The Ontario Winter Games weightlifting competition takes place at Madawaska Valley District High School, in Barry’s Bay, on Friday.
Linda Earnshaw, of the Ontario Weightlifting Association, says 14 girls and 14 boys will be in the event, which is open to the public, for free, starting at 9 a.m.
She’s glad it’s being held in a high school, as she hopes young people will come out and learn more about the sport. She says it’s a great sport for young people to try.
“I think a lot of kids will say the coolest thing about it is being able to lift that weight and pushing themselves to lift a little more each time,” she says. “It’s great for their self-esteem. There’s something about (hearing the sound of) that weight dropping that a lot of weightlifters enjoy.”
“We’ve done this before at other Winter Games and we’ve been at other schools and (students) come out and they’re just amazed to see big, small, little, tall kids, all sizes, lifting these bars. They sit in ah and are like, ‘Wow, that’s so amazing.’”
Earnshaw says the athletes range from ages 13 to 17 and are from across the province. They’ll have earned the right to compete by performing at two previous competitions. They’ll be lifting weights of 40 kilograms and up.
The competition starts around 9 a.m. and should go until medals are awarded at around 4 p.m. It’s free to attend, but spectators are asked to be quiet. Classes will be in session.