News Archive
Taking Aim at Biathlon
Thanks to the combined efforts of a staff member who happens to be a competitive biathlete and the Beyond the Gates program, several Shawnigan students had the chance recently to try a new sport.
New to the students, at least. Biathlon has a long history, and has been part of the Winter Olympics since 1960. Cross-country skiing is a long-standing part of Shawnigan’s annual Ski Week at Manning Park (which returns on February 12-17 after a three-year absence), and the School did have a rifle range for decades, which now houses the robotics program, but this marked Shawnigan’s first foray into the sport (in recent memory, at least), and was definitely the first opportunity for any of the students who participated.
“For some of the students, it was the first time they had ever tried cross-country skiing,” said Mr. Galen Loiselle, who heads the Beyond the Gates experiential learning program for Grade 9 students. “And most of them hadn’t fired a rifle before.”
Mr. Max Sterelyukhin, a new teacher in the math department this year, is a successful competitive biathlete and a member of the Vancouver Island Biathlon Club. He worked with Mr. Loiselle to facilitate a pair of trips to Mount Washington in January and February, to allow some students to try the sport.
The trips were opened up first to Grade 9s who, and then to other interested students. The first group, consisting strictly of Grade 9s, made the drive north to Mount Washington with Mr. Sterelyukhin and outdoor education instructor Ms. Emily Boyes in mid-January, and the second group, of Grade 9, 10 and 12 students, travelled with Mr. Sterelyukhin and outdoor education instructor Mr. Kyle Leis on February 1.
Each group was met by a contingent of volunteer coaches from VIBC for an immersive two-hour lesson on biathlon. They were introduced to the equipment and instructed on how to safely handle a .22-calibre rifle, and taught how to calm their heart rate before shooting. After some practice shooting, they took part in some friendly competition, although for safety reasons, they didn’t ski with the rifles.
Mr. Sterelyukhin grew up cross-country skiing and took up biathlon about seven or eight years ago, inspired by some friends who were doing it through Cadets. He immediately took a liking to the competition and the community. Just before Christmas, he won both masters men’s 35 (35 and up) races at the first event of the BC Cup series in Courtenay. “Even though it’s a sport, there’s still a mental aspect to it, and you have to be in sync with your body all the time, to slow your heart rate down to shoot,” he explained.
The students took to biathlon exceptionally well, Mr. Sterelyuhkin said, and showed some “amazing” marksmanship. The feedback was excellent, and several of the students were excited to take home their empty cartridges and paper targets. Mr. Sterelyukhin is already looking forward to organizing even more trips next year.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
