:: National Development Centre HOMEPAGE :: Thunder Bay, Ontario CANADA

January 2012

Somppi to Represent Canada on European Tour
Michael Somppi of the National Development Centre - Thunder Bay is one of seven cross country skiers selected to represent Canada at the OPA and Scandinavian Cup races in early February. Somppi and the Canadian Team heading to Europe will be competing in 7 races over 10 days against some of the top racers from across Europe. More...

Hamilton Qualifies for World Under 23 Championships

Thunder Bay native, Chris Hamilton of the National Development Centre - Thunder Bay and Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club, found out today that he will be representing Canada at the World Under 23 Cross Country Ski Championships taking place in Erzurum, Turkey from February 19th-26th. Hamilton proved that he is one of the top distance racers his age in the country as he solidified his spot on the Canadian Team by placing 2nd in last Sunday's 15km classic race as well as 4th in the men's 30km pursuit race on Thursday. More...

Check out the article about Eric Bailey written by Chelsea Little in FasterSkier. More...

Happy New Year skiing fans! To start the year off right, NDC athletes had some great successes at recent Ontario Cup races held at Lappe Nordic Centre in Thunder Bay. For all the results, visit ZONE4 and look for the links to the 2012 LSSD Ontario Cup results. Thunder Bay Television posted this article about the races on their website.

Here is the latest event article written by first year member, Jack Carlyle where he shares his adventures on the teams training camp and races that took place December in Silver Star and Rossland, BC.

December 2011
Eric Bailey Announces Retirement as Head Coach of NDC-Thunder Bay More...

NDC Thunder Bay Athletes Somppi and Seaton finish top 5 at Noram
NDC-Thunder Bay athletes had a terrific weekend in Rossland, BC at the Black Jack Ski Club racing in the Haywood NorAm and Teck Sprint Series. These races attract some of the best skiers from all over North America. More...

NDC-Thunder Bay athletes finished their first races of the competitive season this past weekend at Sovereign Lakes Nordic Centre in Vernon, BC. These races were the first stop on the Haywood Noram/Teck Sprint race series and attracted many of the top skiers from across Canada and the United States. More...

Jimmy Gunka talks about the key ingredient to success: good boots! CLICK HERE to read his new article.

NDC team member, Andy Shields shares his experiences of fall fitness training in his latest article titled "Fun, Fit, Intense!" CLICK HERE to download Andy's article.

Be sure to visit the athlete profile pages to read about our athletes and to download new individual and team photos.

November 2011

Nordic Fest 2011 is in the books as another success and fun evening! More...

Michael Somppi has written an interesting article about balance in one's life. CLICK HERE to download Michael's article.

NEWS FLASH - Andy Shields named Cambridge's 2010 athlete of the year! More...

(October 27, 2011) The National Development Centre (NDC) Thunder Bay cross country ski team opened their “push” towards the competitive season with their second annual team kick-off event at one of the organization’s main sponsors - PUSH Fitness Centre. The event showcased the talented athletes and acknowledged the support of the team’s community sponsors. The day was highlighted by an exciting roller-ski team sprint relay race featuring NDC athletes. Each team represented NDC’s gold level sponsors who are Fresh Air Experience, RBC Royal Bank, CRC Communications, and the event host, PUSH Fitness Centre. CLICK HERE for complete press release.

Chris Hamilton has a brand new article about the team's training in Italy. CLICK HERE to download Chris' article.

September 2011
NDC's Alannah MacLean Recieves National Recognition from CAAWS

Ottawa, ON . . . The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) is pleased to announce the five recipients of the 2011 Stacey Levitt Women and Sport Scholarship. These young women, from various regions of Canada, all share a passion for sport, serve as role models in their communities, and believe in empowering others to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

The Stacey Levitt Women and Sport Scholarship was established in honour and memory of the life of Stacey Levitt, a superior athlete and top student who was struck and killed by a car while jogging on August 30th, 1995. Stacey participated in sport for the sheer joy of the experience, its camaraderie, its teamwork and its competition. This is the 15th year that the $2,500 scholarship has been awarded by her family to a young woman, a girls’ team or sport organization that exemplify Stacey’s ideals and qualities. Each recipient will receive $500 and a copy of the book I Am a Rose, which is a compilation of poetry written by Stacey Levitt.

