Seniors Ski Past 70s in Fredericton Championship

Cross-country skiers aged 30 and above are competing in Fredericton this weekend for the Bill Gairdner Canadian Masters Championships. This marks the first time the event has been held in New Brunswick, offering senior athletes a platform to showcase their skills and stay active.

Competitors like 76-year-old Penny Moody-Corbett, who has skied for 51 years, find inspiration in seeing others ski into their 70s and 80s. Moody-Corbett's participation is particularly meaningful as it signifies her return to the sport after a five-year hiatus due to atrial fibrillation. Following successful heart surgery, she feels privileged to ski again.

The championship was founded by Bill Gairdner's father to motivate older individuals and encourage more people to ski. Gairdner noted that the competition's approach of using five-year age increments, unlike the ten-year increments in other events, ensures fairer competition. Competitors such as Moody-Corbett are placed in precise age brackets, like 75-80.

Hosted by the Wostawea Cross-Country Ski Club at Killarney Lake Park, the four-day event saw extensive preparation. The park, spanning over 645 hectares with more than 35 kilometers of trails, has been developed over the past decade by the ski club in collaboration with the City of Fredericton to meet the scale of this competition.