Young cyclists in the Sea to Sky Corridor will have a unique opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge from an accomplished Olympian when the Future Stars Camps comes to town in October.
Seamus McGrath, who represented Canada in 2004 and 2008, will be teaching the camp and, according to Future Stars Camps organizer George Short, it will provide an excellent chance for young riders to learn from a seasoned pro.
"This is an opportunity for a rider who is a high level already to meet someone like Seamus and learn what it takes to be an elite athlete," he said.
"Most coaches just don't have the type of experience that Seamus has and just to learn from an Olympian is great for the kids."
The camp, which takes place from Oct. 8 to 10, will see participants ride for nine and a half hours and engage in dry land training for five hours.
Short said the dry land sessions are planned to take place at Howe Sound Secondary School while the riding sessions will begin at Quest University and continue in the trails nearby.
"The dry land training will see many of the kids become exposed to lots of different and new types of exercises," he said.
"Seamus will also talk to the kids about nutrition and allow them some time for questions. It's really a great opportunity for these kids to pick the brain of an Olympic athlete."
The program will cover all aspects of mountain biking including race strategy, race-style workouts, technical trail riding, core strength exercises, nutrition and endurance riding.
Short said that holding a camp in bike-crazy 麻豆社国产was a no-brainer.
"We like to hold these camps in areas where there is a strong interest in the sport," he said. "麻豆社国产definitely fits the bill and the people are passionate about biking."
The camp begins on Friday, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. with a three-hour ride, followed by an hour of dry land training starting at 4 p.m.
It continues on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. with a four-hour ride and then two hours of dry land training commencing at 3 p.m.
The final day of the camp on Sunday, Oct. 10 will see one last two-and-a-half hour ride to end things off.
The cost of the camp is $140, which includes the training, a T-shirt and a certificate.
Enrolment is limited to 30 participants in the U15, U17 and junior category. As of press time, Short said that the camp is about half full.
He also said organizers ordinarily only allow UCI licensed riders, but due to local demand the camp is allowing riders who participate in school sports biking competitions to take part.
For more information visit www.futurestarscamps.ca.
Those interested in taking part in the camp are encouraged to call George Short at 778-229-1261 or via email at [email protected].
