Photo by Photo Submitted
SPEED DEMON – Whitehorse’s Jessica Frotten races at the 2015 Canadian Track and Field Championships at Foote Field in Edmonton last weekend. Photo courtesy of ROBERT HISLOP/TRACKTOWN CANADA
Photo by Photo Submitted
SPEED DEMON – Whitehorse’s Jessica Frotten races at the 2015 Canadian Track and Field Championships at Foote Field in Edmonton last weekend. Photo courtesy of ROBERT HISLOP/TRACKTOWN CANADA
Whitehorse wheelchair racer Jessica Frotten added five more medals to her trophy case last weekend.
Whitehorse wheelchair racer Jessica Frotten added five more medals to her trophy case last weekend.
But she still hasn’t heard if she’ll be representing the country at the upcoming Parapan Am Games in Toronto Aug. 7 to 15.
Representing the Saskatoon Cyclones, the 27-year-old wheeled to two silver and three bronze medals at the 2015 Canadian Track and Field Championships in Edmonton.
“I medalled in all my events, which made me happy,” she said. “The track was super slow so there was no personal bests, but I’m happy with the way I placed. I’m still improving.”
The T53 racer earned silver in both the 100-metre dash (18.97) and 1,500-m run (4:12.26).
Her bronze medals came in the 200-m dash (35.52), 400-m dash (1:07.54) and 800-m run (2:11.53).
Frotten said her 200-m and 1,500-m runs were her strongest, despite a gusty headwind.
T54 racer Diane Roy, a longtime Canadian Paralympian, picked up four gold medals. Typically, Frotten said she would not race against Roy.
Ilana Dupont, a T53 racer from Quebec, won the 100-m title.
Cracking the Parapan Ams roster has been one of Frotten’s season goals.
However, she said the potential roster of 60 was recently reduced by a half.
“They’ve changed the criteria,” she said yesterday. “When there was 60 spots, I was pretty sure I was a shoo-in with the way I was racing.
“Now they’ve cut the team and I think it’s anybody’s game right now.”
Frotten said she had expected the team to be unveiled already.
“I can’t lose another night of sleep,” she chuckled.
Frotten said she continues to be floored by the support from the Yukon.
“It just makes my heart full,” she said. “It’s unreal. I think it makes me go a little bit faster. I really don’t have any words. It makes my heart leak out my eyes sometimes.”
Whitehorse runner Lindsay Carson also took part in the national championships, earning fourth in the women’s five-kilometre run. The 26-year-old crossed the finish line in 16:46.23, less than 30 seconds behind the winner.
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