Guelph’s Wendy Durigon is representing Team Canada later this month at the 2019 IWWF Pan Am Senior Waterski Championships in Bujama, Peru.
Durigon, 48, has been water skiing all of her life but began to get serious about the sport about eight years ago.
“I found out really quickly that the sport was really good for me as a person, it made me really happy to do it and I really enjoyed it,” said Durigon.
When she started seeing a marked improvement on the water, she took on a coach and began competing in tournaments in her preferred slalom event, one of three water skiing disciplines featured at the Pan Am event.
Last year, Durigon placed eighth in the world in her age category.
“It was my very first international event and I had only been competing for four years. For me, it was a really big leap,” she said.
She hopes to place higher at the Pan Am Championship being held Oct. 23 to 27 and qualify for the world championship next year.
Durigon and her husband Rob own Graniteworx, a local manufacturer of granite countertops. She runs the marketing for the company, which she mostly does from home — allowing her to dedicate more time to training and competing.
She also teaches marketing at Conestoga College.
“That I have to work around,” said Durigon. “I have to maneuver skiing around my jobs and volunteering.”
In 2003, the Durigons lost their daughter Jessica to brain cancer, two days after her first birthday. They set up a foundation called Jessica’s Footsteps, which ultimately raised about $1.4 million toward cancer research.
“She died of a brain tumour and we set up a foundation to help raise private money to help cancer research for brain tumours that can’t get public funding,” said Durigon. “The city of Guelph and the outskirts were very generous and kind and really took to the organization.
“They have made strides toward better treatment since she passed away,” said Durigon. “I hope in memory of Jessica that some of the money we pushed that way will help to change the lives of the people who are coming after her.”
Durigon said the death of her infant daughter and water skiing may not be directly linked, but as her other two daughters Alyssa and Sarah have gotten older she has more time to dedicate to the sport.
“I don’t know if it’s because I lost a child or if it was just because I am a goal-oriented person and I was turning 40 — I think I just wanted to go out and prove to myself that I could do it,” she said of her achievements.
Coach Jason McClintock said for the past two weeks Durigon has been the only regular skier at the McClintock's’ Water Ski School on Puslinch Lake. The water temperature on Tuesday was just over 10 C.
“That’s what it takes to get to that level, to make those teams and to be the best in your country for you age,” said McClintock.
“As the temperature changes, you have to be a little more motivated,” said Durigon. “That’s really good when you have a coach like Jason who says, ‘just go get dressed, because you’re skiing.’”
He also tells Durigon when to take a day off to recover.
“It’s not an easy sport, it’s hard on your body,” he said.
Durigon has found a new drive to compete, said McClintock.
“She makes the goals to push herself and she has done a good job of that.” He said.
Durigon admits there are aches and pains that come with competing in the sport, especially as she is approaching 50.
“There is a toll on your body,” she said. “You have to find a balance between how much skiing you’re going to do and how much time you’re going to spend in the gym.”
“I will have no problem zipping up my ski when I come home from Peru and leaving it for a few months just so I have a little recuperation.”
