By Chris Bush - Nanaimo News Bulletin - December 27, 2007

Nanaimo’s Steve Osaduik is Canada’s second-fastest marathoner, but he may not get to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

To get there he needs to shave minutes off his time and get funding from Sport Canada.

For funding from Sport Canada, the organization that sponsors Canada’s national athletes, he has to beat a time of two hours, 12 minutes, 38 seconds – nearly four minutes faster than his current best time – at a January marathon in Houston, Texas.

Setting such high standards is Sport Canada’s and the Canadian Olympic Committee’s way of ensuring they concentrate dollars on athletes with the best chances of winning medals.

“So, instead of giving each athlete $5,000 or $6,000 and having little or no impact, now they give them $18,000 which allows them to live like paupers, but train as professionals,” said PacificSport regional manager Drew Cooper, based in Nanaimo.

Cooper dislikes the strategy, but admits Canada is winning more medals and more new and promising athletes are surfacing.

“Now we’re up to eight to 10 Olympians that we’re working with who have made it or are likely to. Our numbers are going up, not decreasing,” said Cooper.

To get to that level, athletes like Osaduik rely on local sponsors and organizations like PacificSport.

Cooper said it can take just a few thousand dollars to launch an athlete to the next level and cites as an example Paralympic skier Andrea Dziewior of Nanaimo who was competing provincially, but struggling to juggle college, two part-time jobs and her skiing career.

“And not doing anything particularly well,” said Cooper. “She gets a $5,000 award, packs in the two jobs, upgrades her equipment, accesses some sports science – especially the mental training support – builds up her confidence and within a year gets on the senior national team.”

PacificSport connects athletes with financial sponsors and services that advance training and skills and is a conduit between athletes and trainers, motivational speakers, coaches, sports medicine specialists, nutritionists, mental trainers, out of town accommodations and more.

“We have 98 athletes between Mill Bay and Campbell River right now that we provide services for,” said Cooper. “They’re not all like Steve and Andrea, at that international level, because a lot of them are high school kids who are trying to get to the provincial team. Whatever level you’re at, we’re trying to help you get to the next level.”

Dziewior and Osaduik have each received $5,000 sponsorships from Coast Hotels. More of those sponsorships are needed to help Osadiuk get national sponsorship.

Osadiuk, 28, trains full time. His days consist of running, recovering, sleeping, running, physiotherapy and massage, eating and running some more in a pattern that has lasted five years so far.

To make ends meet, he counts on the support of people and companies who believe in him.

Adidas supplies his running gear, Peninsula Runners of Victoria helps with monthly living expenses, his coach has trained him since he was 16, his girlfriend supplies a place to live and Prairie Inn Harriers – a running club in Victoria – fundraises to cover travel expenses.

“I’m not whining,” said Osadiuk. “This is the life I chose and I like it. The training and the routine I maintain all day keeps me focused. If I don’t run I don’t feel right.”

PacificSport has smoothed his road to national sponsorship and hopefully the Olympics.

“They stepped in just at that perfect time,” he said. “I was still in that kind of grey area and right when I really needed the support they jumped in with funding and they got me hooked up with all these other people, so it’s been really good.”

For information about PacificSport or sponsoring athletes, please visit the organization’s website at www.pacificsport.com.