James Winter

James Winter is an avid mountain and road rider from Lumsden, Saskatchewan.    He started mountain biking in 2002 with the Lumsden Bike Club and his racing career started in 2003.

James continued to mountain bike race through the 2003-2004 seasons.   He was sponsored by Fresh Air Experience in the spring of 2005.

James began road racing in 2006 just as complementary training to his mountain bike racing but began to race on the Sask Cup circuit.    He continued to race both mountain and road bikes through the 2006 season and he hopes to continue both types of cycling in the future.

2006 Under 17 and Cat 5 Race Results:

FAE Regina Beach MTB race

Prince Albert Stage Road Race

Silverwood Classic MTB race

Provincial 40km Time Trial - Under 17

PeeGee Man River Run MTB race

Provincial Crit - Under 17

Wascana Challenge MTB race

Provincial 15km Time Trial
Under 17

Bikes on Broadway Road Race

Provincial Road Race - Under 17

Blackstrap Road Race

Minnedosa, Manitoba Road
Stage Race

Tour de Prairie Road Race

Kamloops, British Columbia National MTB Race Under17

Bradley Kerr

Date of Birth: June 28, 1984

Mountain Bike Elite Men Road Racing Cat.1/2

2004 Specialized S-Works Epic
2005 Specialized Allez Comp
2006 Specialized Carbon Tarmac Expert

Brad has been racing mountain bikes for seven years now. He started racing the local Saskatchewan Cups and found success in his first two seasons winning almost every race entered. From there, his love for the sport grew stronger and he decided to take his training to the next level, incorporating road cycling into the mix. For any mountain bike racer to be competitive at a high level, road racing and training is an essential part of success. In the last five years, Brad has been a Provincial Champion numerous times in both events, as well as representing Saskatchewan at both National and World events as a Junior and Senior rider. In 2004 and 2005, he focused more time and effort on road training and racing, and it has showed. Brad is currently working toward a degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology. His future goals in cycling include being a national team member and racing on professional team. After his days of cycling he would like to be a Physical trainer, and help coach younger athletes in the sport of cycling.

Career Highlights

2001

Sask Cup MTB Junior Expert men 1st place overall
MTB National Kamloops BC, 11th place
MTB City Champion

2002

MTB Grouse Mountain World cup - Junior Expert men 15th place
MTB City Champion
Road race series champion
MTB Canada Cup #1 8th place

2003

Sask Cup MTB Senior Elite men 2nd place overall
Sask Cup Road series cat 2/3 3rd place overall

2004

RCC Athlete of the year
NCTC National Cycling Training Center
Calgary World Cup 65th place (highest placing by a Sask elite rider at a World Cup)

2005

Sask Cup Road Series 1st place
Road Provincials and Crit Provincials 2nd place
Road ITT 15km Provincials 2nd place

MTB Mountain Bike Provincials 2nd place
Montana Ecology Center Classic Stage race - 4th place in Circuit race and Winner of the Sprinters Jersey
NCTC National Cycling Training Centre

Carla Binning

Carla Binning is originally from Mitchell, Ontario. Carla started running and swimming at a very young age. After participating in a team triathlon with her father and sister Carla decided to take up the sport competitively. During her elementary and high school years Carla won or placed in numerous triathlons for her age group. In high school Carla qualified for Ontario high school provincials in Cross Country, Swimming, Track and Field, and Wrestling. Carla placed third in both high school provincial and Junior Nationals after only one year of training.

In 2003 Carla came to Regina on an Athletic Entrance Scholarship for Wrestling.    In her first year of wrestling with the U of R she was named team captain, placed 4th in CIS Nationals, was named the team MVP, and was an Academic All-Canadian.

While in Regina Carla decided to compete in triathlons again.   After several races she was named the Female Triathlete of the year by the Regina Multi-Sport club. In the winter of 2004 Carla decided to try out for the Canada Summer Games for cycling.    She had to modify her training because she was still a member of the U of R wrestling team.

