From September 20th – 25th the Rocky Mountain Racers crew, including 12 athletes, coaches John and Luke, and parents Nancy Richard, and Shandy Tilley, were in Revelstoke, BC for another volume camp. For the second time this year, the team set off for an area previously unvisited by the club (although some athletes had been there with a former team). The new locale not only offered a much-appreciated change in scenery, but some great new terrain to explore. |
Feb. 7 Classic Distance Juvenile Girls 8) Anna MacIsaac-Jones Junior Boys 3) Nicholas Bardak 6) Michael MacIsaac-Jones Women 1) Emma Camicioli Junior Women 1) Ember Large | Feb. 8 Skate Distance Juvenile Girls 7) Anna MacIsaac-Jones Junior Boys 3) Michael MacIsaac-Jones 4) Nicholas Bardak Women 2) Emma Camicioli | |
Here are the results from the rescheduled Calforex races in Canmore!
Feb. 7 Individual Senior Girls 1) Gillian Gowling Men 2) Kai Skinstad 3) Pearce Hanna 6) William Poffenroth 7) Grant Novak Youth Men 11) Tristan McKenzie | Feb. 8 Sprint/Mass Start Youth Men 8) Tristan McKenzie Men 2) Mark Arendz 3) Pearce Hanna 7) Guillaume Bertrand Senior Girls 4) Gillian Gowling |
Congrats to Andrea Dupont for solidifying her selection for the B-Tour!
Jan. 30 Sprints/Prologue Men 24) William Poffenroth 27) Stuart Harden 32) Andrew Brisbin Junior Women 2) Ember Large Women 2) Andrea Dupont 12) Emma Camicioli 19) Ilona Gyapay Junior Boy (1997) 23) Michael MacIsaac-Jones Junior Girls (1998) 1) India McIsaac 5) Gillian Gowling Juvenile Girls (2000) 9) Anna MacIsaac-Jones | Jan. 31 Distance Skate Men 21) Andrew Brisbin 22) Stuart Harden 26) William Poffenroth Junior Women 2) Ember Large 7) India McIsaac 14) Gillian Gowling Women 3) Andrea Dupont 15) Emma Camicioli 22) Ilona Gyapay Juvenile Girls (2000) 10) Anna MacIsaac-Jones Junior Boy (1997) 16) Michael MacIsaac-Jones | Feb. 1 Distance Skate Men 22) Stuart Harden 26) Andrew Brisbin Junior Women 3) Ember Large Women 5) Andrea Dupont 12) Emma Camicioli 20) Ilona Gyapay Junior Boy (1997) 17) Michael MacIsaac-Jones Junior Girls (1998) 9) India McIsaac Juvenile Girls (2000) 11) Anna MacIsaac-Jones |

Rocky Mountain Racers
Training Camps and Early Racing Season
Led by coaches John Jaques and Luke McGurk, the RMR athletes have had a busy training season filled with multiple camps and an exciting start to the racing season.
Training Camps
Sunshine Ski Camp
Throughout May and June, RMR athletes were fortunate enough to be able to ski on fully groomed cross-country trails in the meadows at Sunshine Village near Banff. The team took advantage of this opportunity to focus on volume and technique while on snow, skiing for 3-5 hours every day. The athletes and their coaches also were lucky enough to enjoy some beautiful early morning crust skiing on the Sunshine meadows.
Creston Bike Camp
RMR athletes headed down to Creston, B.C. at the beginning of July for a high volume road biking camp, aimed towards improving the athletes’ endurance and leg strength. Supported by their coaches and by parents and team volunteers, athletes cycled up to 150km each day, with workouts lasting up to 6 hours. The camp was the team’s first trip away from Canmore as a group, and was a great opportunity for athletes to work together and enjoy training as a team.
Haig Glacier On-Snow Camps
The team attended three on-snow training camps throughout July, August, and September at the Haig Glacier, where they took advantage of the skiing opportunities to focus on both technique and volume. Each day, RMR athletes completed a 1-hour hike to from the base camp to the glacier itself, followed by 3-4 hours of skiing. Athletes also took advantage of the glacier’s high altitude (over 2400m) to boost their endurance and stamina.
Park City High Altitude Camp
RMR’s final training camp of the year took place near the end of September in Park City, Utah. The Park City camp, known by RMR athletes as the “hardest camp of the year”, combined high altitude, high volume, high intensity, and strength in a final preparation for athletes leading up to the racing season. Athletes completed a variety of time trials, intensity and strength sessions, and 4-5 hour distance skis throughout the camp. The trip ended with an epic 30km trail run at 9000 ft. elevation, lasting 4-5 hours.
