By Hayley Picard
“Go Emma!” Brianne cheers from the fence. “There’s not a lot of wind today,” she says. “It’s a perfect day for racing.”

For Brianne and fellow Athletics coach John from Zone 2 (Thompson - Okanagan), ensuring their athletes take care of their bodies, as well as their minds, is key.

“They enjoy their recovery time,” says John. “We are on Day 4 and are active for 13-14 hours each day. We encourage these kids to seek shade, drink water, eat snacks and have quiet reflective time.”

“We’re focused on assessing our athletes’ maturity and social development,” shares John. “We have some very shy athletes who are away from their families, so we help them deal with that. Then they settle into a competitive mindset.”

“Our team has had a strong start here at the Games,” agrees Brianne. “They are strong competitors.”