2011 Recipients
Angel Anderson, Edmonton, Alta. – Boxing
Sheena Dubyk, Prince Albert, Sask. – Wrestling / Hockey
Alannah MacLean, Sudbury, Ont. – Cross-Country Skiing
Jordan Sequillion, Kingston, Ont. – Archery
Jenna Spencer, Mount Currie, B.C. – Luge / Dragon boat / Canoe / Kayak

Stacey’s parents, Ned and Cheryl Levitt, selected this year’s recipients from a candidate pool of more than 500 applications. “August 30th marked the 16th anniversary of our precious Stacey’s passing. She would be very proud, as we are, of all the talented young women from across Canada who are setting and reaching their goals,” said Cheryl Levitt. “Stacey said it best in her poem To Everyone.”

Congratulations to the 2011 Stacey Levitt Women and Sport Scholarship Recipients! To read the recipients’ full bios, visit the CAAWS website

August 2011

Harry Seaton, Nick Monette, and Jack Carlyle (pictured in photo l. to r.) participated in the Orillia Triathlon on August 21st. Harry Seaton and Jack Carlyle won their age groups and placed and 11th and 19th respectively overall out of 526 participants. Nick Monette placed 2nd in his age group and 24th overall. Full results can be found at: www.sportstats.ca

NDC-Thunder Bay athletes recently returned from a three week training camp in Canmore, Alberta and the Haig Glacier. The camp was a huge success as all of the athletes worked tremendously hard and completed some of their biggest training weeks to date.

Rob Rupf, a physiologist with the Canadian Sports Centre - Ontario worked with the athletes and was an integral part of the camp as athletes received daily monitoring and testing. He was definitely a huge part of the camp's success.

Here is an article written by NDC-Thunder Bay member Dudley Coulter where he shares his thoughts and experiences on the camp.

The team now heads to Southern Ontario for the last two weeks of August to participate in a high performance training camp at Hardwood Ski and Bike located outside of Barrie, ON. This camp attracts athletes from all over Ontario and acts as another outreach initiative for the team where NDC athletes and coaches will be acting as mentors and leaders for the up and coming generation.

The National Development Centre – Thunder Bay (NDC) is pleased to announce that CRC Communications has become the new office headquarters for the team and has moved up to be one of our Premium Sponsors! READ MORE

NDC athlete Michael Somppi has recently concluded a two week training camp in Canmore, Alberta with the National Ski Team where he trained alongside World Champion Devon Kershaw. To find out more about his adventure check out his blog http://michaelsomppi.blogspot.com

The whole NDC team is en route to meet Michael in Canmore and to train at the Haig Glacier where they will be on snow. Athletes will be working hard and training at their best to prepare for the upcoming ski season. Follow us on Twitter for pictures and updates from the camp!

NDC just finished off the local Lake Superior Ski District Dryland (LSSD) Training camp last week. This camp, hosted by local Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club, attracted over 70 athletes from across Ontario. This is a great outreach program for the NDC Thunder Bay athletes as they act as mentors and lend a hand in coaching the younger generation of athletes in hopes of motivating them to be the best they can be in the sport and to

eventually be a part of the NDC one day. A special guest to this year's camp was 2010 Olympian Stefan Kuhn!! Athletes had a chance to see what Thunder Bay has to offer including running to the top of the Sleeping Giant, rollerskiing on the roads around the Neebing area, running at Centennial Park, an awesome trail run put on by Fresh Air Experience at Kamview Nordic Centre, and much more!

Here is an article written by Jimmy Gunka about his experience with the camp. The camp also received some great media coverage. Click on the below links to read:

NDC Adopt an Athlete Program
Do you need help around your house, camp, or place of business and cannot find the time to get it done. NDC Thunder Bay has started a great program that can help you get the job done!

Sleep, eat, team practice, strength training, travel, competition, eat, sleep repeat…. Members of the National Development Centre (NDC) Thunder Bay cross country ski team dedicate on average 20-30 hours a week to training and racing. Add in weekend travel to races and there is little time to take on part time jobs to offset the cost of team fees and travel expenses.

