It’s the chance of a lifetime for a group of Ottawa athletes who are getting ready to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Ultimate championships in the United Kingdom.
A dozen young players from Ottawa will join Team Canada in July for the event. The ultimate Frisbee players took to the field on Sunday to show off their skills.
“I’m very excited. It’s been something that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, so very excited,” said Kate Clement, who will be on Team Canada.
All of the players will be on one of the three teams representing their country in the under 20 categories. The world championships will be hosting players from around the world, representing more than 20 nations.
17-year-old Mateo Marshall has been working towards this goal for years.
“I’ve been playing for about ten years. My family has played, my parents, both of them played in a league when I was young, so I was introduced to it at a young age,” Marshall said.
The competition is less than two months away, which means training is critical.
“Lots of workouts. I’m also playing with a club team here in Ottawa, so getting lots of Frisbees in,” said Sophie Belanger, who is on Team Canada.
“We also have a big training camp in Ottawa coming up soon, so we’re going to be playing in a tournament called Fishbowl.”
Each player pays their own way to the United Kingdom, with the parents and team fundraising to help the cause.
Organizers say the total cost is between $5,000 and $7,000 per player.
“Everything from their training fees to training camps to airplane tickets to get out west,” said Carolyn Cheer, a parent.
“Then there’s the accommodations and the food, and then, of course, there’s outside training that the kids are being asked to do as well in order to keep up with the strength conditioning.”
A baked goods and plant sale took place on Sunday to help the cause. The athletes also ran a skills session to help inspire others who also want to represent Canada on the world stage.