Three talented athletes are heading to the Canada Games in Prince Edward Island

Tamarack Gymnastics has three athletes, two coaches, and two judges going to the Canada Games in Prince Edward Island. 

Head Coach Amanda Pierson is very excited to see the three athletes compete at such a high level. 

She says the athletes have been working very hard. 

"They stuck it out through COVID, which I think was a really big deal because we lost so much training through that. They've been training really hard.” 

They recently went to Regina for a training camp and to Edmonton for another training camp, as well to train with some other candidate athletes from the other provinces. 

"They're in the gym four days a week. Plus, they do weight training on the side and they're just working really hard so that they can do really well.” 

She’s beyond proud of their skills and accomplishments. 

"I can't even put it into words, like so proud, I'm so excited for them.” 

She says this is going to be one of the biggest events of their lifetime. 

“And I don't think they all fully understand what a big deal it is that they get to represent our province at a multi-sport games like this. It's something that they're going to remember forever.” 

The athletes on the team are 15-year-old Lane Peters, 17-year-old Ben Pinsk, and 18-year-old Declyn Friesen. 

"They are definitely our next generation of athletes that Gymnastics Canada is keeping an eye on now going forward to World Cups and things like that."

Canada Games only has trampolines, so that's the only category they will compete in there. But all three of them do trampoline, double mini trampoline, and tumble. 

She says that Ben, Lane, and Isaiah attended the Canadian Championships in July, 2022.  

Isaiah placed 4th on Tumbling, Lane placed 4th on Double Mini, and Ben was first in his category on Tumbling. They placed 3rd in team finals on Trampoline.  

“Isaiah was also recently named to team Canada’s Developmental Team and gets to travel on international assignments to world cups. This past season he went to Portugal to compete.” 

She’s been coaching the athletes for quite a while now, so she has been able to see them grow and improve. 

“I've been coaching them at least five years. Declyn came from artistic gymnastics, so she was with another coach in our gym before she switched to trampoline and tumbling,” she says. “Lane was also from men's artistic, so he was with another coach and then he eventually switched over to trampoline and tumble.” 

She says that Ben drives in from Winnipeg to train with the team. 

“He comes out three days a week and he coaches for us as well, so he makes the drive from Winnipeg to us," she says. "Which is a pretty big deal that he's been able to maintain that through the last three or four years driving out to train with us.” 

She says the athletes train three to four days a week and for around four hours each session. 

"And then they do their weight training every Friday as well.” 

The two that are still in high school finish up their classes early in the day so they can train and coach afterword. 

"They get their training in and they still get their school work in. And they're all maintaining 90 percent or above averages, which is pretty awesome. They're very dedicated.” 

Pierson is looking forward to being the head coach of the Canada Games team. She’s been to Canada Games one other time through an apprenticeship program. 

“Now this time I get to go as a head coach and I'm pretty pumped. This feels really special and I'm really excited about it.” 

The team is leaving Friday morning and are staying in PEI for nine days, three of which they have competitions. 

They will have a synchro trampoline competition, an individual competition, and a team competition. Then they have training days scattered inbetween. 

“The artistic gymnastics is the same week, and one of our women's head coaches is going as a judge for the artistic competition. So we also plan to go and watch the artistic kids compete because we know some of them from Winnipeg.”