UNITY — The 50th anniversary of Saskatchewan Winter games took place from Feb. 18-25 in Regina.
Twelve-year old Unity Composite High School student Chenae Bowker won a bronze medal in the slalom event of alpine skiing, with a time of 31.44 seconds for her run.
Chenae was coached by former UCHS student and Table Mountain Ski team member, Alexis Elder, along with Shaun Jamieson.
While considered a fill athlete, Chenae competed under Team Rivers West but her points went to Saskatoon as that is the region she was listed as a fill athlete for.
“Slalom is my favourite event of alpine skiing, although I now like ski cross," said Chenae
“The ski cross race at the games was her very first time participating in a ski cross event as at their club, they don’t train for that event,” Chenae’s mom Carmen Bowker adds,
Chenae came in fourth competing in ski cross and says, “It was actually a terrifying experience because the girl behind me ran into me, but I was able to get back up and keep skiing to the finish line, thus earning a fourth place.”
Slalom skiing involves skiing between poles or gates necessitating quick and short turns while racing downhill. Ski cross features tradition found in freestyle skiing with courses that add air jumps and high-banked turns, being set apart from other alpine skiing disciplines as it involves more than one skier racing down the course.
The Unity athlete has been skiing at Table Mountain since she was three years old and has been competing since she was seven.
“My favourite part of the games was hanging out with the team and living in [the] athletes’ village, as they were both a lot of fun.”
Chenae says her aspirations for skiing come one step at a time. She wants to perfect one thing by the end of the year and to keep progressing through her ski team competitions.
“If you feel like you’re struggling, never say to yourself you are bad but instead say stuff to yourself that you can improve on.”
There were three McLurg High School athletes and one Unity Composite High School athlete competing with Team Rivers West badminton team. They competed in the first half of the games earning a sixth-place finish.
