North Bay Canoe Club sends best wishes to the Canadian Olympic team

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In less than two weeks the Summer Olympics begin in Paris and over the years many athletes from the North Bay Canoe Club have competed in the Olympics.

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Last week, a group of young NBCC athletes posed for a photo and recorded a video supporting Canadian athletes competing in the Olympics. The canoe club does not have any Olympians in 2024, they felt that supporting their fellow canoeists and kayakers was about the camaraderie among the other club athletes.

Nancy Olmsted was an Olympian and helped organize the photo shoot.

“These Olympians are an important part of athlete development, serving as role models and mentors as our athletes strive to achieve their goals and dreams,” Olmsted said.

Oscar Graves was one of the current members of the North Bay Canoe Club and enjoyed posing at Olmsted Beach.

“This is what we do. We’re here to be our best, to climb the rankings, to be at the top of the world and to go to the Olympics,” Graves said. “I think it’s great that our little sport is being recognized at a world level. Seeing all the great athletes from Canada and posing (on the beach) brings the whole nation together, wishing them luck and looking forward to the Olympics.”

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In the meantime, the North Bay Canoe Club participated in several qualifying meets in June.

The dedicated group of high-performance athletes has qualified for the Ontario Summer Games (OSG), which will be held in London, Ontario, from August 1 to 4.

Six athletes from the NBCC will compete in the OSGs, including Haley Sebesta, Nathaniel Suppa, Wes Clouthier, Caleb Allingham, Evelyn Ross and Carson Vierich. This is a large group of athletes competing in the provincial event, as two years ago four athletes qualified for this event.

Additionally, Oscar Graves competed in the U18 events at the provincial and national regattas, finishing 17th in Canada against 81 Canadian competitors and 5th overall in the provincial standings. This puts him within striking distance of medal hopes at the upcoming Ontario Championships in August, where he will compete in a highly competitive men’s K-1 1000m and 500m event.

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It is a very exciting time for the NBCC athletes as they had the opportunity to compete in the National Team Trials in Montreal and watched athletes from across Canada earn spots on the Canadian Olympic Canoe Team that will represent Canada at the Summer Olympics in Paris in late July.

Coach Mihail Oghina is excited about the growth and development of the small NBCC club and recognizes the potential in its development and high-performance athletes.

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