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24 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010 Beat the heat Paddler determined to make Canadian team from her hometown and trained at the local club. She decided to try it. But Bates doesn't just try. With the national canoe and Whether it had been swimming, kayak team trials just a week away, kayaking or another sport, "anyLizzy Bates is looking to earn a thing I would have been doing, I berth on the Canadian team. would have been doing it as comAfter missing out on a spot on petitively as I can," she said. the Canadian develop"She has no probment team by just half "She has no lem working hard. a second last year, her problem working That's one of the reagoal is clearly within hard. That's one sons she's gotten to reach. And when Bates where she is," said of the reasons sets her mind to Burloak head coach something, she usual- she's gotten to Adam Oldershaw. where she is." ly gets it. "Being that close (to a "I'm pretty complace on the national petitive," the 21-year- n Burloak Canoe team) last year, even old says. Club coach Adam taking a shot at it was A former gymnast, Oldershaw, talking a huge jump for her her career in the sport about Lizzy Bates from the year before." came to an end after Bates found she she tore her ACL and split her enjoyed kayaking more than swimkneecap. Told that swimming was ming and since graduating from really the only option available to Iroquois Ridge, paddling has her because it limited impact on become her sole focus. Bates won her knee, she dove headlong into her first Canadian title two years the sport. She won three provin- ago, in the K-2 500m at the cial high school golds, winning national championships. Last year, back-to-back 100-metre back- with two of her Burloak teamstroke titles and adding a victory in mates, she won a bronze medal at the 50-metre freestyle in her final the Canada Games in the K-4 year. 500m. Around the same time Bates Though she didn't get her start was winning OFSAA gold, she was in the sport until she was 16, Bates starting a new sporting career. doesn't necessarily see it as a detriWhen someone had mentioned ment to her goals. kayaking to her, it piqued her "A lot of the girls have been in interest. She knew Olympic cham- the sport since they could walk," pion Adam van Koeverden was See Several page 26 By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF MICHELLE SIU / OAKVILLE BEAVER COOLING OFF: Beck Newby of the Red Sox takes a minute to cool himself off during Tuesday's Oakville Little League minor A house league contest against the Mets at Our Lady of Peace Catholic School. This week's extreme heat hasn't seemed to stop local youngsters from continuing to enjoy their summer sports seasons.