YORKTON - When the Canada Winter Games get underway in Prince Edward Island starting Saturday, a Yorkton skier will be readying for his chance at a medal, albeit competing for Team Manitoba.
Stephan Roy learned to ski at Asessippi Ski Area & Resort, and it was just natural he became part of that province’s ski program.
“I train at Asessippi and have always been registered as a Manitoba athlete,” he explained.
For Roy the opportunity to ski at the Canada Games is part of a journey started years ago while watching television as a very young boy.
It was the Christmas season and Roy, age five saw skiing on TV and was drawn to it.
New Year’s Day his family took him to the hill and he says he was “addicted.”
Now 15, Roy has stuck with it making the hour plus drive east as often as required to Asessippi to train, leaving in the darkness and back home for supper.
In between “it’s a full day of skiing,” he said.
So does Roy dream bigger than the Canada Games?
The Manitoba coach has talked to him about elite level skiing.
“But, I haven’t decided,” he said.
For one thing to keep progressing as a skier Roy said he would have to move to the mountains to train.
The advantage of training on big runs is something Roy knows he will face at the Canada Games.
“I think a medal would be awesome,” he said but added that is a long shot. “. . . We don’t get enough days on snow,” he explained.
“I’m kind of hoping for a top-10.”
Roy said of the various ski disciplines he likes Super G (Feb. 28), best, but Giant Slalom, (March 1), Ski Cross, (March 5), and Slalom (March 2) are also part of the Canada Winter Games schedule.
The Games run from Feb. 18, to March 5, and can be seen livestreamed at www.CanadaGames.ca
