‘Not something anyone wanted to hear’: Sask. athlete reacts to Winter Games cancellation

Cate Janzen says the cancellation of the Saskatchewan Winter Games is like losing her own Olympics.

“It’s such a big honour. I know it’s not the Olympics but it feels that way. It feels so special to go into the opening ceremonies with your uniform on. You feel like you belong,” Janzen said. “All that work, and that’s where I’m supposed to be.”

But that dream for 2022 came to an end for the artistic swimmer and hundreds of other athletes. On Jan. 7, it was announced the Saskatchewan Winter Games would not go ahead because of COVID. The Games were set to take place in Regina from Feb. 20-26.

“I want to say I was surprised but I can’t say that I was. No matter how unsurprised I was, I was still thoroughly disappointed,” the 17-year-old said. “I’m not mad at the decision, I understand why they had to make it but it’s not something anyone wanted to hear.”

With it being the last Saskatchewan Winter Games she would have been eligible for, Janzen had put in a lot of hours by herself and with her artistic swimming team to put in a good showing.

“I put so many hours of training in and here comes nothing. It felt like at first it was such a big waste of time and really disappointing,” the Saskatoon swimmer said. “Obviously the training wasn’t for nothing, but it certainly felt that way.”

Janzen, who competed in the 2018 Saskatchewan Winter Games, said she felt the most hurt for her younger teammates who are missing out on their first and maybe only Games.

“They were absolutely devastated. This was going to be their first Games, their first really big competition, and the rug was pulled out from under them last minute and they were absolutely devastated,” said Janzen, whose teammates range in age from 12 to 15 years old. “It wasn’t a good time for anybody, but especially the younger ones on the team.”

Janzen still thinks back to the 2018 Games and the impact they had on her.

“I was in the athlete’s village (and) everyone was super high energy. I got to meet people from all different kinds of sports and it seemed like such a big deal,” Janzen said. “(2022) was my last year to be in the Games.

“It’s sad in a sense that this was going to be my last hurrah. This was going to be where I showed everybody that the past nine years were not for nothing. This was my moment. I feel bad for one of my other teammates. She has never gone to the Games and this was going to be her first and last Games because she’s going to age out of the Games’ system. It’s disappointing that my last year as I go to university will not go out like I wanted it to.”