A quartet of Grade 8 girls from Don Ross Secondary School (DRSS) refused to let politics ruin their fun this spring and their persistence paid off at the North Shore Secondary Schools Athletic Association (NSSSAA) in Burnaby on May 17.
Makenna Bailey, Shondra Martin, Taylor Sutherland and Alex Wade formed their own mini track and field team and recruited a parent to help them when the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) escalated their job action in April.
The regular Don Ross track coach decided to follow the BCTF dictate to withdraw voluntary services, so Martin convinced her father James to step up and help the four girls participate. He coordinated the registration, drove them to the events and was one of the parent volunteers who ran the competitions in the absence of the teachers.
"There were less athletes than in previous years but the keen ones were all there and it was very high-calibre competition," James Martin said.
Rachel Jones from Sutherland Secondary broke a NSSSAA record that stood since 1978 in the 1,500 metres with the DRSS girls also faring well. Martin placed first in the 3,000 metres, second in the 1,500 and fifth in the 800, while Bailey took second in the 800 and fifth in the 400. Sutherland and Alex Wade joined in for the 4X400-metre relay where the girls placed third and were thrilled to come from behind on the last leg to best their friendly rivals from Whistler.
"I had so much fun, it was a blast, but I really hope next year Don Ross can have a big team again," Wade said.