Financial assistance is critical to maintaining the tradition of excellence of the NDC Thunder Bay. The Adopt an Athlete program provides the opportunity for you to help offset some of the cost associated with training and racing at the national level and here’s a bonus - get some much needed projects done around the house, camp or business. Let’s face it, we all have things that need to get done and never seem to find the time to do them. This program is a great way for former team alumni, friends, family and the community to be a part of the long standing tradition of excellence of the NDC Thunder Bay. With your generous support we can continue the commitment of excellence that has allowed the NDC to turn today’s developing skiers into tomorrow’s aspiring Olympic Champion.

Please see the attached document for more information on this program or call Amanda at 626-2224 for more details.

NDC-Thunder Bay has officially started the 2011/2012 season! Things got underway at the beginning of June with the team's first training camp entitled "Boot Camp". We are pleased to announce that 12 athletes have been named to this year's team. Please find attached the 2011/2012 roster plus Andy Shields article, "Booting it Into Gear" where he shares his thoughts and experiences on Boot Camp.

We are very excited to get this season started and are looking forward to another great year. Please check back for more updates soon.

Notice of Annual General Meeting NDC Thunder Bay
When: Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 at 7pm-9pm
Where: Lakehead University, Braun Building 0021

Michael Somppi of the National Development Centre - Thunder Bay was recently named to the Senior National Cross Country Ski Team. The 23 year old native of Thunder Bay represented Canada at a World Cup and the World Under 23 Championships this past season. Somppi said of this accomplishment, " I am so proud and honoured to be a part of this team. This is another step in the right direction towards qualifying to represent Canada at the 2013 World Ski Championships and the 2014 Winter Olympics. However, being a member of the National Ski Team is not only good for me, it's good for the National Development Centre in Thunder Bay (which I am still a part of), it's good for local competitive skiing in Thunder Bay, and it's good for competitive skiing in Ontario." More info...

April 2011

The National Development Centre Thunder Bay recently hosted its annual sponsors and supporters luncheon as a small token of gratitude for the incredible support that is given every year to the team.

Eric Bailey and Erin Tribe both spoke about how our community has embraced the team and shown the rest of the country that we truly are a nordic sport loving city!

Special thanks to Jeff and the staff at the Caribou Restaurant for hosting a great lunch!

The Most Successful Season Yet!
NDC season is now in the books and by all accounts it was an incredible year for the team. Here is a press release and an article in the Chronicle Journal highlighting the stellar year.

Another recent highlight is Lakehead University's naming Andrea Lee as Freshman Athlete of the Year. She had a great year winning both the Ontario and National University Championships. More info:

March 2011

The annual 24 Hour Relay at Lappe was once again a great event and this year, held under sunny skies, cool temperatures and amazing mid-winter snow conditions at Lappe. A big thank you to Lappe and all the volunteers who made this event a great success! Thanks also to all the skiers who came out to ski and help raise funds for NDC and the Lappe Trail Development fund.

Action shots of the athletes from all of the races can be found by clicking here

Five members of the NDC team (Erin Tribe, Dudley Coulter, Mike Somppi, Chris Hamilton, and Andy Shields) are in Sun Valley, Idaho for the 2011 US Championship 50 and 30km races and the 2011 USSA Super Tour Finals. They were selected by Cross Country Canada to race based on their performances at Nationals. For updates and information please check out http://www.svsef.org/2011XCSupertourFinals/SuperTourEventInfo.aspx

Ski Nationals 2011 Wrap-Up
NDC Thunder Bay had a very successful National Championships! On the last day of competition, Andy Shields secured the overall Junior National Title by winning the 30km skate race. Ironically, it was also Andy's birthday and what more could he have asked for! Michael Somppi also had a very strong performance in the 50km skate race as he skied with the lead pack, which included two Olympians and some of the strongest skiers in Canada for the majority of the race and crossed the line in 4th position. Please see below for the latest press releases:

Overall, it was a great championship with many top tens and a few medals. Andrea Lee also won the overall Canadian University Title by her strong performances in each race. NDC-Thunder Bay showed its strength and proved we are one of the best ski centres in Canada!

The Canadian race calendar is now complete and a few of our athletes have been selected to compete in Idaho for the Super Tour Race finals where the best skiers from all over North America will be attending. The other members of the team will be taking part in the 24hour relay at the Lappe Ski Centre this Saturday.

