Congrats to Brynn Delainey

 Congrats to all Brynn on all the hard work.

15-year-old from Saskatoon competing to be among fittest teens worldwide

Saskatoon / 650 CKOM

Libby Giesbrecht

Jun 2, 2022 | 9:34 AM

Brynn Delainey mid-lift during one of her competitions involving weightlifting at CrossFit 306 in Saskatoon on May 27, 2022. (Libby Giesbrecht/650 CKOM)

A Saskatoon girl is competing for the title of fittest 15-year-old in the world.

Brynn Delainey just wrapped up her competition submissions for the CrossFit Games semifinals.

She has made her way into the top 30 fittest girls her age across the world, in the top 10 per cent of all girls who entered her category. The top one per cent of all entered in the competition — 10 girls — will advance to the finals, which will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, at the end of July.

“The nerves are there every so often,” Delainey said, adding that without the support of her coaches, teammates and family, she’d probably be much more nervous about the competition.

But the teen is filled with excitement too, and said she knows she’ll be proud of herself in the end, regardless of her finishing rank.

Delainey started with CrossFit when she was around 11 as a form of conditioning for rhythmic gymnastics and volleyball, the two other sports she competes in at a high level.

Drawn to CrossFit for its friendly and competitive environment, Delainey and her mom decided to work with coach Jason Cain, who owns CrossFit 306 in Saskatoon.

Cain said it was Delainey’s desire to train more often that led him to develop the high-performance competitive team she’s now part of. The team has been training together for about a year.

“I kept going and I kept pushing because I found this companionship, and it was really fun to compete just within the group,” Delainey said. “There’s rivalry, but there’s also friendship at the same time.”

Brynn Delainey after one of her competition workouts at Crossfit 306 in Saskatoon on May 27, 2022. (Libby Giesbrecht/650 CKOM)

Delainey’s mom, Kelly Mahood, said any parent of an athlete will understand the dedication.

“It’s life,” Mahood explained. “You’re the nutritionist, the limousine, the alarm clock (and) the emotional support.”

While she didn’t grow up knowing about CrossFit as a sport, Mahood said she was the one to recognize how much passion her daughter had for it, and helped her incorporate it more seriously into their lives.

“Moms of athletes move mountains,” she said.

Mahood teared up watching her daughter warm up to film one of her competition workouts.

“She kicks ass,” she said. “She’s a very strong, confident kid, and this sport of CrossFit and the community and the team program and her coaches and her interactions with the other athletes has developed her as a person. She’s confident, she’s bright (and) she’s quick.”

The 15-year-old is particularly proud of her jerk, and just hit a new personal record a few weeks ago at 195 pounds.

The semifinal competition involves six workouts that Delainey and her coaches had to film her completing.

“It’s unreal. I can’t comprehend that I am top 30 in the world currently,” Delainey said.

The workouts involve things like repeated snatches over a period of time, hand-walking 80 metres at a time, and repeated extended situps, bench presses and jerks.

Her favourite workouts are the ones that are more in line with her gymnastic background — she said she finds them enjoyable “100 per cent of the time.”

“Brynn has been an absolute little star since she came over,” Cain said. “She had the desire to really see what she could do with the sport, and we realized in order to take her to the next level, we’d have to build a whole different program around it.”

Brynn Delainey snatches during one of her competitions involving weightlifting at CrossFit 306 in Saskatoon on May 27, 2022. (Libby Giesbrecht/650 CKOM)

Cain himself has been competing in CrossFit since 2008, around the time the sport was starting to become better recognized. He has competed in several world championships during his career, and said the variety of workouts available to athletes is part of the “beauty of CrossFit” for athletes.

Delainey is currently tied for 27th overall in the competition, putting her firmly in the top 30 but a ways out of the top 10.

“She has an outside shot,” Cain said.

The growth Delainey has shown in just the past year, however, is exciting to her coach.

“Every year we’re seeing her development,” Cain said, noting Delainey didn’t advance past the quarterfinals in last year’s competition.

Delainey said she plans to keep pushing and growing. She doesn’t want to stop the sport anytime soon, and thrives on the constant competition.

“I’ll be doing CrossFit as long as I can. I really enjoy it,” she said, calling it a “release” and her “happy place.”

