It was a great event for Raya Cuthill who recently competed at the Western Canada Games.
A member of the Yorkton Canoe Kayak Club would repeat in Swift Current.
“We went into the event without great expectations.
“We had divisionals a week earlier,” she said, adding results there were what most anticipated would repeat in Swift Current.
“We kind of already knew where we stood.”
But things can change in sport.
Cuthill said she felt very ready to race at the Summer Games.
“The whole atmosphere of the Games got everybody more revved up for it,” she said.
So in the 200-metres solo race Cuthill put her kayak paddle in high gear and emerged at the end with a time that earned her a bronze medal.
“I went into the final heat in fourth place,” she said, adding her dad “gave me a pep talk before the race. He told me I had been preparing all summer for this.”
The preparation and prep talk worked with the bronze the result.
Cuthill then transitioned to K4 with her team winning bronzes in each of the 200, 500 and 1000 metres.
Then in the war canoe a silver medal was added to Cuthill’s impressive collection.
Cuthill said the event was obviously a career highlight, eclipsing a seven medal performance at the Saskatchewan Summer Games because the competition at the Western Games is tougher because it is a multi-province affair.
“Definitely this was harder,” said the 16-year-old competitor.
