ADVOCATE, N.S. – The Fraser twins ended their high school track and field career this past weekend in typical fashion, with a handful of medals and a new provincial record.
Seventeen-year-old Denver and Gabby once again delivered high-level performances at the Sydney event in long jump and triple jump, with Gabby setting a new provincial record with her gold medal-winning 11.71m triple jump.
“I faulted a really big jump at provincials too, a 12.20, and it was the furthest jump in my life,” she said. “But I faulted.”
Denver won bronze in triple jump this year, after breaking the provincial record in the event last year. Her preferred event is long jump, where she won silver this year, just a few centimetres short of her sister’s second gold medal-winning jump.
Both sisters also competed in the 200m event, with Gabby winning an unexpected bronze in that competition.
“Gabby got me in long jump,” she said. “She had to beat me in my event this year, since I beat her in her event last year.
“I didn’t jump near my best, and had a bad day,” she added. “It was really cold. Thankfully she didn’t beat my record.”
If anyone was to beat her in long jump, she said she would want it to be her sister, though. Both twins push each other hard in training and competition, and cheer hard for each other to achieve their best.
They always look out for each other, according to Gabby.
“I feel like we wouldn’t have got this far without each other,” she said. “Having one of us push the other definitely has made us excel, and be the athletes we are right now.”
It’s always been that way for the sisters, growing up in Advocate, back to the days when they used to make long jumps into their garden at home.
Like stone sharpening steel, their constant competing with each other has made them both better athletes.
“She definitely pushes me to be better, encourages me, and inspires me to be better at other events as well because she’s strong at events I’m not as strong in,” said Denver. “I definitely want to work to beat her, and I’m happy for all her success as well.”
As they close the door on their high school career, they offered gratitude to those who helped them achieve their success, including their coach, Jake Borden, and their mother, Lisa, who drives them not only to competitions but to training in Truro and Halifax three and four nights per week.
“She definitely deserves a gold medal,” said Gabby. “We wouldn’t have got here without her.”
Both girls will graduate later this month, but their days of competition are far from over. They hope to compete at junior nationals in Ottawa this summer, and at university in the fall.
But they will always think fondly of their days as Coyotes.
“I’m happy with how our school career went, and we’re planning bigger things in the future,” said Denver. “I’m hoping we inspire younger kids in our community and around Nova Scotia to take part in the sport of track and field. Even if you’re from a small community, it doesn’t have to hold you back.”
