Even though no one was sure the postponed 2020 Olympics would even take place, Canada was captured with the allure of their country’s athletes earning a spot on the podium.
Two McLurg graduates who are now part of the University of Saskatchewan sports programs while studying for their degrees say they felt inspired by Olympian athletes in their sports.
Kabri Sittler, who is part of the U of S wrestling team, says “I think it's super cool that Erica Wiebe, who is the same weight class as me at the Olympics, has a gold medal.”
Sittler said they have competition dates set starting Oct. 22 this year. She is not sure what to expect so it has been difficult to set goals, and she just wants to perform her best and learn from her losses.
Sittler is currently enrolled in pre-requisites for pharmacy at present and can apply now to be accepted into the college of Pharmacy.
Trey Pernitsky is part of the U of S Track team. He and his fellow Huskies athletes are looking forward to a return to a normal season in which they are already hoping to secure a spot at Nationals being held in Quebec, Nov. 20.
“Track and field is in the winter and I have some big goals for that. As captain, I want to lead the team to another Huskies team medal at Nationals, hoping to improve on the bronze earned in 2020. Individually, I want to score points at the Canada West Conference and earn a spot at Nationals in an individual event. I also hope to lead our team in the 4x800m at that national event.”
Pernitsky is currently studying business and is a founding employee at a start up company called ArticShelf, which he also works at during the school year.
“The Olympics is very motivating for me; watching this year’s event dominated by young athletes. It was most motivating to see one of my favorite athletes, Jakob Ingrebigsten, who was born the same year as me, win the Olympic gold in 1500m, as this is the main event I compete in. This pushes me to work harder for my goals and get excited to return to competition and be the best that I can be.”
