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The Keays to success at the Winter Games

Feb 22, 2018 | 3:36 PM

The Saskatchewan Winter Games attracts some of the best athletes from across the province.

But Janessa Keays hopes it can be a stepping stone for something greater.

“I’m hoping to make it to the Olympics; I’m training for that,” Keays said.

Prince Albert’s Keays went undefeated in six judo matches, earning a gold medal in the +53 kg weight division in the Battlefords. She also added a bronze medal in the skills competition.

Keays is one of six Lakeland athletes so far in the Winter Games to have more than one medal. The others are Milan Herchak (gold in floor exercise for artistic gymnastics, bronze in balance beam and team event), Dallas Schidlowski (silver in Super Air Rifle, bronze in Air Rifle Open).

For Keays, she’s travelling across the world for the sport. Next on her agenda are Richmond, B.C., Edmonton, a hometown meet in Prince Albert and then it’s off to London, England.

Her out of province foes have been quite tough to compete against, but that has only push Keays to improve. She practices twice a week in Saskatoon and gets home at 10 p.m. each of those days, as well as putting on two more training days in P.A.

“The girls I fight from Quebec and Manitoba and Ontario and B.C., they’re really good. In B.C., they train every day,” Keays said. “The coaches in B.C. are paid to coach the athletes and to teach the athletes new things. In Sask, they’re volunteering on their own time. In Quebec, they all train a lot so they’re used to winning. It made me want to train harder so I can beat all those girls.”

 

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW