.
Congratulations to all the North Shore cross-country boys and girls. You all have the character of champions, and perhaps that matters more than what the numbers say.
For full results: bcxc.ca.
Carmen Farrell
North Vancouver
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