September 14, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Cross Country Canada recently announced an Own the Podium million-dollar program designed to win more Olympic and Paralympic medals utiizing a new $200,000 custom-designed indoor treadmill built by Treadsport Training Systems, out of Calgary, AB.

Using GPS equipment and high-tech cameras, the treadmill can replicate the trails at Sochi 2014 or other courses around the world which can potentially give Canadian athletes a significant edge by allowing them to train on the sport’s toughest and most demanding courses right at home.

“I think it’s another tool in our tool box to help us continually improve,” said Devon Kershaw, the 29-year-old Sudbury, Ont., native. “It’s something many of the big ski nations in the world that compete and win medals at the Olympics have.”

Part of the million dollar strategy is a Canadian Nordic Consortium taht brings together sport directors from Cross Country Canada, Biathlon Canada and Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined Canada with advisors at Own the Podium, Canadian Sport Centre Calgary, WinSport Canada and the Canmore Nordic Centre to share critical research and information while identifying gaps in preparation so the nation’s top cross-country skiers and biathletes are fully prepared to achieve excellence in 2014 and beyond – read more HERE.

We caught up with Treadsport Training Systems’ Mike McIvor, the man behind the new treadmill, for his take on the excitement brewing around his company’s innovative machine.

“We quite happy to see the interest being generated by the new treadmill – very exciting stuff! Something thing we didn’t talk about is the way this machine pivots for elevation which I think is one of the most important aspects of it and at first glance what really distinguishes it from other machines. Unlike other machines out there our machine pivots around the front of the machine rather than the middle as others do or the back on some, for example on a running treadmill.

“By doing it this way the back of the machine drops but the front of the machine always stays in the same position – with a middle pivot the front would come up and the back would go down. This is the only machine that pivots like this and we actually have a patent on that pivot design/location.  This is important because the coach or trainer and any testing equipment always stays on a solid horizontal surface but the athlete also always stays at the same height relative to the trainer – or very close to it – during elevation.

“This would change a bit depending where they are on the belt. The design allows for easier communication, monitoring, etc. and ideally a better all around experience for everyone.”

Read more HERE.