by Glen Herbert

The Canadian Ski Marathon covers 160 kms over two days in early February in the beautiful Outaouais region of Quebec, centred on Montebello. "If that sounds impossibly hard," Graham Vogt wrote recently, "well that may be because it is!" (You can read his post about the CSM here.)  RLC is sending a delegation this year, with 9 staff and 10 students currently committed. They'll be joined by alumni, some of whom represented RLC at the event when they were students, including Jeff Dods ’85, Cullen Perry '84. Past faculty member Peter Ostrom is also going. I reached out to Cullen to ask him "Why this?" and "Why now?" His responses were fantastic.

‍GH: Why did you decide to join the marathon this year?

‍‍Cullen Perry: I have great memories of RLC trips to the Canadian Ski Marathon in 1980 to 84.  It was such an adventure. The drive to Ottawa in the aged blue school van, staying at the Nicolas St Gaol [a hostel]. Skiing with friends from school, such as Paul Copeland '82, made a big difference. I have not been back since, so there's an appeal to return and ski it again with an old RLC friend.  Returning with RLC makes so much sense. It’s a chance to meet students and staff and hopefully carry on the tradition.

‍How are you training?

‍‍CP: I wish I knew! Seriously, beyond some biking and running this fall, I'm going to just get out on 'the boards' as much as absolutely possible, and work up my distances over January and early February.

‍What do you think sending a delegation from RLC says about the school?

CP: RLC is uniquely located in beautiful backwoods and trail skiing country. Really unparalleled.  Participating in the CSM challenges students to experience, learn, and develop in a way that reflects the school's emphasis on learning in a natural environment.

For more on the event, visit the official Canadian Ski Marathon site by clicking here.