Terry Fox Finish Line

Summer programs to resume June 14th

by adminCOVIDlinkinbio

Dear members.

Almost a year ago to the day we were first able to stretch our legs and start re-opening programs at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. I am overjoyed to announce that with Ontario’s re-opening Roadmap kicking in yesterday we will be opening registration pages for all summer programs at noon today! Program spaces will be limited and those who had registered for the “paused” spring programs have be notified first and given the option to save their spot for summer programs or request a refund that will open spaces for new members. Please see program notes below for further details.

Summer programs will officially kick off on Monday, June 14th following the safety measures implemented between the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, City of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health. Our updated safety protocol has been updated on our club website here.

All athletes, coaches and staff should be familiar with the safety protocols and time lines set in place. Everyone will continue to complete the mandatory daily health questionnaire before their practice. Respecting the municipal and facility safety measures such as physical distancing (3m), wearing masks when and where they are required, cleaning equipment and respecting the comfort of your fellow Ottawa Lions. Please notify club management if there are any concerns regarding the health or well being of yourself or your child.

Admittedly, the spring months have stretched our patience and I respect that many may still be hesitant to rejoin our club programs in full until vaccination numbers improve and case numbers are down. We are not in the clear and that we must continue to navigate the challenges COVID-19 present during the re-opening and vaccination phase of this global pandemic. We are incredibly proud of what was accomplished, but we must not drop our guard.

Thank you to everyone for your support over the past few months. While Step 1 of the Provincial Roadmap keeps things pretty limited, we can all look forward to possibly extending time slots, combining training groups and the return of our Summer Twilight Series at Step 2!

Youth Evening Programs
Monday: 4:30-5:30pm, 5:45pm-6:45pm
Tuesday: 5:00-6:00pm (XC/Endurance)
Wednesday: 4:30pm-5:30pm
Thursday: 5:00-6:00pm (XC/Endurance)
Saturday: 8:00-9:00am, 9:15-10:15am

Foundation
Our spring Foundation registration was at capacity and may remain full even after this announcement.
Monday: 4:00-5:00pm, 5:00-6:00pm (North Field)
Tuesday: 4:00-5:00pm, 5:00-6:00pm (XC/Endurance)
Wednesday: 4:00-5:00pm
Thursday:  5:00-6:00pm (North Field/Park)
Saturday: 8:00-9:00am (XC/Endurance), 9:00-10:00am

Aspire
Our spring Aspire registration was at capacity and may remain full even after this announcement.
Monday: 4:00-5:00pm, 5:00-6:00pm (North Field), 5:00-6:30pm (XC/Endurance)
Wednesday: 4:00-5:00pm
Thursday: 5:00-6:30pm (XC/Endurance), 6:00-7:30pm (North Field/Park)
Saturday: 8:00-9:00am (XC/Endurance), 10:00-11:00am

Competitive/Masters
During Step 1 – 1hr time slots (contact rjohnston@ottawalions.com for scheduling)

Monday 5:00-9:00pm
Tuesday 4:00-6:00pm (North Field)
Wednesday 5:00-9:00pm
Thursday 4:00-6:00pm (North Field)
Saturday 9am-12:00pm

All competitive members will be able to book time on their own (outside our exclusive hours) through the City of Ottawa booking link that will be activated on Saturday here under “schedules”.

Booking time outside our hours is included in your Lions membership.

Summer Camps
Our summer camps are still going full steam ahead. With nearly 400 campers already registered there are a couple morning sessions that are completely sold out. Morning session throughout August are also filling up quickly but we have plenty of space in our afternoon camps.
Summer camp details can be found here.

Members who registered for Spring & Summer together can contact info@ottawalions.com for partial refund.
Please note that NO registration will be completed via phone this weekend! All registration is to be completed online via Trackie.

Sincerely,

Richard Johnston

(Ottawa, Canada---05 June 2021) Farah Jacques racing in the 100m hurdles at the Ottawa High Performance Weekend, held at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Photograph copyright 2021 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images

Lions kick off domestic season with Tokyo Qualifier Series event

by linkinbioLocalNational

After nearly 10 months away from competition Lions athletes were thrilled to be back on the track and in the field this past weekend at the Ottawa High Performance Weekend. They were joined by more than 70 other athletes from Ontario, Quebec, and as far away as Alberta, all in search for a mark to get them to the Olympic Trials in Montreal later this month and to the Games in Tokyo later this summer.

In total, 10 Lions competed in the two day event, highlighted by Farah Jacques’ victory in the 100 metre hurdles on Saturday evening. A finalist in the 4×100 metre relay in Rio, Jacques has spent the past three seasons fortifying her hurdling technique in hopes of returning to the Games in Tokyo this summer. She moved closer to that goal with a seasonal best time of 13.56 seconds in Saturday’s heats. Her time of 13.66 in the final was more than half a second faster than second place.

