S4 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011
THE SILHOUETTE • S5
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011
Feature
Yorke yearns for Olympic dream Now one of the best triathletes in Canada, McMaster’s Andrew Yorke has recovered remarkably from a life-threatening injury Fraser Caldwell Sports Editor
PHOTO C/O PETE SELF
Andrew Yorke has moved onto Team Canada’s Olympic triathlon radar after a Sept. 24 performance in Buffalo saw him beat out top professionals.
Right now, he’s one of the best triathletes in the country, and yet there was a time in Andrew Yorke’s young career when not only his future in the sport, but his life itself hung in the balance. On Sept. 26, Yorke finished fourth at the U.S. Pro National event in Buffalo, NY, beating out many of the top triathletes in the world in the process, including American Olympian Jarrod Shoemaker. That result is just the latest in a series of remarkable performances over the course of the 2011 season that has announced Yorke’s arrival on the international stage. But turn back the clock four years, and the blossoming star was unable to complete the simplest of workouts. After closing out his first year of school and competition at McMaster – where he runs with the cross-country team and swims with coach Andrew Cole’s varsity squad – Yorke was racing in the 2007 national championship event when he was forced to pull out with back spasms. Upon inspection, the problem turned out to be much worse than a simple spasm. Yorke was diagnosed with a life-threatening staph infection in his spine, and rushed into emergency surgery. With the risk of the procedure, the Marauder explains that for a time, life itself was his only concern. “When I found out about the infection, I was told that I would need surgery right away,” said Yorke. “The doctors said that in all likelihood, I would die or be paralyzed. “At that point you just don’t know. Everything else goes on the backburner and you have no control.” Yorke would survive the procedure and the immediate risks afterward. And he not only returned to training, but did so remarkably quickly – in fact, too quickly. “The weird thing was that I came back really quickly after the procedure,” commented the Marauder. “I was back running and
within weeks I ran a best time on the track. And then the setbacks started happening, when I was maybe pushing myself too hard. “I was having stress fractures and low iron levels. They were things I’d never had before. I was always the consistent guy; I just kept going and never got banged up. I went from believing that I could compete again to realizing that I couldn’t even run for 20 minutes without pain. For Yorke, the situation became an existential question about his future in the sport. “How could I train to be one of the best in Canada and the world if I couldn’t even do the work?” he said, wondering aloud the question confronting him at the time. His struggle to return to form was a prolonged one, and caused Yorke to contemplate quitting the sport he loved. But after deciding to continue with the support of his coaches, the Marauder enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2010. His returned prowess on the triathlon circuit led Yorke to be named as Triathlon Canada Magazine’s Under-23 Athlete of the Year, and marked a turning point for an athlete who had been on the brink of admitting defeat only a few short years earlier. It is a remarkable turnaround, but as the Marauder himself explains, his renewed success comes at a hefty price. In balancing a full-time course load and the demands of training in three separate disciplines, Yorke is an exceptionally busy man. He realizes however, that such is the burden one carries if they wish to thrive as a high-performance athlete. “It does get a little hard,” Yorke admits of his workload. “There are some late nights with schoolwork, and I’m not the most time-efficient person, so I’ve had to work on that. But I’ve always known that if I wanted to be good I had to do the work. “As long as I show up and put my head down, it’s going to pay off. It’s hard, and you’re tired, and you don’t want to do it everyday. But you put your head down and you do
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“The doctors said that in all likelihood, I would die or be paralyzed” it.” If there is one respite Yorke has while at McMaster, it is that several of his club teammates from the C3 outfit in Caledon, ON have joined him in donning the Maroon and Grey, including third-year racer Taylor Reid and
rookie John Rasmussen. Coached by decorated instructor Barrie Shepley, who helped Simon Whitfield to the world’s first Olympic gold medal in triathlon in 2000, the C3 team is one of the most promising such organizations in the country.
PHOTO C/O PETE SELF
Yorke works with the Mac cross-country team in the fall to improve his run split.
For his part, Yorke indicates that the inclusion of his teammates within the McMaster framework allows him to learn, teach, and to show his competitive spirit. “We’re all pretty good friends,” said Yorke of the C3 contingent. “But I’m a pretty competitive guy. So sometimes I might strain that relationship because I want to win. It’s good to have those guys along because misery loves company. “I learn a bit from them, and maybe I can teach them a thing or two because I’ve been around for a while.” After his recent successes, Yorke is beginning to garner the attention and respect of some of the veteran triathletes that blazed the Olympic trail he hopes to travel one day. Chief among those is Whitfield himself, who served as the example for Yorke and so many other young Canadian triathletes of his generation with his unforgettable finish at the Sydney Olympics. However, Yorke indicates that beneath the myriad achievements, Whitfield is just another family man with valuable advice. “It’s cool to be recognized by him because he’s a Canadian legend both within the triathlon community and outside of it,” said Yorke. “Simon’s done it for a while and done it really well. But as you meet people in the sport, you realize that they’re ultimately just regular people. “It’s nice to be recognized by him and get the chance to hang out with him and talk with him. But it’s not a matter of idol worship.” It is important to maintain that distance, because as Yorke explains, one has to take a cutthroat approach to his fellow athletes if he is to succeed on the triathlon circuit. “You’ve really got to kick them while they’re down,” the Marauder said of his competition. “You’ve got to take your opportunities when you get them. Because you’ll never have a race where a field of 65 or 70 guys is completely injury free, motivated and the fittest they’ve been that year. “If you execute at the right times, that’s when you start being noticed and putting yourself in the position to make Olympic teams. It’s all about performing when you need to.” Yorke is hoping that the sort of execution he has been exemplifying in recent months will continue, as he looks toward a serious run at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. In the meantime, he will enjoy his final year of eligibility on the trails and in the pool as a Marauder, and continue to search for further inroads on the international triathlon circuit.
Overhauled roster does the job Maggie Cogger-Orr Silhouette Staff
Despite fielding a radically overhauled team, the Marauders managed to make the most of their homecoming contest on Oct. 1 and secure a 24-20 win over the visiting Brock Badgers. This week’s line-up up saw several changes, as players with nagging injuries were rested and other players came back from injuries. In the forwards, with 8-man Tyler Ardron attending a Canadian Senior Men’s Sevens camp and Mike Sheppard being given time off to rest a shoulder injury, the back row saw Cam Stones return to 8 with veteran hooker John Williams slotting into the open side jersey and rookie Taylor Wilenski taking up blind side duties. Filling in at the hooker position was versatile utility forward Ryan Natale, who can occupy almost any forward position. The backs saw the return of Chris Gordon, a rookie standout on the wing from last year, who came back from injury hoping to add some elusiveness and pace to the McMaster back line. The biggest change was the move of OUA All-Star scrumhalf Andrew Ferguson into the flyhalf role as the Marauders looked to improve their distribution of the ball, while third year Chad Strapp suited up in the 9 jersey for the game. Veteran Sam Roberts was moved back into his usual role at inside centre while rookie Mac Chown was his counterpart at outside. The game opened with strong play coming from the Maroon and Grey, with a big lineout drive that was unfortunately penalized. Although their momentum on offence was noticeable, the Marauders struggled throughout the game with the defence at scrum and lineout time. The scores would go back and forth throughout the game, with Ferguson slotting an early drop goal and powerful winger Grant Schneider muscling his way over the line for a try at the 30 minute mark. • PLEASE SEE MAC, S8