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Track: It's in the family

The Lakeland Yellowjackets could have future Olympians in their midst. Two local athletes travelled to the RBC Training Ground to show off their track and field skills to some of the nation’s top recruiters.
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Lakeland Yellowjackets Alese Sartain and Mason Sartain were up against some of Alberta’s best at the RBC Training Ground.

The Lakeland Yellowjackets could have future Olympians in their midst.


Two local athletes travelled to the RBC Training Ground to show off their track and field skills to some of the nation’s top recruiters.


Alese Sartain, 15, and her cousin Mason Sartain, 15, are being recognized in the track and field world for their endurance, speed, power, and strength.


During the RBC Training Ground, April 20 to 22, the pair faced off against some of Alberta’s best, hoping to land the number one spot and receive $35,000 towards their athletic efforts.


“They only take a certain amount of kids, and they can be anywhere from 14 to 25-years-old. The fact that I’m only 15 and got chosen and recognized as a top athlete in all of Alberta felt really good,” expressed Alese.


The 15-year-old track and field star placed well overall. Alese did so well in fact, Rugby Canada approached her about the possibility of trying out a new sport, providing her with contacts within their organization.


Kevin Sartain, Mason’s dad, explained the RBC Training Ground was created in 2014 order to search out the next generation of Olympians.


“When you go to the RBC Training Ground, there are scouts. RBC is combined with 14 different scouts from various sports across the nation. Rugby Canada, canoe and kayaking, women’s basketball, athletics, Cycling Canada, they’re all there looking for future Olympians,” noted Alese’s mom Amanda Shideler. 


Alese is hoping to one day compete in the Olympics, but for now, the young athlete is just happy to make it as far as she did.


Mason, who’s a sprinter, was ecstatic to be invited this year.


“It felt really good, especially because last year my cousin made it, but I didn’t,” Mason said, adding when he first arrived at the Training Ground in Calgary he was excited, but also nervous.


“You see some of the athletes and they’re so big. They’re five-inches taller, 50-pounds heavier, and twice your body size. It’s very intimidating. Even still, I just competed my best and didn’t worry about it. I tried to keep my mind off of it and just do what I could do.”


To prepare for the main event, Mason and Alese spent the weeks leading up to the RBC Training Ground training in speed, strength, endurance, and power.


They hit the track multiple times a week, on top of their tri-weekly workouts, keeping their eye on the prize every step of the way. 


The top athlete of the RBC Training Ground receives $35,000 in funding for their athletic endeavours, with the top 30 also receiving a bit of cash for their future prospects.


“Although they may not be the top winner, they do give funding, which goes directly to the National Sports Association. They will take you on for a third level of training and give you an opportunity to try some of the different sports,” explained Shideler. “If you’re interested in it at that level, then they will give you up to $7,600 per year for up to two years to help with nutrition, travel, training, all of that stuff, if that happens to be a sport you’re interest in to set you in the right path.”


This is one of the reasons why Alese is playing around with the option of joining Rugby Canada.


If it ends up being a sport she enjoys, it could be one step closer to her Olympic dream.


As Kevin and Shideler watch their children grow as athletes, they feel nothing but pride for the effort and enthusiasm they have put towards their sport.


“Sports has been Alese’s whole life. She works very hard at it. She doesn’t do much besides that, she definitely puts in the work to be where she is,” Shideler expressed. 


Even when compared to last year, when Alese participated in the RBC Training Ground for the first time, she has improved significantly.


“Just her overall performance this year compared to last year, whether she was more confident or it was because there were friends and people she knew, it was a really big difference in the 12-months,” noted Shideler. 


This year, she managed to place fourth overall in the standing long jump, and nearly placed first in the standing triple jump. Alese was also on the scoreboard for most of the day for speed, but in the end, she was bumped to ninth overall.


Mason on the other hand, placed fourth in the sprint category, beating athletes nearly a decade older.


“The guys who beat him in the sprint, I think the youngest was 18-years-old... and then the oldest was 23,” Kevin expressed.


Now that they have seen what Alberta has to offer in track and field, the pair will work even harder to ensure success in next year’s event.


“In order to get medals and to be the top choice, I’m going to have to train even harder and push past limits that seem impossible,” said Mason.


Kevin added, “I’m glad Mason got to see that in order to compete, you have to put in the work.”

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