Ready to shine in Singapore

In late April, Rachel Romu, an elite local athlete, received an e-mail message from Athletics Canada extolling congratulations on her athletics performance in 2009. The message concluded with the announcement that she had been selected to represent Canada at the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Singapore, August 14-26.

The Youth Olympics Games will bring 3500 of the world elite young athletes from over 170 nations together in a celebration of athletic competition and cultural exchange. The Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore is an inaugural event for the International Olympic Committee. The youth version of the Olympic Games will be hosted every two years, alternating between summer and winter games. The athletes are between the ages of 14 and 18.

Rachel’s ability to qualify in long jump (her signature event) for such an amazing event is attributed to years of hard work, dedication and exceptional performances. Her goal of competing on the world stage is being realized. Rachel was born and raised in Thunder Bay. She participated in sports from a young age and thrived in competitive environments such as provincial level gymnastics but has also found pleasure in non-competitive activities, especially down hill skiing where you could witness her enjoying the speed and freedom of any given run on the local hills. She is 17 years old and has just completed Grade 11 at St. Ignatius High School. Her impressive personal bests include 12.5 seconds in the 100 metre dash at NWOSSSA Championships in 2008, 12.05 meters in the Triple Jump at Manitoba Provincial Championships 2008 and 1.66 metres in the High Jump at OFSAA Championship in 2008. In the 2009 outdoor season she received national acclaim when she long jumped 5.81 metres at the Legion Nationals Championships meet held in Sherbrooke, Quebec, ranking her in Canada’s top spot for her age group and attracting the attention of Athletics Canada.

During the 2010 indoor season she established herself as a triple threat after taking gold in the long jump, triple jump and high jump at the Canada Boeing meet held in Winnipeg, Manitoba. With such a jam-packed agenda of training, travel and competition, Rachel still finds time for her studies and family. She finds the best way to relax is to spend time with her proud parents, Harry and Colleen and her brother Jacob at camp. Her favourite activity is to crank up the sauna until you can’t take the steam anymore, run to the lake and jump off the dock into the cool lake water. Rachel also enjoys reading, sketching, photography and playing guitar.

Congratulations to Rachel Romu. There’s no doubt that she will do Thunder Bay and Canada proud. Best of luck in Singapore and, hey the 2012 Summer Olympics Games in London are not that far away.

Barb Hay is a local resident, family friend and proud godmother of Rachel.