Sean Allen
BRANT NEWS

A local running instructor has been selected as endurance coach for Athletics Ontario in 2013.

Cory Currie will work with top athletes from all over the province as they prepare for four national competitions in the coming year.

“This is for kids 18 and under who will be competing in meets against the other provinces throughout the year,” Currie said. “Ontario produces a lot of top runners in Canada, so I’ll be working with some pretty high-caliber runners. Probably some future Olympians.”

Currie starred on the track in Brantford when he was in high school and has since created his own personal training and coaching company to help local athletes improve their fitness.

He coaches many runners out of the Brantford Track and Field Club and has helped several young runners to banner seasons in recent years.

Because the runners selected for the Ontario Athletics teams will be from all over the province, Currie said he will be working with their local coaches on any training tweaks that could help.

“It’s not like I am able to meet up with them all and coach them personally,” Currie said. “Their coaches will email me their training program and race schedule. I will look it over and we will go from there as a team.”

Currie will also be part of an eight-person team that will select athletes for the meets.

“The first one is in Montreal at the start of February,” Currie said. “We will get the list from coaches around Ontario of athletes they suggest for the team. We will pick from there.”

Currie will specifically focus on athletes competing in the 400-metre, 800-metre and 3,000-metre races in Montreal.

“I’ll be looking for fitness for the first meet because it’s indoors and during the winter season,” he said. “Some kids won’t really even be racing until that first meet.”

Having the knowledge of many mentors and teachers instilled in him as a youth is why Currie believes he was selected by Athletics Ontario after submitting an application.

“Taking all that knowledge and soaking it in is one of my strongest points,” he said. “I also think they were able to see the results of some of my runners that I provided and how they progressed each year. I think that made an impact.”