Training Camps and Early Racing Season
Led by coaches John Jaques and Luke McGurk, the RMR athletes have had a busy training season filled with multiple camps and an exciting start to the racing season.
Training Camps
Sunshine Ski Camp
Throughout May and June, RMR athletes were fortunate enough to be able to ski on fully groomed cross-country trails in the meadows at Sunshine Village near Banff. The team took advantage of this opportunity to focus on volume and technique while on snow, skiing for 3-5 hours every day. The athletes and their coaches also were lucky enough to enjoy some beautiful early morning crust skiing on the Sunshine meadows.
Creston Bike Camp
RMR athletes headed down to Creston, B.C. at the beginning of July for a high volume road biking camp, aimed towards improving the athletes’ endurance and leg strength. Supported by their coaches and by parents and team volunteers, athletes cycled up to 150km each day, with workouts lasting up to 6 hours. The camp was the team’s first trip away from Canmore as a group, and was a great opportunity for athletes to work together and enjoy training as a team.
Haig Glacier On-Snow Camps
The team attended three on-snow training camps throughout July, August, and September at the Haig Glacier, where they took advantage of the skiing opportunities to focus on both technique and volume. Each day, RMR athletes completed a 1-hour hike to from the base camp to the glacier itself, followed by 3-4 hours of skiing. Athletes also took advantage of the glacier’s high altitude (over 2400m) to boost their endurance and stamina.
Park City High Altitude Camp
RMR’s final training camp of the year took place near the end of September in Park City, Utah. The Park City camp, known by RMR athletes as the “hardest camp of the year”, combined high altitude, high volume, high intensity, and strength in a final preparation for athletes leading up to the racing season. Athletes completed a variety of time trials, intensity and strength sessions, and 4-5 hour distance skis throughout the camp. The trip ended with an epic 30km trail run at 9000 ft. elevation, lasting 4-5 hours.
Race Season
For the biathletes and cross-country skiers, the first two months of racing involved a variety of selection races for Canada Winter Games, biathlon and cross-country World Junior Championships, World University Championships, IBU events, and World Cup events. RMR athletes succeeded in having some outstanding results, proving that the team can compete with Canada’s best high-performance training centers.
Cross-Country Competitions:
Canada Winter Games Trials
Rossland NorAm
Vernon NoAm
Duntroon NorAm / XC World Junior & U23 Trials
Biathlon Competitions
NorAm / Biathlon Calforex Cup #1
RMR would like to extend a huge and heartfelt thank-you to all of its sponsors. Each and every one of you helps contribute to the team’s success; RMR would not function without your support.
For More Photos of RMR in Action check out RMR photo gallery!
For the biathletes and cross-country skiers, the first two months of racing involved a variety of selection races for Canada Winter Games, biathlon and cross-country World Junior Championships, World University Championships, IBU events, and World Cup events. RMR athletes succeeded in having some outstanding results, proving that the team can compete with Canada’s best high-performance training centers.
Cross-Country Competitions:
Canada Winter Games Trials
- RMR athletes Maya MacIsaac-Jones, Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt, Andrea Dupong, Andrew Brisbin, and Ember Large worked together to bring home 6 gold medals and 1 silver medal for the team. Anna MacIsaac-Jones, Emma Camicioli and India McIsaac also posted top-10 results for the team.
- The Alberta Cup races were also Canada Winter Games Trials for the U-23 athletes, where Maya MacIsaac-Jones, Ember Large, and India McIsaac secured spots on Team Alberta with their results.
- Ilona Gyapay also qualified for the CWG as a member of Team NWT!
Rossland NorAm
- Athletes Andrea Dupont and Maya MacIsaac-Jones brought home 3 silver medals with their performances at the North American Championship event.
Vernon NoAm
- Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt, Andrea Dupont, India McIsaac, Gillian Gowling, and Michael MacIsaac-Jones brought home 3 gold medals, 1 silver medals, and 3 bronze medal for the team with their strong races.
- Maya MacIsaac-Jones, Anna MacIsaac-Jones, and Ember Large also had top-10 results.
Duntroon NorAm / XC World Junior & U23 Trials
- Andrea Dupont, Maya MacIsaac-Jones, and brought home 1 gold medal and 3 bronze medals during the events.
