Gathering with hundreds of young Canadian athletes in British Columbia was an amazing experience for Stettler’s Dacia Gramlick.
“It was one of the best weeks of my life,” said Gramlick, 17, who competed in the heptathlon at the Canadian Youth Legion Track and Field Championships, held in Langley, B.C., from Aug. 15 to 17.
“We all share something in common . . . It’s really cool.”
Gramlick, who begins Grade 12 at Wm. E. Hay Composite High School next month, placed fifth in her category.
While she said it wasn’t her peak performance, she did record two personal bests, scoring a time of 15.87 seconds in the 100 m hurdles, and registering an 11 m, 18 cm throw in the shot put.
“My performance wasn’t as good as it has been,” she said. “I was still happy . . . I did my best for that weekend.”
The heptathlon also includes the 200 m, 800 m, high jump, long jump and javelin.
Gramlick said the weekend also allowed her to get to know some of the athletes with whom she competes regularly.
She was one of 15 girls representing Team Alberta at the championships.
“It was really humid,” she remarked. “That’s B.C., I guess.”
She had support from her mother, Michelle Radford, and several siblings, who drove to B.C. together to watch her compete, staying with relatives there.
The weekend capped a successful summer for Gramlick, who also competed in both the Alberta Summer Games, taking home seven gold medals, and the Alberta Outdoor Track and Field provincials, where she earned three medals in total.
As she prepares to return to school, Gramlick said she intends to continue her athletic endeavours.
“I’m hoping to hit the gym more this year,” she said. “I hope to continue with track for a long time.”