NDC athlete Erin Tribe provides valuable tips on how to do an effective interview with the media. CLICK HERE for her advice and tips.

The 2011 Sleeping Giant Loppet was a bit hit and our NDC athletes featured in the results. CLICK HERE to read how our athletes did in this event.

Andy Shields has written about his recent adventure in Nova Scotia for the Canada Winter Games. CLICK HERE to download

Erin Tribe was recently selected as a True Sport athlete at the Canada Winter Games. Erin was selected as a True Sport athlete as: "one who embraces the Principles for Sport: Go For It, Play Fair, Have Fun, Respect Others, Stay Healthy, Give Back" Great job Erin! . CLICK HERE for more details

LEE CLAIMS BRONZE IN HALIFAX

First year NDC-Thunder Bay member Andrea Lee grabbed a bronze medal in the 10km classic mass start today in Halifax. Lee, representing her home province of BC was less than 1 second from the silver and only three seconds off of the gold medal. Lee had a great race and is very excited to be in the medals. She said after her race, " I had so much fun out there! It was a great day. Thanks to the wax techs, my skis were perfect! It was such a good feeling, to be able to stick with the top girls. Overall, the games have been an amazing experience. The volunteers have worked so hard to put on a good show, and all the athletes appreciate it so much. I'm looking forward to the relay, it looks like BC is fielding a pretty strong team so I'm excited to see what we can do!"

Overall, NDC-Thunder Bay had a great day placing 3 more athletes in the top ten. In the 15km mass start classic, Michael Somppi had a strong 5th place finish followed by Chris Hamilton in 9th. Erin Tribe crossed the line in 8th place and Andy Shields ended the day in 17th. Racing continues on Saturday with the relay event. More photos...

Andy Shields, a first year member of the National Development Centre - Thunder Bay team claimed a silver medal at the Canada Winter Games in the 1000m skate sprint. Shields, who lives and trains out of Thunder Bay proved he is now becoming one of the best all around skiers for his age in Canada. Shields had a great race today and the snow conditions seemed to play in his favour. Shields commented after his race, “The snow conditions took a change from yesterday - there were some really soft, 'sugary' sections on the course. I was able to float over them not too badly and it probably turned out to be an advantage for me." Shields just edged out Michael Somppi in the quarter finals and unfortunately eliminated Somppi from the heats. Somppi is not losing any hope for a gold medal which he hopes to bring home in the 15km classic race taking place on Thursday. He stated after Tuesday's skate race, "I'm very happy with the result but I am still hungry for a gold." It's going to be an exciting rest of the week to see what Team Ontario and the National Development Centre can do! More...

NDC-Thunder Bay veteran Michael Somppi claimed a silver medal today competing in his first of four races at the Canada Winter Games in Halifax. Somppi, a native of Thunder Bay just missed the gold medal by a mere 2 seconds in the 10km freestyle race. The eventual winner was Kevin Sandau of Alberta who was also Somppi's teammate at the World U23 Championships. The Canada Winter Games showcases the best athletes in Canada who are under 23 years of age and by placing second in a field of 48 athletes, Somppi proved once again that he is definitely one of top cross country skiers in the nation for his age. Ontario and NDC teammate Chris Hamilton placed an impressive 6th place. Somppi and Hamilton now hope to carry this momentum into the sprint event taking place tomorrow.

Other top results from Thunder Bay athletes include Jimmy Gunka in 14th and NDC -Thunder Bay member Andy Shields in 12th. On the Women's side, Erin Tribe and Andrea Lee both of the NDC-Thunder Bay team placed 7th and 21st respectively in a challenging field of 55 competitors.

Racing continues tomorrow at the Martock Ski Centre, located approximately 1.5hrs outside of Halifax with the 1000m sprints for both men and women.

Full results can be found at http://cg2011.gems.pro/Result/Event_List.aspx?Sport_GUID=bf04ca9c-956d-4d4a-abff-94268c6cabf1&SetLanguage=en-CA

Six members of the team and head coach Eric Bailey are now in Halifax to compete at the Canada Winter Games where the first race takes place on Monday. For more information about the Canada Games, visit their website.

