Coaches

Matt DeCarufel - Program Director, U16 & U18 Coach

Matt grew up cross country ski racing in Sun Valley, Idaho. After finishing high school, he took a year off to study in Norway and immerse himself in Nordic skiing. He was a division 1 NCAA racer at the University of Nevada for 4 years, and then supported the team as an assistant coach while finishing up his University degrees in Economics and Management. He began as a volunteer with CNSC when he first moved to Canmore in 2011, but has steadily taken on more responsibility to reach his current position. Matt is currently NCCP Competition Coaching Development Certified.

Email: mattd@canmorenordic.com

Stuart Harden - Biathlon Program Manager, U16 & U18 Coach

After starting in the Biathlon Bears program at Canada Olympic Park, Stuart moved to Canmore in 2011. He competed at several World Youth Junior Championships, on the IBU Cup, and at the Canada Winter Games. He is best remembered in his racing career for forgetting a penalty loop at the 2012 Youth Olympic Games in Austria (he can now count to twenty quite confidently).

After racing, Stuart moved to Halifax to complete a Bachelor of Arts for which he wrote an honours thesis on the philosophy of sport titled “Free-heeled Hermeneutics.” While there he volunteered as a coach with Halifax Nordic Ski Club and won the Bryan Scallion Award for fastest aggregate time at XC Provincial Championships. During the summer Stuart has worked at the Haig glacier cooking meals, grooming trails, and fixing toilets. Stuart has completed a Bachelor of Education at the University of Calgary, and is NCCP Competition Coaching Development Certified.

Email: stuarth@canmorenordic.com

Mark Naylor - U14 & U16 Coach

Mark started biathlon in 2013 in Winnipeg Manitoba with the Red River Nordic Ski Club, instantly developing a love for all perfectly flat ski courses. He was introduced to coaching at a young age volunteering with youth ski programs in the club. After representing Manitoba at the 2019 Canada Winter Games, he made the full transition into coaching and completed his Biathlon Competition Development qualifications the same year. Since then, Mark has coached and developed ski programs for U16-U18 youth, and biathlon programs for youth and masters.

He is currently completing his Competition Introduction in skiing, and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Manitoba by distance.

traintotraincoach@canmorenordic.com

Caitlin Campbell - U14 & U18 Coach

Caitlin grew up in Prince Edward Island and following in her brother’s footsteps she joined the local biathlon club when she was 13. She competed in the 2015 Canada Winter Games and in the 2016 World Youth Junior Championships.

She started coaching in 2018 and has since completed her Biathlon Competition Development qualifications as well as a Bachelors in Business Administration and Canadian Residential Appraiser designation.

Caitlin was the assistant coach at the 2019 Canada Games and in 2021 was named the head coach for Biathlon PEI’s T2T& T2C athletes. She was head coach at the 2023 Canada Games held in PEI.

Kerstin Wichers - U14, Grizzly & Polar Bears Coach - Biathlon

Living in middle Alberta for most of her life, Kerstin joined the Cadets in 2011 and found biathlon through the program.  She competed for 4 years and taught other cadets to ski and shoot, helping them find joy in the sport. She joined the Camrose Vikings in 2013 to continue in biathlon.  Kerstin moved to Canmore to be closer to the mountains and began working at Trail Sports, teaching lessons to school groups and new-comers to Nordic skiing.  When she was asked to coach with the club, Kerstin did not hesitate to say yes. She loves coaching the younger generation find joy in biathlon, whether it is competitively or simply having fun.

Sara Renner - Track Attack/U12 Coach

Sara Renner grew up Canmore. She is the mom of three girls and along with her husband, Thomas Grandi, they run Talus Lodge. Her connection to this place and people provided the balance and strength that undoubtedly powered Sara to become Canada’s only cross country skier to win both an Olympic and World Championship medal.

Email: trackattackcoach@canmorenordic.com

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