A group of White Pines Collegiate students will be participating in a new triathlon known as the Copper Town Triathlon to be held in Bruce Mines, the first in the Algoma region since the start of COVID.
The event is being launched by the Sault’s Ryan Mitchell of RAM Fitness.
Triathlon enthusiasts from northern Ontario have always had to travel to compete. The last sanctioned race in the Algoma region was the St. Joseph Island Triathlon held in 2016.
Mitchell of RAM Fitness has created a picturesque course set in Bruce Mines for July 23, 2023 and registrations for the Copper Town Triathlon are now open.
“I’ve been wanting to get a sanctioned triathlon back up and running for a few years now, but COVID put a dampener on that,” said Mitchell in a release.
Just a 45-minute drive from the Sault, the race begins with a swim in the waters of Bruce Bay along the shores of Lake Huron.
The bike portion of the race then continues down the tree-lined Copper Bay Road and ends with a run with some hills to push athletes even further.
“The bike portion of this race is really cool because it’s looped, so athletes will get more of a race feel since they will be riding past other bikes more often,” Mitchell said.
“This is different from your typical triathlon where you might have a long course that separates riders with no one to be seen for sometimes miles on end.”
Mitchell said the idea to have the race in Bruce Mines originally came to mind through friends.
“Sharon Seeler and Jamie Stopes have been part of my gym RAM Fitness and also live in Bruce Mines.”
The triathlon’s name, the Copper Town Triathlon, comes from Bruce Mines’ history as the location of the first copper mine in Canada.
The people of Bruce Mines say they are excited about the event.
“The people here have been generous in terms of lending their support,” Mitchell said. “Local Sault businesses have done the same. I think everyone’s just excited to get out and participate.”
Participants have a variety of races to choose from, including Try-A-Tri, the Sprint Triathlon and a Sprint Duathlon.
People from Sudbury have decided to check it out, the release states.
The Copper Town Triathlon is still looking for sponsors, so local businesses are encouraged to become a Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,000), Silver ($500) or Bronze Sponsor (donation of service or goods). That would help to cover the costs associated with running the event, including signage, bike racks, branded flags, fencing for the area, medals, and other items.
A portion of proceeds will be donated to a local Bruce Mines food bank and the Youth Multisport Program through RAM Fitness, which helps underserved youth access sports equipment.
More information about the triathlon is available by calling 647-638-4834 or by email.
“Sports have always been a big part of my life. At the city track and field meet, I participated in the 1500m and the 3000m races. I just love the feeling of it. Ms. Mitchell at White Pines told us about the triathlon and we just thought it would be a cool challenge to take on. I’ll use a lot of the cross-country workouts that the coaches here taught me at White Pines. Mr. Kevin Magill really coached us on our form and breathing,” said White Pines student Olivia Hiscock.
“At the city track and field meet, I competed in 800m and 1500m. Then every year, I would do the race on St. Joe’s Island with my mother Cherie Pine or my older brother. That’s why I’m excited to compete in this triathlon. I would just need to work on my swimming, so I plan to practice swimming a lot more before then. I’m not too bad at running long distances,” said student Grayson Pine.
“I used to be a competitive swimmer from the time I was seven years old. And then, during the city track and field meet I competed in the long distance runs, like the 800m. The triathlon challenge really interested me just because I’ve always loved distance sports events. I feel it’s a really good opportunity for me. I’ve never done a marathon or a triathlon, but I got a lot of practice working out and doing long distances with the White Pines Cross Country Ski Team. They trained us really well. Our ski team won the trophy for overall cross-country skiing in the city and then we got second at NOSSA,” said student Erik Kary.