Provincial Snowboard Cross Team wraps up training in PG ahead of Olympic push

The team had previously spent time in August here in Prince George for their first training camp, and then returned this past weekend.

“I like the Fall up here. Being in Prince George, the people from Vancouver have been like ‘it’s still all green outside’ and they get to see all these beautiful colours.”

Right away, the team will be off to Switzerland for their first taste of snow training this season. Their first race will then be in China, which will serve as a test event for the Olympics set to be held in Beijing. This will be Graham’s first push to crack the Canadian Olympic team, something he’s eager to get a taste of.

“Then mindset’s kind of laser-focus. You’re just looking at that end goal and then making your little goals along the way, just because that’s been my main goal ever since I was like six years old. Now that it’s within reach, it’s really cool. It makes everything almost a little easier,” said Graham.

For Meryeta O’Dine, this will be her second time gunning for the Canadian Olympic team. In Pyeongchang, a concussion during Olympic training sidelined her leading up to the actual competition. But this time, she says she’s far more prepared than she was four years ago.

“I’m so much more confident in myself this year with the training I’ve done, but also I’ve been doing it enough time now that I know what to expect out of myself, my team, my coaches, my program, the World Cups, the training,” said O’Dine. “Everything for this year is going to fall into place with the attitude and the preparedness from the years of being on the National Team and being on the World Cup tour. I’m just really excited to get back to it because I feel like I’m really set in my place this year.”

In total, there are four boarders on the provincial snowboard cross team. Three will be gunning for the Olympic team in O’Dine, Graham, and Evan Bichon. The fourth is 18-year-old Jasper Matthe. He won’t be looking to crack the Olympic team this year due to his age, but has been appreciative of being surrounded by the hopefuls through training camp.

“I look up to them. They’re like my role models,” explained Matthe. “They push me and make me want to get up to their level for a spot on the Olympic team in 2026.”

Evan Bichon had spent the majority of training camp with the team in Prince George but did have to leave for Vancouver one day earlier so was not training with his teammates on Monday.

For the three Olympic hopefuls, training in their hometown has been bittersweet ahead of what will be nearly six months away from home, but easier with the chance of representing Canada at the highest of stages.

“It makes this one a little more worth it, for sure,” said Graham. “This is the longest I’ll be away from home for six months. Being away from my family, my girlfriend, my friends, knowing that that’s the end goal, that makes it a lot more easier.”

by Ethan Ready

Provincial Snowboard Cross Team wraps up training in PG ahead of Olympic push

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