Denbow soars to top spot in high jump

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This article was published 19/07/2017 (3071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a big weekend for Lara Denbow as she took the gold for midget high jump at the Western Canada Challenge in Winnipeg.

Last Saturday the 13-year-old Neepawa athlete jumped 1.5 metres, winning gold over Team Saskatchewan’s Raissa Murwanashyaka, 15.

“From the time we started school track and field in Grade 4, I’ve always liked high jump,” Denbow said. “I started going to more competitive track and field meets and I liked it there even more. It felt really cool to jump with who I’m gonna call, the big kids.”

Denbow also anchored the ‘Manitoba A’ team in the midget 1600 metre medley, a relay consisting of 400 metres, followed by two 200 metre installment, and finished with an 800 metre stretch. Lara ran the 800 metre, and helped take silver for her team.

She gained experience in track and field in the years to follow at school track meets at Neepawa and Area Collegiate, and said that her love for the events really took off three years ago in Grade 6 when she started training with Prairie Storm Athletics.

The local track and field club, founded and led by coach Bryce Koscielny, is known for training some of Westman’s most skilled track and field athletes, and has a team gearing up to attend the Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Brandon in August.

Denbow has qualified to represent Prairie Storm, and is considering taking part.

“Every practice at Prairie Storm, you put in work and you immediately know that you’re going to see results,” Denbow said.

Standing five-foot-seven before even entering Grade 9, Denbow knew she wanted to train to become a skilled high jumper from a young age, and has already dedicated approximately four or five days a week training for the last three years.

“Sometimes I’ll train on my own,” Denbow said. “I’ll find any road and just run.”

Denbow also competes in 300 and 800-metre running events, and said training by running has done a lot for her jumping abilities.

“I think it helps with my stride,” Denbow said. “Running the curve, it definitely helps when you have some experience running track.”

As for last weekend’s meet, Denbow said she was thrilled to have just made the Manitoba team, and was honoured to represent the province.

In order to qualify for the Western Canada Challenge, Denbow attended a provincial Athletics Manitoba meet, and jumped 1.51 metres, which qualified her to compete at the WCC.

She was nervous leading up to her first event, which was the 300 metre, but said her nerves melted away after the initial event.

“Then I ran an 800 between high jump events,” Denbow said.

At just 13, Denbow said she doesn’t have many clear-cut goals for the future other than continuing to improve her track and field skills, and get as much as she can out of the experience.

Denbow’s mother Myrna, said she’s proud to see how ambitious and passionate her young daughter is.

“She’s a very very self motivated kid,” Myrna said. “I enjoy watching her grow as an athlete because she’s putting so much effort into it and as a parent I’m very proud of that.”

“It’s an absolutely wonderful feeling to see Lara make this accomplishment and have the success that she’s having.” Prairie Storm coach Bryce Koscielny said in an e-mail. “She works incredibly hard and does everything with a smile on her face. So, when an athlete is rewarded for all their hard work it’s the result that every coach wants and hopes for!”

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