After wrestling season Carla devoted all her training towards cycling and made the Saskatchewan team. The training for cycling paid huge dividends for her triathlons. This was shown by her 3rd place finish at triathlon age group Nationals in Kelowna, B.C. This event took place one week after she competed in the Canada Summer Games.

This year at the U of R Carla decided to join the Cross Country, and swim team to improve her skills for better placing next year.

1. Qualifying for Worlds in Triathlon
2. Placing at the top of the women’s SasK cycling road series
3. Doing more Adventure races!

Carla’s bike of choice - Specialized Allez Elite Road bike   

Mateusz Stachura

Born: March 27,1985
Birthplace: Kluczbork Poland

Skis: Fischer
Poles: Exel
Boots/Bindings: Salomon
Gloves: Auclair

Smartwool socks
Northface Hyvent DT rain jacket

Mat started biathlon at the age of 12 with the cadet program.  After a few years of racing only as a cadet he moved into the Biathlon Canada program and competed against the best in Canada.  Having positive results as a junior he has continued to pursue his goals in biathlon.

This past year Mat has started working towards a degree in Commerce, and has qualified to compete at the World University Games in Harbin China in February of 2009. His goals include two top 30 places at the extremely competitive Games and the realization of these goals would be the best ever finish for a Canadian male athlete.

Mat trains full time in Canmore Alberta, the home of both the National Cross Country and Biathlon ski teams. During the spring he spends his time in the mountains and valleys of BC earning his living planting trees.

Mat is looking forward to this year's race season and has some optimistic goals for himself including; qualification for the I.B.U. Championships, 2 top 3rd placing at the Championships, and two top 5 results at the Canadian National Championships. Mat continues to work hard and looks forward to the future.

Kia Byers

Kia has had the opportunity, through her sport, to travel around the world. She has seen Brazil, Germany, Hungary, Poland and most of the provinces in this beautiful country. But, her favorite place to see and place to be is SASKATCHEWAN!

Kia began competing in the sport of canoe/kayak in 1998 with the Wascana Racing Canoe Club here in Regina.    She began competing at the national championships in 2000. She has held two national records and stood on the podium numerous times. Kia competed in her first major international competitions in 2005. She made the junior national team that competed at the Pan-American Canoe Championships as well as the Junior World championships. She raced in the K-4 500meters and the K-2 1000 meter events placing 6th and 8th respectively.

Kia had continued success through the 2006 season racing on the Under 23 European tour returning home with four medals. 2006 was also the first season Kia was carded and put on the yearlong national team.

In 2007 she made the Senior European Tour in K-2. Later in the season Kia was named to the Canadian Pan-American Games team. She raced in the K-2 500m and K-4 500m events finishing with a gold and bronze medal.

Although she was only twenty years of age Kia was a part of the Olympic training group this past year. At the national team trials Kia placed 3rd in her single and 2nd with her partners in K-2 and K-4. Finishing close enough to the winners, the crews were taken to Europe to finish the best of three races. Narrowly missing the Olympics has made Kia’s drive for 2012 that much stronger!

Scott Perras

Scott is originally from Regina where he fell in love with the challenges of biathlon. Scott was in high school at thie time and had had experience in a wide variety of sports but none that were considered endurance and none that involving shooting.    After seeing highlights of the Olympic biathlon on TV, Scott decided to to give biathlon a try.

After graduating from high school Scott enrolled in studies at the University of Regina. After a year of attempting to balance school and sport, he found that he was spreading himself too thin; as a result he made a decision to focus on his sport.    Scott then started training with a goal of competing at the 2003 Canada Winter Games.    He was starting to realize the benefits of his dedicated training and was able to make huge gains. He set his sights even higher with a dream goal to not just compete, but become a medalist at the Canada Winter Games.   His dream was realized in the first race of the games with a Bronze medal in the 15 km Individual and then another Bronze in the last race of the Games - the relay.

With the feeling of success fresh in his brain he was ready to put in the time and effort of a new goal - THE OLYMPICS. Scott spent the next season training in Saskatchewan and achieving good results again in the Jr. Men's Category taking a Silver in the Sprint at 2004 Valcartier Nationals.    In the following year, Scott decided to relocate to Canmore, Alberta in order to improve his results.

Scott has now been in Canmore for four years now and has had many experiences both good and bad.    He learned how to ride a road bike and how to crash on a road bike!    It was on the Rocky Mountain trails where he broke his first bike helmet in a crash. But it was also the CODA athlete housing where he met his girlfriend Jodi Etcheverry who has been his most consistent training partner. And it was at the newly renovated Nordic Center that he qualified for his first World Cup Tour and would go on to represent Canada at WCH 2008.

Scott has seen many improvements over these past four years. But he says that his hunger is still not satisfied and until it is you'll likely find him sweating somewhere along the trails in Canmore.

Matt Johnson

Matt is a driven, self motivated mountain biker who started biking and racing in 2005 with the newly-created East Qu'Appelle Cartel bike club of Esterhazy. Matt became sponsored by Fresh Air Experience in the 2006 bike season.

For the 2009 bike season Matt is pursuing the Canada Cup as well as branching off into road racing to further his experience in biking.

Matt credits Fresh Air Experience with helping him become acquainted to his first Canada Cup in Canmore, Alberta.

Matt's bikes of choice are a 2008 Specialized Allez Elite and a 2008 Specialized Epic Carbon Expert.

2008 Results

Sask Cup #1 Regina Beach

Sask Cup #2 North Battleford

Sask Cup #3 Wascana Trails

Sask Cup #4 BlackStrap

Sask Cup #5 Esterhazy

Sask Cup #6 Little Red River Park

Sask Summer Games Lloydminster - Time Trial

Sask Summer Games Lloydminster - X-Country Race

Shane McNaughton

Date of Birth: October 15th, 1988

Mountain – 4, Road – 2

Mountain Bike Senior Expert Road Cat 4

2008 Specialized Epic Expert Carbon (MTB)
2008 Specialized Tarmac Expert Carbon (Road)

Specialized 2D Helmet, Specialized BG Shoes
Specialized Adaptalite Eyewear

Shane has been mountain biking since a youngster with his father, Mark.     Shane loved to ride and decided to give racing a try in 2005.    Since then he has had a best finish of first place at the 2008 Saskatchewan Mountain Bike Provincials as well as first place in the overall points standings for 2008.

Shane started road racing in 2007, which has helped his development into a stronger rider and given him a greater appreciation for the sport's diversity.    With many long hours spent in the saddle he has found cycling to be a constant mental and physical battle but, extremely rewarding.    Shane's favourite part of Mountain biking is going out for a casual Sunday morning group trail ride.

Shane became sponsored by Fresh Air Experience in the spring of 2006. Shane says "The support I have received from Geoff and everyone at the shop has been incredible.   Fresh Air has helped me with equipment expenses, travel and race expenses, bike repair, training support and advice. As a full time student at the University of Regina this support has helped immensely, and given me the opportunity to race at a competitive level."

FAE Regina Beach - 2nd
North Battleford - 1st
Wascana Challenge - 2nd
Esterhazy - 3rd
Canmore Canada Cup - 8th
FAE Prince Albert (Provincials) - 1st
Overall Points Standings - 1st
XC8 2 Person Team - 6th

Spring Classic - 16th
Bikes on Broadway - 23rd
Regina Stage Race - 5th
FAE Waskesui - 6th

In 2009 Shane plans to race as many Sask Cup Mountain and Road bike races as possible with a goal to again be Provincial Champ in MTB, along with more top 5 finishes in Road.    Shane's ambitions include being able to compete in the Canada Cup MTB in Canmore and to improve on his 2008 result of 8th.

Shane's main focus for 2009 season will be training to compete in the Trans Rockies Challenge, August 9-15, 2009.   The Trans Rockies covers 550 kilometres of trail from Panorama to Fernie.    "This race is something I have wanted to do for several years - it is going to be an incredible challenge and I am excited at the opportunity to compete."