KidsWorld Sports

Olivier Derome from Quebec is shaping up to be a poster boy for the sport of wakeboarding – at 17 he’s already making major waves in the sport! We follow him to the Canadian Nationals as he competes to secure a place on the National team for another year. A good showing will also give him a shot at competing at the Worlds again, after he was sidelined with a broken leg last year. / Fabien Cellier,18, is the vice-champion of mountain biking in France - and has only been competing for two years! This year he will compete at the professional level in the French Championship – a step closer to his ultimate goal of competing internationally. Fabien is far more confident at courses that demand speed – this one is an extremely steep climb that will fully test his limits.

Wacey Nash from Blackie, Alberta is a 15 year old with a dangerous sporting hobby – bull riding. Riding is in his family’s blood: his older brother rides, his dad is a former rider and his grandfather was actually killed in competition. The competitive season comes to a close at the Chinook Finals. Will Wacey, the current season leader, take top honours and win enough money to help him and his brother buy a bull to train on? / Thirteen year-old Benjamin Renia competes in canoe slalom and speed canoe. He’s excelled and won many awards at every discipline except the “freestyle” category. Thirteen is generally too young for boys to compete at this challenging event, but Benjamin feels he’s up to the challenge. He’s primed and ready to compete at a regional championship on the renowned Durance River!

Sixteen year-old Jeff Cowan from Scarborough, Ontario has major league baseball aspirations. As a current short stop on Team Ontario, he’s getting closer to realizing his dream. Now, Jeff will attend a special “by invitation only” baseball camp at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium where big league scouts will be taking notes. / Bertrand Gentiletti, 13, from the French Alps region excels at skiing. He’s so hooked that he also trains and competes in “summer skiing” or skiing on grass. At the French Championship, his current champion status will be challenged as he faces competition from his entire school. Will he gather enough points to allow him to compete at the International Level?

Jake Swain is only 13 and is preparing for his very first mountaineering expedition with his father (an experienced climber). While Jake has ice-climbed and multi-pitched before, this particular trip will be a dangerous one and will take a full day. Jake’s dad knows the path and knows his son is ready – will nature be on their side for the big trip? / Cedric Boisroux (16), from Le Mans, France got into his first go-kart at age 4 and entered his first race at 12. Cedric aspires to be a Formula 1 racer and will be entering the biggest race of his career thus far -- the 24 hour LeMans. His performance here will set the tone for the National Championships that are taking place on the very same track later on in the year.

Pint-sized Tyler Medaglia, 15, competes in amateur motocross. It’s an expensive sport and Tyler’s lucky to have his family’s full support: they travel with him to competitions all year in a trailer and have even arranged for Tyler to train with Mr. Canada (bodybuilder). At the Canadian Nationals, he’s up against the pros: bigger and stronger competitors. Will he place well and get the sponsor attention he needs? / Fifteen year-old Sabrina Hasta Luego of Nimes, France comes from a family of acrobatic horseback riders. She’s so focused on “flying with horses” that she’s taken the next step and enrolled in a special school to give her more time to train and perform. Kids World Sports follows her through the preparation and the final unveiling of her new routine before a packed audience!

Erin Mielzinski, 13, competes nationally as a waterskier. This is a challenging sport where you have to master not one but three different disciplines – Slalom, Tricking and Jumping! At the Canadian National Waterskiing Championships, Erin tries to beat her national jumping record, win gold and make the national development team…all in one competition. Will she achieve her goals? / Maxime Renaud is 15 years old, and loves Spelunking, or exploring caves. He has been training for with his caving club for months for the ultimate challenge – he and the group will spend the night deep underground for the first time in Goudou, France, facing cold temperatures, tight spaces and dangerous conditions.

Nina Stuhlmachker, is an 18 year old skateboarder from Kitchener, Ontario. She has been skating for only 3 years, and as a girl skater, she faces the extra challenge of getting noticed by sponsors. Her goal is to go pro like her hero Vanessa Torres and compete nationally. Her first step toward this goal is to compete at the West 49 Canadian Open - her first ever pro skateboarding event! / Axelle Bonnier and Laura Boyau are 14 years old and practice athletics (track and field) together in Paris, France. They train for up to 8 different disciplines, including relay, sprints, shot put and high jump. In this episode, they compete against the reigning Team Brussels at the Cup of Capitals. Will the girls’ efforts be enough to put their team ahead of the champions?

