Neil McNeil weightlifters bring home gold

Neil McNeil weightlifters bring home gold. Carl Aplacador is a member of the Neil McNeil Catholic High School, Toronto Weightlifting Club. Photo/COURTESY

A little more than two years ago Kanama, a coach at Neil McNeil, and Dorgan, a teacher and a coach, combined to launch a weightlifting program, the Toronto Weightlifting Club, out of the school.

The program, they decided, would encourage healthy living.

Little did they realize how fast it would take off and the impact it would have on young adults.

"It's totally changing lives," said Kanama, a 20-year veteran of weightlifting from Syria.

"One (student) has lost over 30 pounds since he started. His behaviour has changed. He lives a healthy lifestyle. His diet, his average in school is much higher now... he just takes life more seriously now because he sees that people care about him and want good things from him."

The youngster Kanama is referring to has enrolled back into school and "is looking forward to a better life in his future" since joining the club.

The club, which at the moment includes seven members from East York, Scarborough and the Beach - all of them attend or attended Neil McNeil - tested its mettle at the junior provincial and national championships recently. They had astounding success.

The provincial championships, held in North Bay in December saw podium finishes from Patrick Bass (gold in 56kg), Tyler Nassiri (bronze in 69kg), Justin Spencer (bronze in 77kg), Kester Munro (gold in 62kg class), Carl Aplacador (bronze in 62kg) and Brandon Fong (bronze in 56kg).

The club then attended the national championships, held in Quebec on Jan. 23.

Quebec dominated much of the competition, but Toronto and the club were still well represented: Bass won a silver medal in his 56kg class while Aplacador won bronze in the 62kg and Munro a bronze in 62kg.

Kanama said the program will extend its reach into Scarborough in the Kennedy Road and Hwy. 401 area next month.

"We're hoping to get involved with some schools there."

Kanama identifies and sympathizes with much of today's youth. It wasn't that long ago, after all, that he was a youngster seemingly constantly getting into hot water.

"I used to get into a lot of trouble," he said. "Weights was the only thing that fixed me. And if it worked for me then it can work for these kids."

Although he has no new hardware to hang around his neck, the new program is giving him his own sense of accomplishment.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life... I owned a very successful chain of stores and... one day I realized that wasn't for me, and I walked away."

"This is for me."

The next stop for the club's members is the Ontario Winter Games in Gravenhurst from March 4 to 7.

For more info on the program visit www.torontoweightlifting.com