As youngsters Anais and Simon Giasson blaze a trail in competitive cross-country skiing, their parents are following them stride-for-stride.
Together, Jamie and Allison Giasson run the Riverview Jackrabbits Cross Country Ski Club. Their dedication has rubbed off on their children -- Anais, 11, and Simon, 8 -- who have inherited their parents' love for the sport.
After two years in the Riverview program, Anais now competes for the Red River Nordic Ski Club, an organization more focused on racing. Already this year, she has competed in the Manitoba provincials, where she finished third in the mini midget girls' division and the Ontario Cup in Thunder Bay, where she finished ninth out of 12 skiers.
Anais was happy with her finish in the Ontario Cup, where she faced off against athletes from as far away as Toronto.
While she plays soccer, and used to take dance classes, Anais is happy in cross-country skiing because "not a ton of people do it."
The social aspect is a major part of the sport.
"I know a lot of people there," she said.
One fun part of the training occurs every Wednesday night at the Windsor Park Nordic Centre, where any skier who comes out is able to race for a small fee.
Anais sets high goals for races, but makes changes when needed.
"I aim for the top three," she said. "But it depends how many people I'm racing against."
She is also giving back to the Riverview Jackrabbits, sharing her knowledge of the sport with the younger kids as a junior coach at the Sunday afternoon practices.
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Anais' younger brother Simon, a member of the Jackrabbits, is burning in his sister's tracks. He was shy, and didn't want to be quoted, but Jamie says his son is a very determined athlete, and is tuckered out after a race.
"It makes you look like a bad parent," he said. "It looks like you're pushing your kids, but it's all him."
Simon's determination has led him to nine medals so far in his young career.
Jamie, who grooms the trails along Churchill Drive for the Riverview Jackrabbits, says the kids have at least one home-field advantage
"They have a trail a block from the house," he said. "A lot of other kids don't have that."
