The U17 A Girls Sky Volleyball Club annual fundraiser at Wings Tap and Grill was sold out with Shanda Hill captivating the crowd with her inspirational story.
The team met its goal of raising more than $7,000 through ticket sales, corporate sponsorship and silent auction items to help offset costs for the nationals in Edmonton next month. Extreme athlete Shanda Hill was the featured speaker.
“The Vernon volleyball community rallied and made this a huge success - and of course having Shanda as our keynote speaker made the whole evening special,” said Barb Hamilton, joined on the fundraiser committee by Dan Rogers, Calvin MacKinnon, Erin Hobkirk and Shannon Weir
“The fundraiser is unique in its approach by having all 12 of the athletes help serve during the event and they also emceed the entire evening.”
Hill, 34, is the first Canadian woman to compete in an extreme race known as the Quintuple Anvil. The event involves a 19- kilometre swim, 900-k bike ride and a 210-k run. Participants have 132 hours, or about five and a half days to complete the race.
On one sleepless night, Hill told the crowd she found herself having to dig deep.
“About 4 a.m. on Thursday (Oct. 13), I was out running and it got quite cool,” she said. “I had a bit of a tearing feeling in my quad muscle. It was really hurting. I thought, ‘You know what, I’ve had a kid — (the pain) isn’t going to be as
bad ([as that) ’ — so I just ground right through.”
She said those gritty moments are what make the triathlon worthwhile.
“When you’re put in a position of having to dig deeper like that and you choose to — I think it’s so incredible what we’re capable of with our human bodies.”
Hill has only been participating in triathlons for two years. She already has her sights set on her next challenge: the Deca triathlon, the equivalent of ten back-to-back Ironman challenges.
Head coach Troy Lorenson wrapped up the event by summing up the girls approach to life and sport: ” These girls live and breath passion, drive and unity.”
The U17A roster: Abbey Hughes, Alexandra MacKinnon, Allison Hobkirk, Anica Haberstock, Claire Oordt-Bosman, Ella Oduro, Emily Dahl, Kalli Hamilton-Gee, Kendel Rogers, Mariah Feist, Mya Weir, Rachel Gareau.