Ottawa U20 ultimate Frisbee players to represent Canada at world championships this summer
It’s the chance of a lifetime for a group of Ottawa athletes who are getting ready to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Ultimate championships in the United Kingdom.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
A dozen young players from Ottawa will join Team Canada in July for the event. The ultimate Frisbee players took to the field on Sunday to show off their skills.
"I'm very excited. It's been something that I've been looking forward to for a long time, so very excited," said Kate Clement, who will be on Team Canada.
All of the players will be on one of the three teams representing their country in the under 20 categories. The world championships will be hosting players from around the world, representing more than 20 nations.
17-year-old Mateo Marshall has been working towards this goal for years.
"I've been playing for about ten years. My family has played, my parents, both of them played in a league when I was young, so I was introduced to it at a young age," Marshall said.
The competition is less than two months away, which means training is critical.
"Lots of workouts. I'm also playing with a club team here in Ottawa, so getting lots of Frisbees in," said Sophie Belanger, who is on Team Canada.
"We also have a big training camp in Ottawa coming up soon, so we're going to be playing in a tournament called Fishbowl."
Each player pays their own way to the United Kingdom, with the parents and team fundraising to help the cause.
Organizers say the total cost is between $5,000 and $7,000 per player.
"Everything from their training fees to training camps to airplane tickets to get out west," said Carolyn Cheer, a parent.
"Then there's the accommodations and the food, and then, of course, there's outside training that the kids are being asked to do as well in order to keep up with the strength conditioning."
A baked goods and plant sale took place on Sunday to help the cause. The athletes also ran a skills session to help inspire others who also want to represent Canada on the world stage.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Why did I have this surgery?' Ont. mother seeks answers after son's tonsil surgery
An Ontario mother said it looked like a horror movie when she flicked on the lights of her son’s bedroom to find him projectile vomiting blood after his tonsils were removed at McMaster Children’s Hospital.
Ohio jail mistakenly frees suspect in killing because of a typo
A man awaiting trial on an aggravated murder charge was mistakenly released from a county jail in Ohio this week due to a clerical error, authorities said.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returns to Australia a free man after U.S. legal battle ends
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returned to his homeland Australia aboard a charter jet on Wednesday, hours after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with U.S. Justice Department prosecutors that concludes a drawn-out legal saga.
Protesters try to topple Queen Victoria statue near pro-Palestinian encampment in Montreal
Montreal police were called to intervene after protesters attempted to tear down the Queen Victoria statue at Victoria Square.
Céline Dion insisted on keeping muscle spasm footage in documentary, director says
Céline Dion insisted that graphic footage of herself having a violent muscle spasm should stay in a new documentary about her life, the film’s director has said.
Puppy mills now illegal in Ontario, but advocates say little will change for dogs
Puppy mills are now illegal in Ontario after the province recently passed legislation banning them, but critics say the new law will do little to curb the problem.
Smith tells Trudeau Alberta will opt out of federal dental plan
Alberta is opting out of the federal dental plan, the premier told the Canadian government late Tuesday afternoon.
Things a pediatrician would never let their child do
As summer begins for most children around Canada, CTV News spoke with a number of pediatric health professionals about the best practices for raising kids, and how the profession has evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Suspected North Korean hypersonic missile exploded in flight, South Korea says
A suspected hypersonic missile launched by North Korea exploded in flight on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, as North Korea protests the regional deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier for a military drill with South Korea and Japan.