CANMORE – Growing up in Canmore, the small mountain town that packs a big Olympic punch, Anna Sellers has had a lifetime of influences motivating her.
It’s almost a given that as soon as local toddlers can walk, they’re soon clicked-in skis and taken up to the Canmore Nordic Centre for a first ski lesson.
Sellers was one of these miniature skiers, and when a cross-country skiing world cup came to town nearly two decades ago, the little girl marvelled on the sidelines when Canadian greats like Beckie Scott, Sara Renner, and Chandra Crawford skied past and fought for podiums in front of a cheering hometown crowd.
The core memory still resonates with Sellers and encouraged the path she set off on all those years ago.
“I wanted to race in front of my hometown crowd and it’s been my goal ever since I was seven, six years old,” said Sellers, 23.
Biathlon has taken her around the world for events such as the junior world championships and European Championships. This week though, Sellers is mixing it up in Canmore at the international competition IBU Cup, the feeder circuit to the world cup, which is a major step in the injury prone biathlete’s journey.
Finally injury free, Sellers is starting a new chapter, beginning by racing in front of her hometown, with goals of the 2026 Winter Games, in mind.
But for anyone who knows Sellers, it’s been a bumpy road to get here.
“It felt really good to qualify for the IBU Cup in Canmore just because I have had so many years of injuries,” said Sellers. “So it finally felt like I had overcome a lot of injuries.”
For the last five years, the rising prospect hasn’t been able to complete a full season of training. The main culprit has been ill-fated injuries that always seem to stick-up Sellers at the most inconvenient times. Her injury list reads like a police rap sheet: concussions, whiplash, a separated shoulder, a bad leg bruise, a scraped up face, and neck and knee injuries from crashes.
Two of the more serious ones are the concussions, and, then a nasty leg injury two years ago. She didn’t think it was bad until she didn’t qualify for anything at trials, which is used to select national teams, later that year. It was a blow and led to Sellers’ 2021-22 biathlon season being a complete write-off.
With injuries mounting year-after-year, and progress being stunted, many people might consider calling it quits.
But then again, most people aren’t like Sellers.
“I never thought I was done,” she said.
“It is a little hard because I do know I have a disadvantage on a lot of my competitors … Whereas, I see them, I’m in bed injured, and they’re like training and getting stronger around me and it’s hard to take that mentally, but it definitely does make like these wins a little bit better, for sure.”
When her 2021-22 season was finished, Sellers put biathlon on pause, switched up goals and her mindset to cross-country skiing as a way for her to “not to doubt myself and not think I was going to quit.”
A United States dual citizen, Sellers went south of the border to train, where she found mentorship in Caitlin Gregg, a bronze medallist at the 2015 Nordic World Ski Championships. Learning skiing from another perspective, Sellers was picking up little things that made her a smarter racer.
Because of her history with injuries, some being from everyday life and some as the result of being a high performance athlete, Sellers took action to make sure she would be prepared to for the 2022-23 season.
"I didn’t want to have any risks going into the season, so I cut out [rock climbing and mountain biking] from my summer and fall to focus on ski racing," she said.
Returning to Canada refreshed and with new motivation for biathlon, Sellers returned to trials in Canmore this past November with respectable results. She was a bit rusty with the rifle, but made up for it in improved skiing and had a trials-best eighth place in the short sprint.
In January, the Canmorite got some international competition under her belt again, a first in a few years, at the European Championships. Then, earlier this month, Sellers made her IBU Cup debut in Obertilliach, Austria.
All Sellers wanted was to achieve her lifelong goal was to race in a big event in front of her hometown. Now on the verge of the accomplishment, she can’t help but look back at the bumpy road it’s been.
“I would say that is slightly more meaningful just because I have had to come over so many adversities and especially because it’s in my hometown,” said Sellers. “Having my family and so many people supporting me and saw me deal with all those injuries, too.”
Sellers has two guaranteed races in Canmore, starting Saturday (Feb. 25) at 12:30 p.m. in the women's sprint. On Sunday (Feb. 26) at 10:30 a.m., Sellers will also compete in the super sprint.
On March 4, Sellers is hosting an IBU Cup after party at Canmore Brewing Company from 7-9 p.m. There will be a silent auction and music.
Athletes arrive for IBU Cup in Canmore, race days pushed back due to cold
More international flags have been waving around town as the IBU Cup Biathlon 2023 Canmore gets underway until March 4. The competition has 125 biathletes from 19 nations participating in six race days (Feb. 25-26, 28, March 1, 3-4).
One race day was pushed back a day due to the freezing temperatures in Canmore this week.
The sprints, the first races of the IBU Cup, have been moved to Saturday (Feb. 25). The women’s sprint is at 12:30 p.m. MST, and the men’s sprint is 3 p.m. MST.
In a statement, IBU Cup race director Kristjan Oja said: “We have changed the training and competition schedule, because of these very cold conditions. The weather will be much warmer from Friday, so we should have no other changes next week.”
To view up-to-date race schedules, visit www.canmorebiathlon.ca.
Twelve Canadians are scheduled to race in Canmore including hometown athlete Anna Sellers and Olympian Adam Runnalls.
All races are at the Canmore Nordic Centre and are free to watch.
"The facility and trails are world class and we are happy to host the international biathlon community,” said Biathlon Canada CEO Heather Ambery, in a media release. “I expect some very exciting racing.”
