InteriorNEWS THE
108th Year - Week 29
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Wednesday, July 22, 2015
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Smithers rower Antje Von Seydlitz (left) and teammate Kerry Shaffer celebrate after winning the goldmedal in doubles sculls at the Pan Am Games in Toronto last week. The two were also part of the quad team, which also struck gold at the Games. Katie STEENMAN/Special to the Interior News
Pan Am gold for Von Seydlitz
By Bill PHILLIPS
Smithers/Interior News
It’s been a golden summer for Antje Von Seydlitz. The local rower returned from the Pan Am Games in Toronto with two gold medals. The first came in the double sculls event. Von Seydlitz and Kerry Shaffer, from Welland, Ontario, finished the women’s double sculls in seven minutes 13.01 seconds. The Canadians were more than a second ahead of the United States in silver
position. Cuba was seven seconds back for the bronze. “Its’ pretty surreal,” Von Seydlitz said Saturday from her home near Moricetown. “It’s pretty exciting, especially coming away with two of them (gold medals).” The second gold medal came in the quad sculls. Von Seydlitz, along with team members Kate Goodfellow of London, Shaffer, and Carling Zeeman from Cambridge, Ontario finished almost nine seconds ahead of the other teams. Von Seydlitz said winning the Pan Am Games gold medal was simply an incredible feeling.
“A lot of what I was feeling was an overwhelming feeling of pride,” she said. “Pride in my community, pride in my country.” It also helped that the games were held in Canada and the athletes were competing in front of large, supportive crowds. “There were a lot of people in the stands,” said Von Seydlitz. “To have that many people cheering for you … it makes your hair stand on end. It’s so special for us.” Von Seydlitz and her fellow team members mostly compete in Europe where the cheering section is mostly just a few fam-
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ily members and team members. The large crowds at the Pan Am Games certainly make a difference. And while it might be nice to bask in the glory of capturing a couple of medals, that’s not the case for Von Seydlitz and the Canadian rowers. She was back in Smithers for a couple of days last weekend to attend a wedding, but then it will be back overseas to compete at the World Championships in London, England. The World Championships are also an Olympic qualifier for Canadian rowers, so there will definitely be some pressure to See WIN on A12
Come see the antique 1915 Model T, which is positioned in front of a replica of the original 100-year-old Overwaitea store. Interactive displays… Spin The Wheel Game… Enjoy the BC Childrens Hospital Benefit BBQ and so much more.