Kilde: The Edmonton Journal
 
Ward Neale, 79, will take it 'easy' this time around
80-year-old wife will accompany him in 15-km event: CANADIAN BIRKEBEINER

John Korobanik
The Edmonton Journal
 
 
Friday, February 07, 2003
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EDMONTON - Ward Neale does the 55-kilometre with pack at the Canadian Birkebeiner "every year," but this Saturday he'll be skiing along with his wife, Roxie, in the 15-km event. Not by choice, however.
 
"I won't be competing in the way I was hoping to up until last night," Ward said Thursday from their home in Calgary. The 79-year-old went for his pre-Birkie physical Wednesday and was told he has an irregular heartbeat and that skiing the 55-km would be a serious risk.
 
"His doctor told him if he did the 55-km, or even the 32, up a steep hill, you could drop dead," said Roxie. "I'm not his armchair general but I told him I think he has enough brains to realize when you're 79 you have to take things easy at times."
 
Then the couple went out Thursday and skied 15 km in Kananaskis and, "quite frankly," said Roxie, "he skied the same way he did before ... he really wasn't holding back."
 
On Saturday, with temperatures expected to be about -10 C and snow conditions the best in several years for the Birkie, Ward will take it easy. Well, easy for him, that is.
 
"We'll ski the 15-km together," he said. "She's my nurse. My doctor told me as long as I ski with Roxie and don't try to beat her, I'm OK."
 
The couple will be two of more than 1,300 participants in the annual Birkie that begins at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre at 9 a.m. and finishes in the Waskehegan Staging Area in the Blackfoot Recreation Area. The number will be below last year's total of 1,800 and the record 2,300 of 2000, but media co-ordinator Bob Coe says that's largely because of the weather.
 
Very few people had registered before the snowfall that hit the Edmonton area two weeks ago.
 
"The routine is you go out and train and then enter the Birkie," said Coe. "This year there was so little snow you couldn't train so no one was registering."
 
The largest group is the 40-49-year-olds with nearly 400 entries, although there are more than 200 registered in the 16 to 19 age group. Roxie will be one of two 80-year-olds; the other is Doug Berry of Sherwood Park, registered to ski the 55-km with pack. It's the first time there have been 80-year-olds in the event.
 
There are 25 skiers in their 70s and about 60 in their 60s.
 
Roxie said that while Ward is very competitive -- which he learned from his family when growing up -- she'll just be skiing for the fun and friendship.
 
"I've skied the 15-km four of five times ... the most I've ever skied in my life was 43 km in a Newfoundland marathon," she said. But she's having the last laugh on her maternal grandfather, who is from Norway -- birthplace of the Birkebeiner -- and who used to make skis for his four sons.
 
"He never made them for his daughters,'' said Roxie, because "they had to do things in the house."
 
The couple will also be part of the 14-member Calgary Seniors Outdoors team that will be seeking to retain their title for skiing the most overall distance by a senior team.
 
jkorobanik@thejournal.southam.ca
 
BIRKIE START
 
- 55 km: 9 a.m. Saturday, Ukrainian Cultural Village
 
- 32 km: 9:30 a.m., Ukrainian Village
 
- 15 km: 1:30 p.m., Waskehegan Staging Area, Blackfoot
 
- 5 km: 11 a.m., Waskehegan Staging Area
 
- 2.5 km: 11:30 a.m., Waskehegan Staging Area
 
All starts are mass start format with no waves, qualifying times or seeds.
 
All events finish in the Waskehegan Staging area.
 
THE EVENTS:
 
- 55-km Torskeklubben Birkebeiner with pack: The premiere event with seven age categories. Skiers recreate the legend of the original Birkie skiers by carrying the equivalent of the infant crown prince, a 5.5-kilogram pack.
 
- 55-km Birkie Lite: The same 55-km distance without the extra weight.
 
- 32-km Edmonton Journal Tour: A fun event with seven age categories with the course covering most of the same trail as the 55-km events.
 
- 13-km Celanese Mini Birkie: A loop, with no age categories, for those who want a taste of the Birkie.
 
- 5-km Snow Shuffle: For novice skiers of all ages.
 
- 2.5-km Ole's Two-Bit Tour: Kids and beginners get to ski the short loop with the Viking.