Portrait of a champion Pointe Claire's Allison Sibthorpe

By ALEXANDRE GAUTHIER

agauthier@transcontinental.ca

Pointe Claire resident Allison Sibthorpe, 13, not only was the first West Island athlete to earn a medal at the 34th Quebec Games being held in Sept-Iles, but she was the first Lac St. Louis athlete in the history of the event to earn a medal in the triathlon event.

The smiling, shy redhead was the first-ever West Island athlete to gain the podium in the event, which combines swimming, cycling and running in the same grueling competition – making her a true champion in the best sense of the word. "I like the cycling aspect, but my real strength is the running aspect of triathlon, because I've been a track and field athlete in the past. On the other hand, the swimming aspect is where I need the most work," she said.

Her Quebec Games performance illustrated those facts, as she finished second in the 15-kilometre bike race, third in the 4-kilometre run but no better than tenth in the 500-metre swim portion.

Overall, she came in third and won the bronze medal in the event. "I'm satisfied with my performance. I wanted to get on the podium and I did," she said.

A podium finish was the least her coach, Daniel Feltham, expected. "Allison is very strong on the bike and has endurance in the run, and she worked all winter to make herself a stronger swimmer in the water. I was very proud when she crossed the finish line and above all, proud for Lac St. Louis," he said.

Sibthorpe's major athletic passion remains cycling, for the reason that it allows her to get an eyeful of the West Island's landscape. Unfortunately for her, the Sept-Iles course required competitors to make four rounds of a track, thereby ensuring the monotony of the scenery. "I like to look at things," she confided. On the other hand, the young athlete prefers a short running track with many circuits. "That allows me to see when the finish line is coming and I can push myself a little harder in order to pass competitors in front of me and even move into the lead," she continued. "If not, it's a little harder to know where the course ends and how to use up as much energy as I have left in that last portion of the course."

Her family was quickly apprised of her performance, thanks to the Internet. "My parents were following the results on their computer," Sibthorpe said. Her siblings have already displayed a propensity for athletics. Her brothers, 9 and 6 years old respectively, already have their eyes on athletics. "The youngest one wants to do the triathlon as well, and the older one is already into canoeing and kayaking," she said.