June 22, 2004 – Team Kappa took flight this month and members were
recognized for their achievements in cycling. National Young Women’s
Development Team rider Emily Sandwith is currently racing in France in the
Tour de la Drome, Paralympic Blindsports tandem team, Shawn Marsolais and
Lisa Sweeney ripped up the track in Calgary, and Sweeney and Suzanne Macht
continued to be successful on their road bikes. On the mountain bike, Sandra
Walter was out east to defend her Canada Cup title, while Sue Reid dominated
the first two B.C. Cup events.

Before heading to Europe, Sandwith, as part of a National Team project, hit
the big leagues at the Montreal Women’s World Cup and Le Tour de Grand
Montreal May 31-June 2, followed by the Liberty Classic in
Philadelphia, PA. The barrage of international competition will greatly
benefit Sandwith as she makes her leap into the professional ranks.

Marsolais and Sweeney are focused on the Paralympic Games in Athens in
September and have been dedicated to their training on the road and track.
They plan to tear up the track on their tandem this weekend at the
Provincial Track Championships in Burnaby, B.C.

Sweeney placed second in the Nooksack road race in Washington on May 22, 9th
in the BC Road Championships and 5th at the Bastion Square Grand Prix
criterium in Victoria. She sped into second place at June 12th’s Brockton
Criterium in Vancouver’s beautiful Stanley Park. The following day, she
snapped up second again at the fifth B.C. Cup road race in the series.

Macht played an integral role in Sweeney’s second-place finish at the
Brockton Criterium, leading her teammate out for critical sprints.
Additionally, she grabbed two solid top-10 spots in the B.C. Cup #3 and B.C.
Cup #5 road events.

Walter is currently 6th in the Canada Cup mountain bike series after three
events. She put in three solid top-10 performances in Quebec and Ontario and
looks forward to the final half of the series in August. On June 12th,
Walter was on the podium again with a second-place finish in the B.C. Cup #2
mountain bike event in Mission. She also got some podium time at a road
event, winning the final stage of the Mutual of Enumclaw stage race just
outside of Seattle Washington on May 16.

Reid was also on the podium that day at the B.C. Cup. She won her race in
the Master 30+ Expert Women’s category, after winning B.C. Cup #1 in
Summerland on May 23rd.

Team Kappa’s achievements just don’t end. On June 16, Marsolais and Walter
received the Premier’s Athletic Award for their excellent 2003 seasons in
blindsports cycling and mountain biking, respectively. John Les, minister
responsible for sport, presented the awards at the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame
in Vancouver. Marsolais invited Sweeney, pilot of the tandem team, to the
awards ceremony. “I wouldn’t have received this award without her,” said
Marsolais.

To top it off, Kappa Team Director and coach, Steve Lund, was named 2003
Coach of the Year by the Coaches Association of British Columbia in Victoria
on June 5th.

Watch out for Team Kappa at the coming events:

June 25-27: Tim Horton’s National Road Championships, Kamloops, B.C.