Emily Gordon has been hard at work training for the upcoming Orillia 2020 Ontario Winter Games.
The 14-year-old cross-country skier from Orillia will be among 3,500 young athletes taking part in the games Feb. 27 to March 1.
“We’ve worked really hard in our sports and we’ve trained a lot,” Gordon said Thursday at Hardwood Ski and Bike, the Oro-Medonte venue that will host cross-county skiing, para-Nordic skiing and biathlon.
It will be Gordon’s first time competing in the Ontario Winter Games.
“I’m most looking forward to getting to compete at this level and meeting people from different sports,” she said. “There are sports we didn’t even know existed.”
Gordon and other local skiers are familiar with Hardwood Ski and Bike, and she hopes that gives her an edge over her competitors.
Gareth Houben, president and general manager of Hardwood, is excited to have his business take part in the games for the first time.
“The games are exactly what we’re about, and we have a number of Hardwood athletes in the games,” he said. “We see ourselves as a leader on the Nordic scene in Canada and North America, and there is going to be a lot of exposure for us.”
Hardwood’s new chalet is open after the original one was destroyed by fire on Christmas Day in 2017.
“We’re thrilled to have everyone come. This feels like a fresh start for us,” Houben said.
Jed Levene, chair of the games organizing committee, noted the event is a boon to the region. The 2018 games, also hosted by Orillia, had “a terrific impact for the community, economically,” of about $4.1 million. This year, it is expected to be more than $5 million.
Levene is looking forward to Hardwood being part of the action.
“Hardwood has a beautiful new chalet and they have great trails. They certainly have the infrastructure to do this,” he said. “Part of the Ontario Winter Games is about showing off the region.”
Athletes will compete in 27 sports over the course of the games, which will take place at venues in Orillia and around the region.
To learn more, check out the Orillia 2020 Ontario Winter Games website.
