A 15-year-old girl from Whitby is getting ready to compete against some of the best young athletes in the country.
The event will be held in Calgary and a successful outing could fast-track her to representing Canada at the Olympics.
While she’s a multi-sport athlete, track and field wasn’t on Kya Gordon’s radar but recently the grade 10 student started training with former Olympian Tony Sharpe.
“If you show the effort towards him, he’ll show it back to you. It’s great learning from him since he has such knowledge to give on to other athletes,” said Gordon, RBC Training Ground finalist.
“Talent is one thing but you definitely have to teach them to train, I mean training is not fun, track and field is what I call boot camp of all sports,” said Sharpe.
The two are working on Gordon’s acceleration, trying to get her ready to compete in the final leg of a cross-country, year-long search for new Olympic caliber talent.
The journey will culminate at the RBC Training Ground national final.
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“The jumping events, I think I’ll be able to excel in since I play volleyball and I think my vertical is my strongest athletic ability that I have,” said Gordon.
“It’s hard work and Kya embraces it, she likes to work hard, she doesn’t like to listen to me but she really likes to listen to her coaches,” said Roger Gordon, Kya’s Dad.
Of the 100 athletes clashing in Calgary next weekend, 30 will officially be selected as RBC Future Olympians, where they will receive funding and resources to pursue their Olympic dreams.
Gordon is one of three going from Durham.
“We’ve only had a few sessions but definitely there’s a lot of athletic ability there, that’s something we look for. People don’t necessarily equate sprinters as athletic but they’re probably some of the best athletes, all-around athletes in the world,” said Sharpe.
“I’m excited to just go have fun and perform at my best. I know everything else will follow it and even if I go out and I don’t get the results compared to others. I know if I work hard I will probably catch someone’s eye,” said Gordon.
As Gordon looks to blow past the competition, the thought of one day representing her country on the world stage appears to be an attainable hurdle.
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