- Pearce Hanna, Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt and Ember Large also posted top-10 results.
- Maya MacIsaac-Jones and Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt qualified for the World Junior/U23 Championships with their results in these races. They will be competing February 1-8 in Almaty, Kazakhstan as members of Team Canada.
Biathlon Competitions
NorAm / Biathlon Calforex Cup #1
- RMR athletes Stuart Harden, Pearce Hanna, and Matt Neumann brought home silver, gold and bronze medals respectively for their team.
- Athletes Guillaume Bertrand and William Poffenroth also posted top-10 results.
- Nate Gerwing secured a spot on Alberta’s biathlon Canada Winter Games Team with his weekend’s performances.
- Guillaume Bertrand and Matt Neumann also qualified for the Canada’s IBU trip in January with their Calforex Cup results. They will each compete in several IBU level races in Europe, as well as in the Open European Championships.
- Stuart Harden and Pearce Hanna qualified for the biathlon World Junior Championships in Belarus with their performances. They will represent Canada at the races in February.
- William Poffenroth and Evan Girard with both represent RMR and Team Canada at the World University Games in Spain this February. Evan Girard will compete for both biathlon and cross-country. He will be the first Canadian athlete ever to compete in multiple sports at the World University Games.
RMR would like to extend a huge and heartfelt thank-you to all of its sponsors. Each and every one of you helps contribute to the team’s success; RMR would not function without your support.
For More Photos of RMR in Action check out RMR photo gallery!
Here are the results from the Western Canadian Championships held in both Lake Louise and Canmore Alberta!
Jan. 15 Classic Distance Men 30) Andrew Brisbin 33) Stuart Harden 34) Kai Skinstad 44) Nate Gerwing 45) Grant Novak Women 7) Andrea Dupont 10) Ember Large 11) Emma Camicioli 13) India McIsaac 15) Gillian Gowling 16) Ilona Gyapay | Jan. 16 Classic Distance Junior Boy 38) Nicholas Bardak | Jan. 17 Sprints Junior Men 7) Pearce hanna 10) Nate Gerwing Senior Men 7) Stuart Harden 22) Kieran Baird 26) Andrew Brisbin 30) Evan Girard 37) Grant Novak Junior Women 2) Ember Large Senior Women 1) Andrew Dupont 3) Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt 10) Emma Camicioli 11) Ilona Gyapay Junior Girls 3) India McIsaac 10) Gillian Gowling Junior Boys 9) Nicholas Bardak | Jan. 18 Distance Skate Men 22) Andrew Brisbin 27) Stuart Harden 35) Kieran Baird Junior Men 1) Pearce Hanna 49) Nate Gerwing Women 2) Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt 4) Andrea Dupont 12) Emma Camicioli 17) Ilona Gyapay Junior Women 1) Ember Large Junior Boys 23) Nicholas Bardak Junior Girls 3) India McIsaac 10) Gillian Gowling Juvenile Girls 15) Anna MacIsaac-Jones |
A huge congratulations to Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt and Maya MacIsaac-Jones for qualifying to represent the Canada at the 2015 U23/World Juniors in Kazakhstan!
Jan. 8 Skiathlon Senior Men 29) Andrew Brisbin 31) William Poffenroth Senior Women 3) Andrea Dupont 4) Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt 20) Emma Camicioli 22) Ilona Gyapay Junior Men 7) Pearce Hanna Junior Women 3) Maya MacIsaac-Jones 8) Ember Large | Jan. 10 Sprints Junior Women 1) Maya MacIsaac-Jones 10) Ember Large Senior Women 2) Andrea Dupont 6) Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt 18) Emma Camicioli 24) Ilona Gyapay Junior Men 33) Pearce Hanna Senior Men 25) Andrew Brisbin 34) William Poffenroth | Jan. 11 Distance Skate Junior Men 6) Pearce Hanna Men 37) William Poffenroth 41) Andrew Brisbin Junior Women 3) Maya MacIsaac-Jones 12) Ember Large Senior Women 4) Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt 7) Andrea Dupont 19) Emma Camicioli 26) Ilona Gyapay |
From September 27th to October 11th, one of Canada’s high performance racing teams, Rocky Mountain Racers (RMR), headed down to Park City, Utah for their two-week long high altitude training camp.
RMR is comprised of just over 20 high-performance athletes in both cross-country and biathlon from all across Canada. Led by coaches John Jaques and Luke McGurk, the team’s athletes focused on both high volume and high intensity during their camp.
