MONTEBELLO, QUE. – Rockwood resident Jenn Banfield has returned victorious from the Canadian Ski Marathon in Montebello, Quebec.
While the event, which took place on Feb. 8 and 9, is not a race, there was hardware to be awarded for those whose minds and bodies were up to the challenge, and Banfield earned gold for her efforts.
“I achieved my goal of completing the Gold [Coureur des Bois],” Banfield stated in an email to the Advertiser, calling the feat “insanely challenging.”
The Coureur des Bois category of the marathon, which translates to “runner of the woods,” has three levels: bronze, silver and gold.
For each, the participant must ski the marathon’s entire 160-kilometre course over two days, but each level comes with increased challenges.
To earn silver, the skier must have achieved bronze in a previous year; to earn gold, the skier must already have earned silver.
The gold level is also the most challenging. Not only does the skier have to complete the course within the given time frame (bronze), she must also carry a backpack weighing at least five kilograms (silver) with everything you need to complete the race and then camp under the stars on the Saturday night (gold).
Banfield completed her silver last year, and soon began training for gold.
“Day two was especially difficult after having winter camped the night before,” she said of the experience. “Thankfully Mother Nature cooperated and the weather was absolutely spectacular.”
Jenn Banfield poses with ski buddy Jim Vanenbroek at the camp where skiers going for gold were required to spend the Saturday night.
Submitted photo
Although Banfield had the privilege of staying at the historic Chateau Montebello on the Friday before the marathon, she said her outdoor camping experience “was actually quite comfortable.”
She accomplished her mission, and did it with the support of her father, Michael Schultz, who she said deserves congratulations for completing more than 30km of the marathon, too.
Banfield expressed her gratitude for his support and for instilling in her a love of the wilderness and of cross country skiing.
“It’s because of my dad and the exposure he gave me to the great outdoors that I had the courage to take on this feat,” she said.
Banfield hopes her accomplishment has created some local awareness for the Canadian Ski Marathon and may inspire others to enjoy the great outdoors.
