Track and field star Jared Hiebert returned home from St. John's, Newfoundland with some hardware, claiming a silver medal from one of his three events during the Canada Summer Games.
The events and results
Hiebert was in three events, and he details what they were, as well as how he faired. "In the 100 meter, I finished seventh overall. Our 4x100 relay finished fourth, just slightly off the podium, and I had a second place finish in the 200 meter."
Looking back over the event, Hiebert really enjoyed the experience, even if weather wise things were not ideal. "Ironically, the days we had to compete, it was pretty cold and windy, with it being on the coast. The days we didn't have to compete, like our rest days, or like fun days, they were really nice days where the sun was out and it was warm. Other than that, the experience was awesome. From the new facility that they had there, to the athlete village, I enjoyed it all. I'm so thankful and grateful to have been a part of it."
Competitive takeaways
Going up against the top talent in the country, Hiebert says he learned a lot from others, and about himself. "It was a learning experience, for sure. I've raced some of these people before, some that I haven't raced, I've seen them online. In the 200 meter final, the guy who won, Will Batley is his name, he actually broke the 200 meters game record. It wasn't held by Andre De Grasse, but Andre De Grasse did compete in the 200 meters at the Canada Summer Games, but he didn't have the record, someone did, but now Will has it. Congrats to him. Competing on that level with a lot of the best sprinters in Canada, it was so cool. It showed me where I'm at, and it really showed me that in the moment, rankings don't mean anything, it's all about who shows up on the day."
Proudly representing Manitoba
Having the opportunity to represent his home province, Hiebert says he feels a lot of pride, even more so coming from the south east. "It meant a lot. Manitoba compared to the other provinces that bring in a lot of medals from games, like Manitoba is a small province, but I feel like we hold our own at big competitions. It was super cool representing Manitoba, with all my friends, teammates, my family all came out, they drove from home. It was even greater to represent this south east area. A lot of athletes are from Winnipeg or close to Winnipeg, there are not a lot from rural areas, so it was really nice to represent."
Podium thoughts
Winning silver is a special memory for Hiebert, and he has plans for the medal itself. "The silver medal is actually with me right now," he says with a chuckle. "I plan to show it to my parents. It was super cool, all the flag bearers, the photographers, the crowd, it was all super cool when I got my medal. The last medal I got was a silver from the high school provincials, so to go from silver in high school to silver at the nationals, it's just incredible."
Well earned rest
After an incredible stretch, Hiebert says he plans on getting some much needed rest and is looking forward to eating some food he stays away from while competing. "I'm super tired, it's been a super long season. I'm going to enjoy some cheat meals, hang out with my family back home, see some friends. For after that, I plan to keep working, and keep progressing with my coaches and teammates."
Go to cheat meal
Not only is Hiebert consistent on the track, he's consistent when it comes to his favourite meals. "They may be getting one in Steinbach, and a lot of my friends, teammates, they all know that my go-to cheat meal is Taco Bell."
He may need to travel a bit to get that cheat meal, but considering how much he's travelled this year to compete, Jared Hiebert has no problems going that extra mile to achieve his goals, even if this goal in particular is some great food.