It has been a launching pad for many competitive careers including the Kajaks Track and Field Club’s very own head coach.
Garrett Collier was a 10-year-old attending Diefenbaker Elementary when he entered the B.C. Elementary Schools Track and Field Championships for the very first time.
“It’s actually how I got involved with the Kajaks, as well as my mom and dad,” recalled Collier, whose late father Richard would go on to become a legendary throws coach for the club. “I started off as a sprinter but at some some point I got a little bigger and sprinting became farther out of reach so I ended up throwing.”
Collier would become one of the top throwers in the country and earned a scholarship to University of California Berkeley before launching a successful coaching career. Now he oversees the B.C. Elementary Schools meet which has become a major fundraiser and the opportunity to showcase the sport.
The 49th edition takes place May 26-28 at Minoru Park.
“Each year, it’s anywhere between 1,200 and 1,300 participants. We really try to instill that volunteer spirit in our parents, coaches and athletes. We got it down to a science now where we are able to run it pretty smoothly,” Collier continued.
The meet is open to students in Grades 4-7. There is a wide variety of running, throwing and jumping events. New to the schedule this year is a multi-age 4x100 relay. There will also be two special races to commemorate Richmond’s 150 celebration: a 100-yard dash and a one mile race that will feature some of the top middle distance runners in the country.
“We are going to make it into a showcase where some elite milers will be coming out. The kids will be able to see some Olympians competing. It will be a great event,” added Collier.
Registration for the championships is ongoing and individual entries are encouraged, along with teams.
There will be a $3 fee to register with B.C. Athletics then kids can enter as many events they want at the cost of $10 per individual event or $15 for a relay team, prior to the May 19 deadline. Late registrations are an additional $5. To register visit www.kajaks.ca/events/the-bcec.
