Page 26 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 156

26 Issue #156 January 2026 www.sportsenergynews.com

South Branch Garage presents

“Game On” in South Glengarry

Meet our Athletes

Clifford St. Pierre

Age: 11
School: Williamstown Public School
Grade: 6
South Glengarry’s Athlete of the Month
spotlight shines on Clifford St. Pierre, a 
dedicated young competitor who splits his
time between two sports he loves: ice hockey 
and baseball. Clifford has been playing hockey  

since the age of four and added baseball to his 

­
athletic life two years ago, quickly developing
a passion for both.
Clifford says the best part of hockey is skat-
ing, while in baseball he’s all about “hitting
bombs.” On the ice, he plays left defense, and
on the diamond, he takes on the roles of back catcher and shortstop—posi-
tions that demand focus, grit, and leadership.

His goals reflect the drive of an athlete who dreams big. In hockey, he aims
to score 20 points this season and ultimately work his way to the OHL. In
baseball, he hopes to hit his first outsidethepark home run and one day make

it to the minors. Continued on page 28
Clifford’s ambitions extend beyond sports. At school, he plans to earn all A’s
Diary of a Weightlifter - Why Olympic Lifters Age So Well

By Thorin Gault t the age of 52 I am often asked by it is a powerful endocrine organ that resiliency in day-to-day life. I am
Apeople of my vintage considering modulates our biological age. Strength actually more mobile than I was in my
Olympic style weightlifting if I am obviously makes us bulletproof, twenties.
worried about serious injury. After all, allowing us to function at a higher Another advantage is how dynamic
my career requires me to be mobile. level, in addition to preventing falls the Olympic lifts are. With training, it
Out of all the athletic endeavors I and catastrophic injury. is relatively easy for adults to maintain
have participated in, weightlifting is Muscle mass and strength are brute strength in old age. Speed and
the least of my concerns regarding benefits shared by participants in all explosive power are much more
injury. strength sports such as bodybuilding difficult to maintain with age, and
Something I noticed early on when and powerlifting. In my unbiased these are trained more consistently
I started in the Masters weightlifting opinion and based on observation – in Olympic lifting than the other
community is that the participants Olympic style lifting has a distinct disciplines – translating into injury
seemed to age quite gracefully. The aging advantage over the other prevention and greater performance in
most obvious example is Marcel disciplines. other athletic pursuits.
Perron, who is still lifting impressive One advantage is that Olympic All strength sports, when executed
numbers at the age of ninety-two and lifting uses greater range of motion. properly, are fantastic ways to age
could pass for a man in his seventies. Lifters are rewarded for being able gracefully and improve your health.
Why is it that weightlifters – to catch loads fully overhead in the If you are not strength training, you
particularly Olympic lifters – age so bottom of a full squat. This requires should definitely find a way to start.
well? The first is that two of the best mobility in the wrists, shoulders, hips, While Olympic lifting can appear
predictors of aging well are muscle knees, and ankles that is not required inaccessible to people at a certain age,
mass and strength. People treat muscle in the other sports. This translates it can be a terrific way to have fun and
as if it is just inert meat, but in fact into greater flexibility and physical defy father time.