Starting Next Week - Don't miss these events

 

Starting next week! Outdoor Jump Training Our new Jump training coach, Tamille Schuler, will begin the jump training outdoor beside the beach courts at Father Robinson and we still have a few spots left.  Register today as Jump training will have a big effect on your volleyball game. Register Now Beach 2's Training We are almost full, our beach coaches, Darren Cannell, Leanne McGettigan and Crystal Torgunrud are excited to welcome a new slate of athletes for this summer.  We will have over 100 athletes do training at the Father Robinson Beach courts in the Two's beach, jump training and NexGen setters.  You do not want to miss this summer it is the biggest group ever and will be so much fun.  Come join us in the Sun, Sand, Wind and anything else Mother Nature throws our way. Register Now NexGen Setter Development We are so excited to finally have Toako Chie Imamura working with a select group of NexGen Setters.  We for years have been trying to make this happen.  This is the first time we have offered this experience. If you are one of the lucky ones who have found the time and desire to put in the time this summer you will be shocked at how much this will change your game.  In my mind, there is no better setting coach. Register Now The Academy continues to grow! As I worked as a Volleyball Canada rep at the National Championship, I have never been prouder of the Academy athletes and coaches, Sask Clubs and Coaches and our province's ability to show how a smaller population province can compete at the National level. Our athletes continue to put in the time and effort needed to make a difference.  I was proud of you all and honoured to have been part of your development.  Let's continue to see how good we can become.  The academy is built on participants' suggestions and comments, so please drop us a note.  Comments and Suggestion There is a pile of other events happening this summer check them out. Remember that athletes are expected to bring their own volleyball to academy activities.

Summer is here!

 

Who's the guy in the back...lol  Volleyball Canada Nationals 2022. Volleyball Canada Nationals 2022 was one of Volleyball Canada's most exciting Nationals, with over 800 teams, 56 volleyball courts, and 12,000 participants from around the country in one city and one venue. During the six days of volleyball, I walked 78 kilometres back and forth in that venue; I had exhausted my old legs. Now that was volleyball; as a Volleyball Canada Representative, I watched a lot of volleyball and observed a lot of Saskatchewan teams representing our province well. It made my heart proud to see the Elite Academy Participants putting their skills on display against the others in this country. If you have a picture that you would like to share with the academy and others on our Canadian Elite Academy Website photo gallery, click the link below. Send them to me, and I will post them. Send us some photos Time for Sun, Wind, Rain and Sand - But first free open gym time. The beach is right around the corner, and before we go there, we have a free open gym time Thursday, May 26th from 7-9 pm. Come play for the fun of it.   Free Open Gym Time Summer Opportunities Without a lot of explanation, go to our website and register for one or all of the following: Beach 2's Training 3 months Beach 2;s Training 2 months NexGen Setter Development Jump Training June, July and/or August Age 11-13 Volleyball Camp Outdoors Making the Cut Camps A lot of stuff is filling up, so do not wait too long and miss your chance to attend. Find out more and Register

 

A Few Good Sessions

My Job as Volleyball Canada Representative I have been lucky enough to have just been in Ottawa at the U14 National Championship as the Volleyball Canada Representative. On Tuesday, I will be off to the National Championship in Edmonton again as the Volleyball Canada Representative. If you are there, make sure you say hi when you see me. There will be over 900 teams and 55 courts at this championship, the biggest volleyball event in Canada. It is a sight to see, so it is truly a fantastic event if you can get there to watch it. Bring your Volleyball to every session Every activity we run at the academy requires the participating athlete to bring a volleyball to the session. We stock all the recommended competition volleyball, but there is a limited amount. The academy attempts to stock volleyballs when they are not as expensive and buys them in bulk to cut costs. Before buying from the academy store, check on the internet to see if you can find the balls cheaper than we offer and if you can buy it. Then, let me know so I can get in on the deal for other academy athletes.   Start Shopping Learn to Jump Correctly There is an increased number of athlete injuries after the two years of pandemic lockdown. There is no activity which will have a more significant impact on your volleyball play than Jump Training. Training will teach athletes the correct way to jump and land to help protect and prevent athletes from future injury. Increase your vertical jump, and you will see athletes have more confidence in their volleyball service, spiking and blocking skills. The jump training will occur outside the three summer months with a new, very qualified instructor. Consider registering for these monthly sessions. Register NexGen Setter Development Toako Chie Imamura has offered to run a three-month-long setting session. This is a session for a small group of 11-13-year-old athletes considering becoming setters in school and club volleyball. The name of the session is called the NexGen Setter Development. This has been my dream to have Chie offer such a session as no one is a better setting coach. There are limited spots for this event. Consider registering for one of the spots for a select few lucky athletes. Register Play in the Sun, Sand and Wind I look forward to the beach activities each year, and it is right around the corner. It is so much fun to be in the sun, Sand and wind. Beach training will enhance your ability to play indoor volleyball. This year, we have 60 plus athletes already registered for the outdoor activities; there is still space for you. Register The Premier Indoor Volleyball Camp The second activity which brings a smile to my face every year is the indoor premier camp called the Making the Cut Camp. We have 53 athletes already registered for this camp, and there is still space for you. Register How Good Can You Get? The exciting thing for me is the "How good can you get" schedule." At the academy, an athlete can sign up for this group of sessions, which will change the way they play the game in three months. Volleyball Overdose Schedule 1.) Beach 2's Training 2.) Jump Training 3.) NexGen Setter Development 4.) Age 11-13 Volleyball Camp Outdoors 5.) Making the Cut Camp 6.) Private lessons on the Sand  We have never been able to offer such a comprehensive set of sessions before, and it will be exciting to see how good some athletes can become. Register

