By Darren
Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex
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| Two runners lap the track at a Running Wild practice. |
The
21-year-old has been a star for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s
Track and Field Team since taking overall female rookie of the year honours for
Huskie Athletics back in 2017-18. The graduate of Saskatoon’s Centennial
Collegiate is a member of the Central Urban Metis Federation Incorporated and
has been a coach with the Running Wild Athletics Club pretty much since it
started in 2018.
The Running
Wild Athletics Club is an indigenous focused track and field club that operates
provincially.
Farmer, who
specializes in sprints with the Huskies, isn’t one of those that draws
attention to her lengthy list of accomplishments in track and field. When she
is coaching Running Wild, Farmer is zoned in on helping athletes improve and making
sure that they are feeling upbeat.
During a
Running Wild practice this past May, Farmer was casually talking to her
athletes during a rest period about her nutrition program and some of the extra
things she does in her own track and field training. One of the young athletes
figured out Farmer was a member of the Huskies.
The young
athlete said being a member of the Huskies was a big thing and that Farmer had
to focus on her nutrition and the extra things she does in training.
Farmer
asked the young athlete if joining the Huskies was something the youngster
wanted to do in the future. The youngster responded with a yes.
Farmer was
happy to hear that upbeat response and proceeded to offer encouragement to the
rest of the athletes who were at practice that night at the Track and Field
Track at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.
“Huskies are something that you guys should be looking to,
because it is not impossible,” said Farmer, who stands 5-foot-5. “It is me and
Brett (Lachance) and all of the other awesome indigenous athletes on the
team.
“We’re all thriving on the team, and there is quite a few of us.”
Farmer is one of the 25 current or former Huskies who are mentor coaches with Running Wild and also athletes on the club’s performance side in Saskatoon. Running Wild has 40 athletes in Saskatoon that are part of the club’s developmental program.
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| Kendra Farmer is one of the mentor coaches for Running Wild. |
“I think they do look up to us,” said Farmer, who is an
engineering student at the U of S. “It humbles me, and I appreciate being able
to be a role model for some of the athletes.
“It is kind of never something I would have expected to be
able to be. It is exciting to be able to coach and then see them kind of look
into their futures and become part of their goals.”
That type
of connection is one of the intangibles long time track and field administrator
Derek Rope wanted to see. Rope, who is a member of the Board of Directors for
Friends of the Bowl, has always sought out ways to get more indigenous athletes
to take part in track and field.
An alum of
the Huskies Men’s Track and Field Team, Rope remembers a time where only about
four per cent of participants at a mainstream track and field meet in the
province identified as indigenous. Rope wanted to grow that four per cent
number.
He helped
found the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Track and Field Meet 13 years ago.
The Running
Wild Athletics Club provides another avenue to get indigenous youth into track
and field.
Rope, who
is a member of the Pasqua First Nation, said it is important to have those
avenues for indigenous youth to get into sport. The 46-year-old said one of
those reminders personally came from seeing the 2018 child advocate’s report on
youth incarceration rates in Saskatchewan, which said 92 per cent of male
incarcerated youth and 98 per cent of female incarcerated youth were
indigenous.
“We use sport not only as a way to encourage healthy
lifestyles, competition and school, but obviously, as an access to
participation or alternatives,” said Rope. “For us, yes, it was important, and
yes, there are other clubs.
“We definitely know that when we are doing something that we
are doing it also for how we build and support not only indigenous athletes but
how we make those connections and bridge communities.”
Rope said
Saskatchewan Athletics, which governs track and field in the province, has been
a great supporter in helping indigenous sport track and field bodies.
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| A long jumper takes to the air at a Running Wild practice. |
“It makes it real,” said Rope. “It makes it relevant.
“It makes it attainable. They connect as people for sure and
definitely show that there is life in sport after your done high school. You
can become a student athlete and continue doing what you love.
“I think it is huge when kids are able to see their fellow
indigenous people doing well competing and achieving.”
On top of creating avenues for indigenous athletes, the
Running Wild Athletics Club created avenues for indigenous athletes to become
coaches.
After finishing her rookie season with the Huskies in the
spring of 2018, Farmer hadn’t thought about becoming a coach in the sport.
Lachance learned about Farmer’s Metis background and introduced her to helping
out with Saskatchewan Aboriginal Track and Field activities.
She proceeded to meet Rope, who suggested Farmer should try coaching and that the Running Wild Athletics Club was looking for coaches. That marked Farmer’s introduction to coaching in the sport.
“It was very exciting honestly the first time getting to
coach,” said Farmer. “It was definitely a learning curve off the bat.
“I started off coaching with long jump, because that was one
of my main events at the time. I felt pretty confident there. Then, I sort of
expanded into some of the other events.”
When Farmer began to coach sprinters, she learned it is
important to try not to overload young athletes with information.
“Sprinting is a weird event to coach,” said Farmer. “You
think from the outside perspective you are just running.
“When you get down to the nitty-gritty of it, it is actually
like a lot of little details, especially coaching younger kids. You don’t want
to be giving too much detail, because it could get confusing. You want to make
sure they are still running with proper form and everything.
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| A trio of runners jet to the finish at a Running Wild practice. |
Farmer has enjoyed seeing the athletes she coaches improve. While
she still plans to be a high level track and field athlete for a while yet,
Farmer wants to continue being a coach in the sport especially with Running
Wild.
“I’m definitely hoping to keep coaching for as long as
possible,” said Farmer. “I have one year of school left to go, and then we’ll
see where I go from there.
“I might stick around for a couple of more years just to
finish out my (U Sports) eligibility. As long as I can, I for sure will be
coaching for Running Wild definitely outside. Even if I move provinces or move
elsewhere, I’m going to try and keep in touch with this club as much as
possible just because I love what they are doing.”
