Kelowna's Gareth Williams will gain some international experience over the next couple of weeks as a member of Cross Country Canada's Junior B Tour Team.
A member of the Telemark Nordic Racers, Williams will compete for his country at the German National Championships in Oberhof, Germany, followed by the OPA Continental Cup in Campra, Switzerland.
Williams, 18, has enjoyed increasing success over the last few seasons, and last year competed for team B.C. at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George.
He followed it up with a third-place aggregate finish at Canadian championships, earning him a spot on Cross Country Canada’s national talent team.
Due to this success, Gareth chose to concentrate on his ski training for this season, while attending Okanagan College as a parttime student.
The decision has proven a good choice as Gareth has taken a number of silver and bronze medals in the early season NorAm races at Canmore and Vernon. This culminated with a strong showing at the World Junior Trials earlier this month in Thunder Bay, where he qualified for the European tour.
The Junior B-Tour Team includes athletes from across Canada.
The German National Championships are set for Jan. 29 to 31, while, OPA Continental Cup goes Feb. 5 to 7.
Upon his return, Gareth will set his sights on the Canadian national championships in Whitehorse, Yukon in mid-March.