About The Ontario Racewalkers Club The success of our club is due to the efforts of all of our founders, coaches, trainers and members. Click on the links below to find out more about us. |
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| How The Club Began... In 1984, Jaan Roos started to teach racewalking one night a week at the Central YMCA in downtown Toronto in Ontario, Canada. As interest increased, Jaan also began to lead a group of regulars, including Josh Fedder, Len Weinstein, Merike Kalm and Joan Sutherland, on a 10K walk through a nearby neighbourhood. This training continued through all seasons and, by 1990, the members of the group were improving their racewalking techniques by meeting at a school track and getting together on an informal basis to complete 10K walks on the weekends. This was the beginning of the club. Ontario Racewalkers was incorporated in 1992 and has been going strong ever since. We still walk year round - on an indoor track twice a month in the winter and every Tuesday evening on an outside track in spring, summer and fall. In the summer of 2000, our coach and race director, Jaan Roos and one of our OTFA judges, Mickey Kalm moved to Minden, Ontario. Our very experienced Assistant Coach, Joan Sutherland, has continued to teach racewalking in Toronto. Newcomers are always welcome! How The Club Expanded... In 2005, Ontario Racewalkers became a sister club with the Gladstone Athletic Club and the Etobicoke Huskies/Striders. The same board of directors and executive group runs these clubs, offering benefits for all three. There are now more resources to draw on when holding races. For beginners, training is still provided; for top-level members, there is a club administrator to handle travel and competition needs. |