Fast and Female Biathlon Day presented by Best Buy Open Eyes and Opportunities for Girls

To watch a photo montage from the event, visit:

The young participants – some of whom were already on site to compete in the National Championship – had the opportunity to get first hand tips from National Biathlon stars Zina Kocher, Megan Imrie, Melanie Schultz, and Claude Godbout. They were joined by a handful of eager local girls involved in cross-country skiing programs and beginner biathlon racing from across the Maritimes. 

The morning event featured an introductory presentation on the sport of biathlon, followed by on-snow ski drills, target shooting, Zumba dancing and an inspirational presentation by Zina Kocher who took part in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. In keeping with Fast and Female’s vision, the intent of the event was to inspire girls to stick the unique sport of Biathlon which combines cross-country skiing and target shooting.

“We had a GREAT day,” said Megan Imrie, a Fast and Female ambassador from Falcon Lake, Manitoba and a 2010 Olympian. “It was fabulous! We had plenty of wonderful feedback from both girls and parents. We even had some cross-country girls who now want to join biathlon. Needless to say that all ambassadors were very happy to hear that!”

According to Biathlon Canada officials, girls represent 45% of all biathletes in Canada.

“Girls competing at the local and provincial levels don’t often get the chance to ski besides Zina, Megan, Melanie and Claude because those girls are racing in Europe all winter,” explained Marie-Hélène Thibeault, Executive Director for Fast and Female. “Through the Fast and Female programming, we are able to bring everyone together in a non-competitive, fun and inspiring environment to allow for the optimal personal and athletic growth of the participants. We are very fortunate to be able to count on the volunteer time of such high quality ambassadors who have so much to give back.”

This activity was made possible thanks to valuable local partners such as Marion Heppel, the organizing committee for the Kia Biathlon Canadian Championships, Le Club Les Aventuriers, and Biathlon New Brunswick. The event also enjoyed the support of many caring volunteers. Fast and Female’s national sponsors – including Best Buy, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, Cold-FX, Clarins and Biathlon Canada – also providing key resources for the event. For a complete list of Fast and Female national program supporters and sponsors, please visit: /default.asp?lang=&mode=webpage&id=89.

To learn more about Fast and Female’s upcoming events, please visit http://www.fastandfemale.com/ /.

http://www.facebook.com/fastandfemale 

ABOUT FAST AND FEMALE
Fast and Female is a not-for-profit society started in 2005 by Chandra Crawford, the 2006 Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing. The organization’s mission is to ensure that girls remain supported, motivated, inspired, empowered to stick to sports and the healthy lifestyle. Fast and Female fulfills its mission of “Empowerment Through Sport” by hosting fun-filled, non-competitive initiatives all across North-America aimed at exposing young female athletes to inspiring female Olympians and elite level athletes. The young girls who attend Fast and Female events today will lead it in the future, may it be as athletes, coaches, volunteers, parents, and community leaders. For more information about Fast and Female, visit /

CONTACTS:
Marie-Hélène Thibeault
Executive Director
Fast and Female
Phone: (403) 678-4806
Email: mthibeault@fastandfemale.com

Marion Heppell
Local event coordinator
Phone: 506-684-1905
Email: jung1@nb.sympatico.ca