BC Ski Team Athletes in Norway: 2019 International Junior Camp
An 85k roller ski, bog running, sheep petting, fjords, grassy roofs, and international friends - adventures in Norway for BC's Rémi Drolet, Elizabeth Elliott, Benita Peiffer, and Jasmine Drolet!
"My experience last year at the International Junior Camp in Norway was incredible, and to go for a second year was incredibly exciting for me. This cross-country ski training camp, which is sponsored by Norway’s national energy company Equinor, brings junior level athletes (under the age of 20) from all over the world to train together for a week in Sjusjøen. Located just outside of Lillehammer, this area is a popular skiing destination known for its thousands of kilometres of trails. During the summer, of course, there is no snow in Sjusjøen, but the area still makes for a fantastic summer training location.
The rest of the Canadian junior team and I departed Canada on the 31st of July, and after a journey which took nearly two days, we began preparing for the upcoming camp. Norway’s time zone is nine hours ahead of British Columbia’s so we arrived a week early to ensure we were sleeping properly and in good health following our travels. During this first week, the families of some of our coach Erik Bråten’s former athletes allowed us to stay in their cabins for free. This saved us a great deal of money and allowed us to get used to training in Sjusjøen immediately. After a few days of enjoying the steep hills of the local roller ski track and getting our feet wet in the abundant bogs, we were sleeping through the night and ready for the hard training to begin.
The junior camp, which as far as I can tell is structured in a similar manner each year, is designed to push athletes hard right off the bat. The first two full days consist of roller ski races and a second training session, while the third day consists of a very long run (up to five hours). These days are brutal but, in my opinion, they are the most fun at the camp. Racing against some of the best juniors in the world is a fantastic opportunity, and I love very long workouts. Personally, however, I had some problems with my knees, so I, unfortunately, did not do the long run. Instead, I went for an eighty-five-kilometre roller ski by myself, which was quite pleasantly meditative. After this, the rest of the camp is still quite demanding, but there is more time to get to know athletes from other countries and make new friends. I especially got to know some of the Norwegian team, as well a British skier who is actually more of a Frenchman, though he lives in Germany (I know, weird right?).
When the camp was finally over, I was wishing I could stay a little bit longer. I like to joke that the grass is greener in Norway to say just how much the country has going for it, and it is a very beautiful place indeed. It is now good to be back in North America, but I will miss those rocky hills and all the sheep which are so, so cute!"
by Rémi Drolet
"This was my first year coming to this international camp, and to say the least it is definitely an amazing experience! I came to Sjusjøen during the winter for a camp with team Canada, and it was so gorgeous, which made me very excited to come back; and Sjusjøen did not disappoint. The cabins there all have grass growing on the roofs, which, in my opinion is so cool! The sheep are also free roaming and some are actually so friendly that you can pet them!
The training at the camp itself was also fantastic. The camp started off with a classic kings court style sprint race and a 12 or 16 km skate race the next day. These were hard, but I actually really enjoyed them, and it was super cool to get to race alongside the fastest juniors in the world. The next day we went straight into a long run, which ended up being super soggy and about 45 minutes longer than initially intended. It was all great though, because Norway’s landscapes are super fun to run through. There are forests, bogs, small mountains, and boardwalks across the fields. I got to know a lot of new skiers from all around the world, and became pretty good friends with them, which is super exciting!
After the camp ended, our coach Erik surprised us with the best last day in Oslo. We went to an amusement park and I rode my first roller coasters. I might have been screaming my head off, but I was having a blast anyways. We even got a beautiful sunny evening on the fjord, complete with boating, swimming, and a visit from an adorable pair of foxes. Overall, this camp is an amazing opportunity and I would definitely go again, to get some amazing training, meet some more people, and visit Norway some more."
Jasmine Drolet
Photos submitted by the athletes:
Rémi and Jasmine are from Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club, Elizabeth is from Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club, and Benita is from Whistler Nordic Ski Club.
All four are on the BC Ski Team and all four medaled at the 2019 Canada Winter Games. At the 2019 World Junior Championships in Finland, Rémi placed 7th in the 30k, BC's best ever result, and only 6 seconds away from Gold.
