Collin Cameron becoming a superstar on international Para Nordic circuit

Superstar. That was the word Brian McKeever, himself a 13-time Paralympic medallist with nine World Championship titles to his name, used to describe Collin Cameron as the Port Sydney native wrapped up his first World Para Nordic Skiing Championship last month in Finsterau, Germany.

Coming in to the event ranked 17th in the Men’s sitting cross country and 18th in the biathlon, Cameron continued to turn heads as a newcomer to the sport by finishing fourth in the cross country sprint, seventh in the cross country long distance and fifth in the middle distance biathlon.

Multiple top-10 results from a world championship would be impressive enough for a seasoned skier, but for someone who first picked up the sport just 15 months ago, it’s otherworldly.

“I can’t quite say I expected to finish that well, but I definitely knew I had it in me and just went out and threw it all down,” said Cameron.

“The experience has been amazing. It’s a pleasure travelling with the team and you really can’t beat having the depth of experience and knowledge in this sport with the people involved here. Getting so close to my first podium in the sprint race was an amazing feeling that has made me even hungrier for more of this.”

Cameron will have the chance to improve upon his results in the next stop on 2017 World Cup circuit, a test event held in South Korea at the site of next year’s Paralympic Winter Games. He is hoping another successful showing will only continue to strengthen his case to be a part of the Canadian Paralympic Team next season.

“That’s definitely my goal,” says Cameron. “The main thing is to keep competitive at a high level and get the best results I can, as the team is picked usually by your best results from the start of this year until the next World Cup in Canmore in November.”

Collin was born with Arthrogryposis, a condition where abnormal fibrosis of muscle tissue causes muscle shortening and affects his joints. It wasn’t something he was going to let hold him back, however. A graduate of Riverside Public School and later St. Dominic’s, he had always had an affinity for sports, from playing road hockey and soccer growing up, to representing Muskoka in competitive badminton in high school.

After attending Fanshaw College, Collin moved back to Bracebridge before his life was forever changed in the way many folks often dream of: he met a girl.

Her name was Marley, and she lived a few hours away, in Sudbury. Six months later, Collin moved north to be with her, and last May they made it official by saying ‘I do’. It was through Marley that Collin was first introduced to sledge hockey, having been recruited to play by one of her old neighbours. Always ready to try new things, Collin took to the ice like a duck to water, winning the London Blizzard (one of the world’s premier sledge hockey tournaments) with his Sudbury teammates. Little did Collin know, however, that his hockey career was soon to be eclipsed by something much bigger.

It began after seeing several para-nordic photos on Facebook posted by the Sudbury Accessible Sports page. Given the similarities to sledge hockey and endurance nature of the sport, Collin sent the group a message to see if there was anything local available to try out.

“Luckily enough there is a huge program in Sudbury run by a coach who has been involved in para nordic for quite some time. So it was almost fate I think.”

Collin tried a sit-ski on roller skis in late September of 2015 and was instantly hooked. Patti Kitler, who ran the program and has since become Collin’s local coach, asked him if he would be interested in going to Canmore, Alberta that November for a training camp, and he agreed. It was just the second time in his life he would be travelling outside of Ontario (the first being a class trip to Quebec while in high school).

“It was a life changing experience. I was classified nationally while I was there, so I could compete in Canada. I think they liked what they saw and wanted to try and get me classified internationally so I could have an opportunity to compete at a World Cup event and start getting WC points.”

The events came fast and furious for Collin in the following months. He applied for his passport immediately upon returning from Canmore, and received it just in time for his first American event Craftsbury, Vermont. This opened the door for him to compete internationally, and soon afterwards Collin was offered the opportunity to travel with the Canadian team to Finstreau, Germany (the test site for this year’s World Championships), where he finished 9th in both the long distance cross country and the sprint races.

“From there I started a yearly training plan, skiing or roller skiing all spring, summer and fall with an odd trip to Canmore for some biathlon training in the lead up to the start of this current season.”

The serious training atmosphere has also had an immediate impact on Collin’s development. From his fellow athletes, coaches, support staff and wax technicians, he has found a welcome place among the racing community, where each member of the team is pushing for top performances each and every race. They also provide a steadying environment and encouragement for a relative newcomer still adjusting to the ups and downs of the sport.

“They are hugely supportive when sometimes you just don’t have a good race,” Collin says of his World Championship team. “There’s definitely a vibe here that makes you want to be a better you, and you do what you can to keep that vibe flowing.”

Throughout the exhilarating rollercoaster ride that has been his last 15 months, Collin has not lost sight of what got him into para-nordic in the first place: having fun. As his athletic career progresses, he is also embracing the idea of becoming a role model to the next generation of para athletes, just as he was similarly inspired by his own sports heroes growing up.

“Always have an open mind to try something new,” he counsels. “Trying something new has led me on this incredible journey that is really just starting. But at the same time, have fun. That’s the most important thing – I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t having a blast at the same time.”

Additionally, Collin stresses the crucial role his wife Marley has played in his athletic exploits, starting well before his first competition.

“She was the only reason I moved to Sudbury in the first place,” he laughs. “She’s been my biggest support through all of this since the beginning. I definitely couldn’t be doing this without her support and love.”

Given the online nature of his own personal introduction to para-nordic, Collin firmly believes in the importance of providing more information for people with disabilities to get involved in para sports, and feels schools and community groups are a great place starting place to gather together these resources. While Collin’s journey began by noticing a simple Facebook post, he admits finding detailed information on which sports might be available in any given community requires some digging.

Compiling a database for students with disabilities, from grade school through to post secondary, that outlined the types of para sports offered in their community and the appropriate contact information to get involved would be one such way of increasing visibility and participation.

“That would be a huge step in getting our younger generation interested, and allowing them to be included in something they may not have a chance to do regularly, like play on a school or town hockey team for instance. I think that if every Phys. Ed. teacher and guidance counselor had this information, it’s possible we’d see a lot more involvement in para sports for younger athletes. It’s all about having that information promoted and accessible.”

Collin will be travelling to PyeongChang, South Korea from March 10-15 to compete in the next event of the 2017 Para Nordic World Cup.

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