Sarah Cuddy, a 14-year-old equestrian pro from London, Ont, barely makes the team to represent Canada at theFEI Children's International Show Jumping Competition. Shortly after she arrives at Spruce Meadows, Sarah is forced to compete with a horse that she is less familiar with - will this setback affect her performance? / Coralie Chacon is 16 years old, and does Gymnastics in Marseille France. She has been doing gymnastics for 8 years and is a member of French national team. She has been training 6 hours a day preparing for the one of the most important events of the year: the Massilia Cup, an international event where the best gymnasts of the world compete, and French athletes try for a spot on the Olympic team. Will Coralie have what it takes to win? Will she make the team?

Thaine Carter, 16 has traveled across Canada to attend St. Andrews College in his pursuit of his dreams: law school and the NFL! He trains all week, participates in the school drama program and works hard to keep up his 83% average, but at the Golden Horseshoe Championship of high school football, he faces his biggest challenge yet—helping lead his team to victory in this pinnacle event. / Laure Manaudou is 17 years old and one of the best swimmers in Europe. She has won 27 French titles, and has broken 17 national records, and she is in the running for the French National Team. She will participate in the National French Club Championship in Chalon sur Sâone, which is one of the most important events for swimming in France. Her performance over the next few days will determine if she has a spot on the team and the added pressure will come from her having to defend her team’s championship title. Will she succeed at both goals?

Former ballet dancer, Sarah Reid, 16, has been racing skeleton for only 2 years, a dangerous sport where riders slide downhill at 100 km/hr on ice! In this short time, she has improved enough to compete at a national level catch the interest of the national development team. At the National Canadian team trials, Sarah tries to go fast enough to make the America’s Cup Skeleton racing team in Calgary Alberta, and earn the chance to race at an international level. / Isabelle d’Hose is 14 years old and is the second best in Belgium at Naginata, an ancient Japanese martial art. She has been fighting for 7 years and is also the youngest 1st degree black belt in Belgium. She will compete in the National Championships again, and this year, she wants to be the best. She will fight for a spot on the Belgian team, hopefully earning a chance to represent the country on the national stage.

Kristen Konieczny, 18, is a busy girl – while balancing her first year at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario she plays on 3 rugby teams. She trains 6 days a week and spends 3 hours a night doing homework, but manages to make it all work. In this episode, she travels to London Ontario to try out for the toughest challenge yet – the Canadian National Under 19 team. / Stephane Alfano, 17 years old, is a champion inline street skater – he is the only kid in the world who can do a 1080! (3 spins.) He has won second at the X-Games – an international extreme sport championship and is currently ranked number one on the ASA pro tour. Watch as he competes against the best in the world in Frejus, France, to defend his title and qualify for this year’s XGames. He will also attempt the 1080 in the competition – will he make the trick?

Colin McEcheran, 16, is a champion triathlon racer who has been training in swimming, biking and running for 5 years. He's on his way to winning this year, but he suffered a major setback when the bones in his feet broke because of a huge growth spurt. After months of rehabilitation and focusing on swimming, he will race his last triathlon of the season in Wasaga Beach, ON for top spot in the province. Will he have healed enough to win? / Nathan Stephens, 15 years old, of Bridgend Wales is a sledge hockey player on the British National team. Sledge Hockey is hockey for disabled people – when Nathan was 9 years old, he was hit by a train and lost both of his legs. In this sport, players sit on sleds and use 2 smaller sticks to hit the puck. Nathan and his team have been invited to the World Championships in Sweden but they must first raise the money to make it. Watch as Nathan and his team fundraises and plays exhibition games to raise awareness and cash for this amazing sport.

Conner Dixon, 12, is a mountain biker from Ontario, Canada. He comes from a family of gear heads (aka mountain bikers). Conner trains all year round and is even sponsored by a local bike shop! This weekend he is racing in the Provincial Mountain Bike Championships against his best friend Chris, who has beaten him for the last 2 years in a row. Before the race, they are tied for points and poised to battle for the series title. Who will win the race? Who will take the overall series? / Sarah Coles, 16, has travelled from Canada to train in London, England with the best Tennis has to offer. Sarah has dedicated everything to tennis – she spends 9 hours a day training with her coach and dad! Watch as Sarah prepares for one of the biggest matches of her life – the British Tour, where she competes against the best tennis players in the world under 21 for top spot and big prize money on the Great Britain circuit.