After the Canada Games, the team will compete locally at the RBC Sleeping Giant Sprints and the Sleeping Giant Loppet on March 3rd and 5th respectively. We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the Loppet!

Michael Somppi has a new article about his experiences at the Eastern Ontario Championships. READ MORE

NDC has a new Adopt an Athlete program. CLICK HERE to learn more about this exciting opportunity.

Andy Shields of the National Development Centre-Thunder Bay Cross Country Ski Team had a phenomenal weekend at the Haywood Noram Eastern Canadian Championships in Cantley, Quebec and continued his absolute domination of the Junior category today. More...

Fresh off the trails in Europe, NDC member Erin Tribe placed an impressive 3rd place at the Eastern Canadian Championships in Cantley, Quebec (just outside of Ottawa) on Feb 12th. More...

Andy Shields shares his thoughts about skiing and motivation in his new article titled, "Racing With Your Head". CLICK HERE to read Andy's article

Click for larger photo - Photo: Mark Dewan

Andrea Lee dominated the Ontario University Championships this past weekend in Sudbury. She skied for Lakehead University and won every event she entered. In a dominating fashion she captured the women's 5k classic and 5k skate races and teamed up with Big Thunder's Daphne Haggarty to win gold in the team sprint. Lee was named OUA's MVP and led the Thunderwolves to their 7th consecutive OUA Championship title.

Dudley Coulter shares his experiences about recent races in the US in a new article titled: Supertours and Superpowers. more...

Michael Somppi, Erin Tribe, and Andy Shields of the National Development Centre - Thunder Bay put in a solid effort on the last day of competition at the World Junior and Under 23 Cross Country Skiing Championships in Oteppa, Estonia. Andy Shields competed in the relay event and anchored Canada into a 9th place finish. Shields had a very strong anchor leg in the skate technique, having the 6th fastest time on his lap. more...

Andy Shields just missed out on qualifying for the rounds by 0.19 seconds in the 1.4km classic sprints. He ended the day in 31st position and is eagerly awaiting his next two races. CLICK HERE for Coach Eric Bailey's report.

While Andy, Mike, and Erin are competing at the World Champs over the weekend, the rest of the team is competing in Houghton, Michigan for the SuperTour races. The SuperTour series features National Team members, Olympians, and NCAA racers. Today the team is racing the sprint prologue followed tomorrow by a classic interval start race and finishes off on Sunday with a mass start classic race. Results and information can be found at: http://supertour.mtu.edu/

NDC's Michael Somppi proved today that he can ski with the best in the world. Finishing an impressive 14th in a field of 68 in the 15km skate race, Michael showed he is in top form for these championship races being held in Otepaa, Estonia. more...

NDC member Andy Shields proved once again today that he is Canada's number one junior distance racer. Finishing 49th in a field of 103 skiers, Shields was the top Canadian in Otepaa, Estonia over the 10km skate course in a time of 26:20. He will now prepare for his next event, the 1.4km classic sprint race, occurring on Friday. NDC team mates Michael Somppi and Erin Tribe will be competing in the 15km free and 10km free event tomorrow in the World Under 23 Competition. Results can be found at www.fis-ski.com

Mary Tribe has sent us some great photos of the
NorAm World Junior Trials held earlier in January - CLICK HERE to view

CRC Communications and NDC Thunder Bay
As a long-time supporter of the NDC and current silver sponsor, CRC Communications recently hosted NDC athletes and coaches at their office in Thunder Bay, treating them to lunch and providing an opportunity for CRC staff to get to know the team. Thank you Reid Carter and all the staff at CRC for your continuing support of cross country skiing in Thunder Bay and for your sincere interest in the team!

2011 Haywood NorAm World Junior/U23 Trials Update

NDC Thunder Bay had a very successful event with three of our athletes qualifying to represent Canada on the world stage. Andy Shields made the World Junior Team while Erin Tribe and Michael Somppi made the World Under 23 Team. They will all be heading to Oteppa, Estonia on January 25th-31st.

This event was also a qualifier for athletes who will compete for Team Ontario at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, Feb 11th-27th. Five NDC athletes qualified for Team Ontario. They are Erin Tribe, Michael Somppi, Jimmy Gunka, Chris Hamilton and Andy Shields. Andrea Lee has also qualified to represent her home province of British Columbia.

