Cremona-area school bus driver Samantha Smith placed second at the provincial Bus Road-eo in Nisku on June 7.
Smith has now participated in the event twice and placed second in the big bus category, which had 51 contestants from across the province.
“Last year I was third in the local competition and went to provincials,” said Smith.
“This year I wanted to improve how I did, and to compete against myself. I didn’t expect to place as high as I did, but I am proud of how it went.”
She talked about one challenge that required the driver to move the bus’s tires through tennis balls, with about 1.5 inches of clearance between the balls and tires on each side of the bus.
“I liked being able to challenge myself in a controlled environment,” explained Smith.
Smith says she is already looking forward to next year and competing against herself to improve.
“I love being a school bus driver, and especially seeing the students every day,” says Smith.
“My bus is a little like the front of my fridge – it’s covered in pictures the students gave me. To watch them grow up and turn into wonderful little humans is so great.”
She was one of three Chinook’s Edge drivers to attend the event, after a regional bus road-eo several weeks ago.
Other Chinook’s Edge bus drivers Lori Whitlow and Rick Wilson also competed in the event.
Corinne Varga, Chinook’s Edge transportation director, expressed her pride in all the drivers.
“They all have the mindset of safety first, and the competition just improves their daily skills,” she said. “I strongly believe a lot of the credit for how well our drivers do at bus road-eos goes to our training department, which is top notch – especially when it comes to safety.”
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