Top end track & field athletes in these parts have long found a way to make due – and prosper.

The climatic reality of northern Ontario has forced talented young men and women to rely upon jimmy-rigged training options and indoor competitions sprinkled with a few outdoor meets several hours of airflight away in order to hit the ground running in late spring.

But for as much as success has come their way via all of the above, the truth is that those who don the colours of both Airblastoff Sports as well as Track North Athletic Club would rather not still be training indoors come early June.

For now, they will continue to work with what they have and continue to show well – despite the snow - as recent results would suggest.

It wasn’t just about the medals – though three of the Airblastoff crew would rise to the podium at the Ontario Indoor U16 & U20 Championship two weeks ago at the Toronto Track & Field Centre – but also about the glut of personal best performances. When the backdrop to the story is a training environment that is woefully short of the competition, finding a way to quickly reach a next gear is critical.

“It’s difficult not having facilities for all of December and then entering directly into the indoor season,” noted 17 year-old grade 11 senior Nadia MacDonald, who joined Airblastoff teammates Melina Doiron and Anderson Parent as medal winners in the GTA last month.

“Coach Rob (Robert Esmie) did a lot to prepare us for that; we did a lot of great conditioning work.”

MacDonald would establish a new indoor long jump PB of 5.34 metres, earning gold in her marquee event while also mixing in more than solid efforts in both the 60m dash (8.12 seconds) and the 200m (27.11).

The fact is that when MacDonald competes at her first indoor meet of the winter, it is typically her very first time jumping on a standard long jump pit since late fall / early winter, with no indoor long jump pits located in northern Ontario.

For as much as the pragmatics of a long jump runway and pit are pretty much consistent in most settings, the two month+ gap between actual jumps can present a challenge. “I just feel a lot less prepared entering the indoor meets,” explained MacDonald. “Everyone else has their run-up prepared and I was kind of figuring it out on the fly.”

“But I think a lot of my sprinting background and the strength training that we do has helped me excel this year.”

There is also the fact that from a technical standpoint, Nadia MacDonald has a tendency to display outstanding form more often than not. “Technique-wise, I have a great pike in the air,” she stated. “As they say, I bend in half when I am jumping which gives me a bit more distance.”

Looking to stretch her jumps out to 5.40 metres and beyond will not be easy – though MacDonald knows that every little detail can and will help. “I want to look at more core strength,” she said. “More strength will allow me to hold my form more in the air.”

Directly on the heels of a silver medal performance in the U20 shot put in Toronto (15.17 metres), Lo-Ellen Park senior Anderson Parent warmed up nicely to the summer-like conditions of the 2026 Las Vegas Track Classic last weekend.

His double gold performance – 17.44 metres in shot put; 53.30 metres in discus – not only allowed him to secure first place in both disciplines, but also immediately vaults him to the top of the Canadian Junior Boys outdoor season rankings.

Having the weight of her NCAA commitment off her shoulders, Melina Doiron continues to shave time off her indoor clockings as she gets ready for her final appearance at OFSAA. Doiron posted the following trio of times in the 60m dash – 7.75 (heats); 7.62 (semis); 7.59 (final) – earning bronze in the event, the same placement that she managed in the 200m distance as well, crossing the line in 25.31 seconds.

Beyond that, the slew of noteworthy achievements included personal bests leading to an appearance in the finals from Ayden Nixon (60m – 8.11; 300m – 45.09), Ashli Nixon (60m – 8.27; 300m – 45.57), Brooke Wylie (triple jump – 10.66m) and Jaya MacDonald (60m – 7.87; 200m – 26.88), with Amanda Syncox reaching the finals in both the 60m hurdles (9.67 seconds) and the 400m (1:00.64) as well.

Also establishing new individual standards were Ella Gagnon (60m – 8.58; 200m – 29.58), Yuvraj Singh (300m – 40.69; 800m – 2:11.91) and Mackenzie Roy (300m – 46.29; 800m – 2:29.00; 1200m – 4:05.64), while Bridget Osezua and Leah Serre rounded out the Airblastoff roster.