The men’s 400 metre hurdles was the only event to feature a pair of Lions competing – Leewinchell Jean and Saj Alhaddad. While Alhaddad, the defending Canadian silver medalist, held the upper hand heading into the homestretch, Jean produced a surge over the final 100 metres to over take his teammate as well as Royal City TFC’s Matthew MacNeil for second in 54.29. The time was the 2019 Canadian U20 Champion’s best season opener ever. Alhhaddad placed fourth in 54.53.

Sticking with the hurdles, 19 year old David Adeleye produced a time of 15.21 seconds in the 110 metre event in his first go at the international height. The performance ranks Adeleye 10th in Club history among U23’s.

Never one to shy away from a come back, Jason Dunkerley returned to the track Friday night in the 1500 metres with guide Alex Behre. The five-time Paralympic medalist who had stepped away from competitive running in the fall of 2018, returned with a 4:27.24 effort. The performance was just outside Athletics Canada’s minimum entry standard of 4:26.64, but to return to the Games, Dunkerley will likely need to better the AC Top-8 standard of 4:16.20 to be considered for selection.

Lions athletes will be back in action this weekend at the Johnny Loaring Classic in Windsor.

For results and photos from this past weekend’s event, please visit ottawalions.com/results/2021-results.

MRR_OTTL21_Feb27_Practice_0677

Back on track – Lions athletes return to formal practices

by COVIDHigh SchoollinkinbioLocal

Incredible. It was all the words Foundation and Aspire program director Zach Quevillon needed to express his feelings about being back at practice.

After two months of lockdown, where treadmills, Zoom workouts, and other at home training became the norm, the Lions returned to practice Saturday morning at the spacious Sooner Megadome located at École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais in Stittsville. Saturday’s practice, a soft opening to March’s full return to programming at three separate locations across the city, included approximately 35 athletes who ran, hurdled, and bounded across the spacious turf field.

With nearly all members of the Aspire Program back training Saturday morning, coaches Quevillon and Connor Dobson led the high school students through their paces as they prepare for a competitive season that will be void of an OFSAA Championship for the second straight season. Quevillon plans to ease the athletes back into the swing of things over the next four months as the athletes prepare to head back outdoors in April. “It was evident that everybody’s been working really hard on their time away,” said the fifth year coach. “Virtual workouts were a success and we are at a starting point that is a lot further down the road than I was expecting having not seen [the athletes] in two plus months.”

Hurdler Luca Nicoletti said he found at home training to be more static and was happy to be back at practice with the whole team. After two months of treadmill running and drills at home, “it felt great to get back to running at a high speed,” said the 2019 Legion National silver medalist. Nicoletti says his focus this summer is returning to Legion Nationals, if the event does take place.

While the treadmill was go to for a number of athletes during lockdown, coach Normand Seguin notes the transfer of mechanics from the treadmill to the track takes some time. “Surprisingly [the athletes] found they are weak in the quads. When they pushed they realized they have to push, so they were slower,” said Seguin of the re-adjustment to running on a stationary surface. Nonetheless, the long time coach was pleased with where the athletes were, “I can tell they are very fit, they just need a little bit more exposure.”

Lions athletes will continue to get the necessary training exposure throughout March with sessions taking place at the Sooner Megadome, Aberdeen Pavilion, and Carp’s Oz Dome. For more information about our programs, please consult our website.

 

Terry Fox Aerial

Lions to resume training June 18

by COVIDlinkinbio

After 97 days away, we are happy to report that today, June 18th, we will finally return to the track. While we can appreciate everyone’s excitement at this news, it is important to note that much like other avenues, our return to the track will include some necessary adjustments to the way we work as we continue to live through this COVID-19 pandemic.

“The return to training plans we have implemented is with the utmost care for the health and safety of those directly affiliated with our club (members, coaches, officials, and families),” explains acting executive director Richard Johnston. “We owe it to our partners at Athletics Canada, Athletics Ontario, The City of Ottawa, University of Ottawa, and Carleton University to carry out a plan that is simple yet safe for everyone to return to the sport we love so much.”

The Ottawa Lions are thankful to both Athletics Ontario and Athletics Canada for their collaborative development of the “Back on Track” task force, which produced the general framework we will be operating under during this next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we get back on track, it is imperative all show patience and understanding as we navigate this new terrain. Please respect those around you by practicing physical distancing, ensuring proper hygiene and sanitization, and wearing personal protective equipment where necessary.

Our COVID-19 strategy is seen as a brief outline of what can be expected when resuming training with the Club and within the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Inside the linked document, you will find details about new training times and max capacity as well as adjustments to program schedules.

If you have any questions about the return to training, please contact Richard Johnston at 613-247-4886 or rjohnston@ottawalions.com