March 13, 2007 – The Haywood Report is powered by Haywood Securities Inc., proud sponsor of Canada’s National Cross Country Ski Teams.

It has been about six years since I handed in my last book report to my high school English teacher. I had been up until 2am the previous night actually finishing reading the book and then trying to put down something coherent. Well, times have changed, yet I find myself writing another book report- but this time purely because I am fascinated by the story.

Sally Manning’s book Guts and Glory: The Arctic Skiers Who Challenged the World tells the story of the TEST (Territorial Experimental Ski Training program) in Canada’s Arctic beginning in the late 1960’s. Even though I am a former member of TEST I really had no grasp of the enormity of the accomplishments of my TEST predecessors until I read this book.

I was inspired by the stories of young athletes training in the extreme cold and tales of summer training runs through mosquito infested muskeg. Mostly, I liked their tough attitude toward training and racing that they developed through training in the harshest conditions.

This story about Fred Kelly in a relay particularly impressed me:

“When his teammate burst out of the trees with surprising speed, Fred tried to shed the jacket in a hurry. The zipper jammed. In desperation, he dropped his poles and gloves so he could pull the parka over his head. Thinking only of the time he’d lost, he grabbed his poles and surged into his lap- without his gloves. Firing down the hilly course at speeds of up to 60km/h, Kelly froze his hands so severely that he had to be hospitalized for a week. “

This incident really showcases their “stop at nothing” attitude towards racing. It makes me think about being tough in a whole new way.

The story of these northern athletes is critical to understanding Canada’s history as a ski nation. These stories need to continue to be passed on so that future athletes can learn from and build upon the experiences of these incredible people.

Graham Nishikawa is a member of Team 2010 on the National Ski Team. He is from Whitehorse, YT and is a member of the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club. Graham just returned back to Canada from a trip to the World Championships in Japan where he supported the team and is now looking toward a strong season finish at the Ski Nationals.

Signed copies of the book Guts and Glory: The Arctic Skiers Who Challenged the World by Sally Manning are available in the CCC online store. Follow this link to purchase your copy.