 

An Awesome Elite Academy Summer

Want to see how good you can become? An athlete will have the possibility this summer to do: Beach 2's Training Jump Training NexGen Setter Training Age 11-13 Volleyball Camp Outdoors and Making the Cut Camps You can schedule these together without any conflicts and have the most volleyball-filled summer ever.   The Canadian Elite Academy "NexGen Setter Development" pilot project.  The project will be the start of training to create the next generation of Setters in Saskatchewan. We will be seeking a set of 16 athletes who would like to train to be the next group of setters. The athletes must be between 11-13 years of age and understand their commitment and desire to become the NexGen Setters. The athletes must be dedicated, willing to work hard, coachable, and train more than the rest. This program will run for three months in the summer for two days each week on outdoor grass courts by the Father Robinson Beach Courts. The program will run Mondays and Wednesdays in two groups of eight athletes. The head coach will split athletes into two groups to give them the best training experience. The groups will be divided after the athletes have registered. The first group will be from 5-6 pm, and the second group will be from 6-7 pm. Athletes will not be able to choose the times or with whom they will train. The Head coach for these sessions will be Toako Chie Inamura. Chie's Bio can be seen below. In 1990, Chie played in the Asian Junior Women's Volleyball Championship and won gold. She was awarded the best setter award. In 1991 she played in the Women's U20 World Championship and won bronze. She was awarded the best setter award. In 1990 and 1994, she played for the University of Tsukaba Women's Volleyball Team. Tsukaba University was one of the top teams in Japan. In 1987 and 1990, Chie with the Tsukaba University came to play against the University of Saskatchewan. In 1994 Chie came to Saskatoon to be an assistant coach at the University of Saskatchewan. She has since that time coached Club volleyball, High school volleyball, and Community volleyball and done individual practice in the province. She is considered one of the best setter coaches in the province by many. .   NexGen Registration Summer OutDoor Jump Training  Jump Training twice a week will profoundly positively impact a player's explosive power and boost their volleyball game. Summer jump training will happen each month in June, July and August. For every Tuesday and Thursday, two one-hour sessions will be offered from 5-6 pm and then from 6-7 pm. Athletes will be able to register each month for the session which best matches their busy schedule. The times of the jump training are scheduled to allow the beach volleyball 2's athletes to attend without any time overlaps. This makes for a perfect summer of training before heading back to school. There will be limited spots in each of the two groups. So, register quickly. The Jump trainer for the summer sessions will be Tamille Schuler. Tamille Schuler's Bio is below: At a relatively young age, I discovered the transformational power of fitness. We have little control over which genes we are given. However, fitness can be a catalyst for change, helping us embrace the genes we have (or don't have) to become the best versions of ourselves.  Are you short? We can work on strength so you can reach as high as your taller opponent.  Are you Tall? Let's maximize your agility to move quickly across the court, making you more effective in front and back rows. Feeling strong and driven is fiercely empowering. Sport and fitness have always been a big part of my life. I played multiple sports at a high level. Competitive swimming taught me about endurance and commitment. Alpine skiing led me to become a ski instructor, where I learned how contagious passion could be. Playing volleyball in college, I learned the true power of determination & attitude. Focusing on the things in my control - fitness, effort and desire to learn, I was able to help our team achieve many successes and was awarded "Most Improved Player" two years in a row.   After college, I discovered my love for leading group fitness classes. It provided me with the social aspect and community that I valued (& missed) in team sports. I also enjoyed helping others feel stronger, fitter, and more powerful while maintaining my fitness levels.  Now that I am a Mom, my focus has slightly shifted. I recently completed my NCCP coach training in volleyball. Here, I discovered a new interest in sports performance. Learning about mental toughness and a positive mindset & how to combine that with physical fitness has become my new passion.  I aim to coach, support, inspire and energize athletes. My favourite mentor, Rachael Newsham, says, "embracing and overcoming challenges gives you an incredible boost of self-esteem." I hope to help young athletes discover the value of this for themselves..   Jump Registration Beach Volleyball 2's training this Summer Advanced Beach 2's Boys Monday and Wednesday -Two spots open Advanced Beach 2's Girls Monday and Wednesday - Four spots open Basic Beach 2's Training Tuesday and Thursday Group 1 - Sold out Basic Beach 2's Training Tuesday and Thursday Group 2 - Sold out Advanced and Basic Beach 2's July and August only (Monday and Wednesday) -Two Spot open Advanced and Basic Beach 2's July and August only (Tuesday and Thursday) - New session more space Age 11-13 Volleyball Camp Outdoors - Space is available.   Beach Registration Making the Cut Camps Making the Cut Junior High School Team - Sold out Making the Cut Elementary School Team - Eight spots open Making the Cut Rookie High School Senior Team - spots available Making the Cut Returning High School Senior Team - spots available Making the Cut Registration