Long 4-5 hour workouts were completed on the various mountain passes surrounding Park City and Salt Lake City while intensity sessions, time trials, and shooting practices were reserved for the excellent facilities available at Soldier Hollow.
Because of RMR’s cross-country/biathlon mix, Soldier Hollow was the perfect place for training sessions to occur; coaches were able to co-ordinate shooting practices for the biathletes with simultaneous roller-skiing sessions for the cross-country side of the team.
Utilizing Soldier Hollow’s biathlon range, extensive set of roller-ski tracks, and advantageously close proximity to Park City, RMR held several intensity sessions and time trials at the former Olympic site. The hilly climbs the facility offered also gave the athletes an opportunity to have a dry-land time trial with a course very similar to what they will face during the ski season.
“It’s inspiring to train in the exact spot that I saw my Olympic heroes win medals at during the 2002 Olympics,” RMR athlete Andrew Brisbin stated. “[Soldier Hollow] is the most difficult and technical rollerski track that I’ve been on, meaning it most closely resembles a world-cup caliber ski course through its lung and leg busting climbs and quick descents.”
Andrea Dupont, RMR skier and one of Canada’s top female sprinters, also enjoyed training at the former Olympic site. “I’ve had some of my best time trials and intensity sessions at Soldier Hollow. The high altitude and challenging courses make it an excellent place to train.”
When not focusing on intensity sessions or shooting practices, the team explored the many other mountain roads available for roller-skiing in the area, including Mirror Lake pass, Wolfe pass, and Guardsman Pass. They concluded their camp with a 4-5 hour altitude run at 9000ft. on the trails above Park City.
With their last camp of the season complete, RMR athletes are now in their final stages of preparing for the racing season and the upcoming NorAm races at West Yellowstone, Bozeman, Rossland, and Whistler.
For any athletes or coaches interested in exploring Soldier Hollow as a future training possibility, please use the following contact information:
Richard Hodges
richard.hodges@soldierhollow.com
1-801-558-5804
Maya MacIsaac-Jones, RMR cross-country skier
RMR is comprised of just over 20 high-performance athletes in both cross-country and biathlon from all across Canada. Led by coaches John Jaques and Luke McGurk, the team’s athletes focused on both high volume and high intensity during their camp.
Long 4-5 hour workouts were completed on the various mountain passes surrounding Park City and Salt Lake City while intensity sessions, time trials, and shooting practices were reserved for the excellent facilities available at Soldier Hollow.
Because of RMR’s cross-country/biathlon mix, Soldier Hollow was the perfect place for training sessions to occur; coaches were able to co-ordinate shooting practices for the biathletes with simultaneous roller-skiing sessions for the cross-country side of the team.
Utilizing Soldier Hollow’s biathlon range, extensive set of roller-ski tracks, and advantageously close proximity to Park City, RMR held several intensity sessions and time trials at the former Olympic site. The hilly climbs the facility offered also gave the athletes an opportunity to have a dry-land time trial with a course very similar to what they will face during the ski season.
“It’s inspiring to train in the exact spot that I saw my Olympic heroes win medals at during the 2002 Olympics,” RMR athlete Andrew Brisbin stated. “[Soldier Hollow] is the most difficult and technical rollerski track that I’ve been on, meaning it most closely resembles a world-cup caliber ski course through its lung and leg busting climbs and quick descents.”
Andrea Dupont, RMR skier and one of Canada’s top female sprinters, also enjoyed training at the former Olympic site. “I’ve had some of my best time trials and intensity sessions at Soldier Hollow. The high altitude and challenging courses make it an excellent place to train.”
When not focusing on intensity sessions or shooting practices, the team explored the many other mountain roads available for roller-skiing in the area, including Mirror Lake pass, Wolfe pass, and Guardsman Pass. They concluded their camp with a 4-5 hour altitude run at 9000ft. on the trails above Park City.
With their last camp of the season complete, RMR athletes are now in their final stages of preparing for the racing season and the upcoming NorAm races at West Yellowstone, Bozeman, Rossland, and Whistler.
For any athletes or coaches interested in exploring Soldier Hollow as a future training possibility, please use the following contact information:
Richard Hodges
richard.hodges@soldierhollow.com
1-801-558-5804
Maya MacIsaac-Jones, RMR cross-country skier
RMR News Blog
This is where the latest RMR news will be posted. Postings will be contributed by numerous RMR athletes, RMR volunteers, and the coaches.
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