The communities that dot the Saanich Peninsula might have smaller populations than Victoria or Vancouver, but they punch above their weight when it comes to producing young female athletes.
Spearheading this explosion of talent is Katie Kraeutner, who turned pro in Iceland and is now looking to play in one of the big European soccer leagues.
Other Sidney and North Saanich athletes include track and field stars Kim Neville-Rutherford, provincial race walking champ Jacqueline Gaby and distance runner Chloe Hegland (who also holds a Guinness world record).
In rowing, Keira Flanagan, Sheena Polman and Charlotte Junker are all varsity-calibre athletes, with fistfuls of achievements to their names.
Basketballers Kate Service and Kristy Gallagher are two more talented athletes playing at an elite level.
22-year-old Gallagher has experienced a meteoric rise to the UVic Vikes team, where she leads point and assist averages, scoring 20 a game.
B次元官网网址淲hen I was in Grade 10, my grandmother bribed me with LuluLemon yoga pants to try out for the basketball team,B次元官网网址� Gallagher says with a laugh. B次元官网网址淪he was from Courtenay and had won Provincials. She encouraged me to train and I fell in love with it.B次元官网网址�
Community coach Larry Green, who Gallagher says is like a second dad, describes meeting her as a Parkland student.
B次元官网网址淪he had never played basketball and didnB次元官网网址檛 have much of a background in sports,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淏ut she demonstrated an amazing level of commitment.B次元官网网址�
Green says that during his 30 years coaching, Gallagher is probably the most committed athlete heB次元官网网址檚 worked with. At GallagherB次元官网网址檚 request, they spent hours in the gym honing her basketball skills.
B次元官网网址淧utting in the work and doing the little things well, add up to big things in the long run,B次元官网网址� says Gallagher, whose approach has won her many honours, such as USports Academic all-Canadian, Canada West Second Team All Star, Varsity Highlight Award and a finalist for the Chancellors Award for leadership.
Hard work is certainly a theme that runs through all the athletesB次元官网网址� stories. One of KraeutnerB次元官网网址檚 past teachers recalls walking past the gym late at night and looking in to see her patiently practising on her own.
WomenB次元官网网址檚 sports have traditionally been less lucrative than menB次元官网网址檚 and the effects are often felt lower down the ladder, with recent reports of different sports clubs giving men priority and the Vancouver Island Seals hockey team struggling to buy ice time for their midget AAA womenB次元官网网址檚 team.
Gallagher burst onto the Vikes scene, but has been injured for much of the past year. She says the injury has given her pause to think if she wants to turn pro. Staying in Greater Victoria to help the next generation is a strong possibility.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 like to run a program for girls. Girls arenB次元官网网址檛 expected to have the same physical literacy as boys, like in middle school, and IB次元官网网址檇 like to show sport can help girlsB次元官网网址� confidence.B次元官网网址�
Asked what inspires her, Gallagher smiles and says, B次元官网网址淚 work in the rec centre and the students from my job come and watch me, also people from Sidney. I love it when Parkland girls come and theyB次元官网网址檙e there wearing their Parkland clothes.B次元官网网址�
nick.murray@peninsulanewsreview.com
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