aa 36 - Wednesday, August 25, 1999 — North Shore News Bob Mackin News Reporter THE B.f. senior B champion North Shore Indians begin the quest for the President’s Cup Thursday against their Alberta counterparis, the Edmonton Outiaws. The teams face-off at 6 p.m. in the opening game of the five-team, = 14-game national Jacrosse champi- onship tournament. Jimmy Bowen, formerly with the Indians’ Western Lacrosse Association team, lcads Edmonton as its playing coach. . The final goes Monday at 7:30 p.m. All games are in Rurnaby’s Bill Copeland Sports Centre. The Indians meet New York State’s Newtown Golden Eagles, winner of the Can-Am League, Friday morning at 10 am. and the host Burnaby Bandits at 6 p.m. during what could be the toughest day of indians reatly for Al @ SPORTS the tournament. The Indians upended Burnaby in the West Coast Senior Lacrosse semi-final. Despite that, the Bandits are in the tournament as host team. Indians’ manager Glenn Rivers says it should be interesting because teams know little about their opposition. The Indians have played and beaten Burnaby this year, but it’s not known how Burnaby’s hiatus will affect thé teanv’s ‘fortunes. The Indians climinated the Bandits last month in the WCSL semi-finals. The Indians end round robin play Saturday against Iroquois league representative Kahnawake Mohawks from the Montreal area. Never give up on depleted roster. about how she would have to T have a quote hanging up in my office that has prompted this week’s comment. Tt was given tome about. 20 years ago and I fee! it must have as miuch reicvance today as when it was originally put on 40 pounds in order to handle the cold and that she would never be able to perse- vere with the training. Add to that the fact the spo:t was all but dead and really she should just give up on the idea. The litde girl thanked him for his time and quietly left. that riae. an che russ -vhere preparation and opportunity mect, but too few people recognize it because it comes disguised as sweat and work.” ; ‘This is a story about a person who exempli- fies the above comment and it could'be a lesson to all people, particularly youngsters, abour the value of setting your own course and following your heart. : _ It started at just nine years of age when she asked her father if he would accompany her in an attempt to swim Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island because one day she wanted to become a marathon swimmer. "Like any caring father he obliged his daugh- ter’s rather odd request (odd at least to him), borrowed a rowboat and off they went on her ’ first open water odyssey. Never give up on your dreams. For the next nine years she ate, slept and dreamed about little else other than swimming in general and marathon swimming specifically while training and competing for the Victoria Olympian Swimming Club. She became a suc- cessful pool athlete, winning many medals, titles and other forms of recognition. Finally, after continuously bugging her coach, she. was given the chance to meet a well-known local trainer who had considerable experience in this some- - what obscure and unusual sport. ‘This individual, after meeting the youngster and noticing her slight physique, proceeded to tell her how inappropriate she was for such a gruelling and demanding vocation. He talked io it : 2g ees Never give up on your dreams. The swimmer completed high school and attended University of B.C. studying physiotherapy while competing on the varsity swim team. Three years into her studies she received a significant setback. During; a period of putting up with a severe cough she went to her physician and after several tests a sinister diagnosis was confirmed. The ‘swimmer was suffering from tung cancer and immediate surgery was required. The surgery was, thankfully successful but the bad news was thar they had tc remove half of one lung. As a result of this necessary procedure the physician involved told her that che would not be able to cornpeie as a swimmer any longer but that the long-term prognosis for her general well-being was good, Never give up on your dreams Years passed and the now practising physio- therapist decided to go back to school and study medicine. During this period she reacquainted herself with swimyning and joined the University f B.C. masters swim program. It was during, this time she had a thought. She decided to organize a Canadian . marathon relay swim team and attempt a two- way crossing of the English Channel (England- France-England). Tryouts were held and a six- person team was selected to make the sanctioned swim. The group was successful in breaking Canadian records for both single and double crossings while beating U.S. and British teams in the process. Sunday feazures playoff games with the top four teams, and the bronze medal game set for 8 p.m. North Shore beat the Ladner Pioneers for the WCSL tide earlicr in August and were supposed to meet Kelowna Aug. 20-21 to decide the provincial champion. Kelowna, however, defaulted because of a The Indians spent the weekend practising instead for the tournament. Junior B player Wilson Williams your dreams, fai in 1993. —— Seund swim SHANE Collins gets greased by wife Cabhie before attompiing to swim from: Copper Cove Beach to Squamish Sunday. He quit the nine-hour odyssey in chilly itowe Sound waters after three hours because the outtiow curzent was too strong. Ha will try again In the opposite direction Sept. 9. NEWS photo Cindy Goodman TEWANEE Joseph (leit) and Brad Baker practised checking Friday at Lonsdale Arena. The Indians were sup- posed to play Kelovna, but the Interior team defaulted. The Indians automatically entered the President's Cup national championship, beginning tomorrove. . has been added to the Indians’ roster to augment the powerful lincup of Kono Douglas, Tewanee Joseph, Don Mathias, Yul Baker and William Prince. Rivers said the Indians’ size and speed should give them a chance to finish the season in Monday night’s final. North Shore hosted and won the President’s Cup Tickets for round robin gaimes are $7 cach or $45 for ali 10. Playoff games are $8 cach. The final is $20. lure is not trying This victory renewed the athlete’s passion for long distance ocean swimming and after success- fully completing her medical degree and going on to specialize in the area of sports medicine she decided to train for and attempt a legitimate solo marathon event. . : Hartley: nowhere to go put down Bob Mackin News Reporter BLYTHE Hardey won two gold medals in 48 hours, but narrowly missed out on a third. Hartley, from North Vancouver, was competing at the World Junior Diving Championships in Pardubice, Czech Republic. She salvaged a poor sixth place showing in preliminaries with a victory in the women’s 10-metre tower Friday for 16- 18 year old divers. On Thursday, she won the one- metre dive. “My last four meets have gone extremely well, I'm div- ing better than ever,” said Hartley, 17, a double medallist at the Pan Am Games. The veteran on Canada’s senior team is a two-time national champ and holds 13 international medals. She won silver on the. women’s three-metre spring: board Sunday to end the five- day competition. “Pm not disappointed at ali at missing ouc on a third old,” said Hartley. “I was feeling very tired and my div- ing today wasn’t exceptional. i never thought I'd get three medals here but I was very consistent the whole meet.” Canada won the meet. Since that time she has completed several marathon swims, setting the women’s record for the Strait of Georgia (40 km) and the overall record ‘or a circumnavigation of Bowen island (38 km). On her second attempt to cross the English Channel this summer she had to be pulled out nine hours into the solo swim due to severe northeasterly winds, just eight kilometres from France. While this was a disappointment it has not, dampencd her spirit, and she will go back and kcep trying until successful. oe I know this to be rue because I am ver . familiar with the courage and strength of charac- ter that dwells within this special person. Debbie Collins is not only my dearest friend and training. ? partner, she is also my wife: She has learned throughout some of life’s hardships that we , alone are responsible for achieving our goals in spite of all the negative and discouraging obsta- cles that cross our path. un Both Debbie and I have a quote on the b:ck of our business cards and I urge you te read it, read it again and make it a part of your life’s phi- fosophy so that you can enjoy all the challenges ~ own future has to offer. oo Tt comes courtesy of past U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt and reads: “It is not the critic that counts, not the man whe points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marked by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who at best knows in’: the end the triumph of high achievement and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while doing, greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat”. : Never, never, never give up on your dreams! Shane Collins is a physical trainer, athletic conch and marathon swimuier. He is also a profes- sional speaker on the subject of sport and kealsh.