Let the World Trials Begin!
Thunder Bay’s city mayor Keith Hobbs, local race organizers, coaches, and athletes gathered on January 4th at the Prince Arthur Hotel to officially launch the Haywood NorAm World Trials.

Scott Sullivan shares his impressions or skiing and competing in Silver Star in his latest article. CLICK HERE to download Scott's article.

Former NDC athlete, Jesse Winter, has a new article in SkiTrax about current NDC athlete Andy Shields. CLICK HERE to read Jesse's article.

NDC Andy Shield's Dominates in Opening Race of the Season

NDC rookie Andy Shields showed spectacular early season form by dominating the competition in the first major race of the 2010/2011 season. Shields, who lives and trains out of Thunder Bay, showed that he is definitely one of the top junior skiers in Canada by besting his next closest competitor by nearly 40 seconds in the Junior Men's 15km Skate race at the Sovereign Lakes Nordic Centre near Vernon British Columbia.

By winning today's race, the 19 year old skier completed a stellar weekend of racing that included a bronze medal in the Junior Men's Sprint Race on Saturday. Shields said after his race, "the conditions really worked to my advantage today, it snowed 30cm last night and that is what I ski best in. I am very happy with my form and shape at this point in the season. It was a great day for our team. Our coaches Timo and Eric were phenomenal. Our skis were so fast out there." Shields will now hope to carry the momentum over to the World Junior Trial Races that will be held in Thunder Bay at the Lappe Nordic Ski Centre from January 6-9.

Other top results from Thunder Bay Athletes include Jimmy Gunka, 6th place in the 1.4km sprint race, Michael Somppi and Harry Seaton placing 10th (6th Canadian) and 11th (7th Canadian) respectively in the Senior Men's category. In the 15km skate, Michael Somppi placed 15th (9th Canadian) in a time of 43:33 in a deep field of 85 racers.

Racing continues in Rossland, British Columbia from December 16-18 as part of the Haywood Noram Race Series.

Here is link to a news item on the Global network about Eric and the team as they prepare for this weekend's races in Sovereign Lake. The Haywood NorAm and Teck Sprint Series competitions this weekend in Vernon are the first cross-country ski races of the season.

“Now that its race time, everything seems to snap to the forefront of attention”, is the way Chris Hamilton describes his feelings about the start to the race season in his new article titled "The Final Preparations".

"Witness the Fitness" is the theme of a recent article by Erin Tribe. CLICK HERE to read

Nordicfest 2010 was a resounding success thanks to our great sponsors, prize donors, tireless volunteers and to all those attended this fun evening of friendly bidding, amazing food and laughter. Without your support we couldn't be where we are today as one of North America's premier cross country skiing organization. Hope to see you at the next event! CLICK HERE to read an account of the evening by NDC athlete Jimmy Gunka

Two new articles for your reading pleasure have been written by Andrea Lee and Leif Lennie. Click on the following links to read their interesting articles:

The Toronto Star recently published a special supplement on people living with food allergies and Celiac and NDC's Dudley Coulter was featured in this publication. CLICK HERE to see Dudley's story

Jimmy Gunka shares his impressions of his Austrian training experience in this new article. - CLICK HERE to read.

Here is a new report from Dudley Coulter about the training camp in Austria - CLICK HERE

Scott Sullivan weighs in with his impressions of the Austrian experience and fast cars - CLICK HERE

Who says training can't be fun? Be sure to read Erin Tribe's latest article about some recent training activities. CLICK HERE to download her article.

Michael Somppi and Harry Seaton recently had an opportunity train in Quebec with other athletes on the NST. CLICK HERE to read Michael's article about their experience.

NDC newcomer, Jimmy Gunka, has written an article about his impressions and experiences at the Haig Glacier training camp. CLICK HERE to read his article.

Here is a new report by Harry Seaton about the Team's recent training at the Haig Glacier. Enjoy! CLICK HERE to download the report.

NTDC newcomer, Dudley Coulter, provides an interesting insight into his experience as anew team member. CLICK HERE to read his article.

Here are a few photos from the recent training camp held on the Haig Glacier located in Southern Alberta's Kananaskis Country.