Canada’s para-alpine ski team will have a five-time World Cup medalist providing some increased motivation when they resume dryland training in Whistler, BC this week...

Allison Forsyth, a Canadian alpine ski team alumnus who retired in 2008, will be joining the CPAST team during a dryland camp from July 2 to July 7 in Whistler, BC, providing tips and motivation techniques for dryland training.

Forsyth will be with the team in the gym for the morning to work out June 3 and will speak to the staff and athletes later in the day.

“We asked her to come to speak with the team as we feel that all of us can benefit to hear about the challenges and experiences that she faced as an athlete and how she dealt with them,” said CPAST World Cup coach Brianne Law. “Being a national team skier, she can relate to us, and us to her, and we feel that we as a team will be able to use some of the information, stories and experiences to help us prepare for the coming year.”

This is not the first time that Forsyth has worked with members of Canada’s Para-Alpine Ski Team. She spent some time with the team during the 2007 TELUS IPC World Cup in Kimberley, BC while rehabilitating a knee injury sustained in a crash during training at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

Forsyth, whose five World Cup podiums ranks her in a tie for tenth all-time among Canadian women, has stayed very active in ski racing since leaving the national team while working for athletic apparel company lululemon.

The coaches of the CPAST also arranged for Veronica Brenner, silver medalist in freestyle skiing during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games as well as the nutritionist Jen Gibson to speak to the team next week.

“Jen has been working with some of the athletes on the team for a few years. We are bringing her in to speak of the topic of eating at the Paralympic Games and how to be best prepared to choose the best options. She will be working with some athletes one on one as well as speaking to the groups all together,” said Law.

During this camp, the CPAST members will be in the gym every morning alternating days with strength workouts and movement/agility workouts. The afternoons will be alternating anaerobic and aerobic work. The program will include long bike rides (hand bikes and standing bikes) in Pemberton and a climb up the Callaghan hill. The athletes will also be doing some recovery workouts in the pool and a yoga session.

The members of the CPAST scheduled to attend the camp include Josh Dueck (Vernon, BC), Nick Brush Panorama, BC), Morgan Perrin (Whistler, BC), Matt Hallat (Whistler, BC), Chris Williamson (Markham, ON), Luke Donovan ( NB), Lindsay Debou (Whistler, BC), Kimberly Joines (Rossland, BC), Lauren Woolstencroft (North Vancouver, BC), Arly Fogarty (Montreal, QC), Viviane Forest (Edmonton, AB), Andrea Dziewior (Nanaimo, BC) and Karolina Wisniewska (Vancouver, BC).

After this dryland camp the athletes will be training at home until on-snow training begins in Chili at the end of August.

The IPC World Cup season will start in January with a race in Pastcher Kofel, AUT. The season will be highlighted by the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12to 21 in Whistler, BC.