Cameron Boland is a member of both the Laurentian Varsity Men's Soccer team and the Nordic Skiing team. One of the few Voyageurs in history to perform at this elite level in two sports.
Growing up in Sudbury provided Cameron with the type of climate to do Nordic Skiing in the winter and Soccer in the summer. He quickly found a passion for both. Nordic skiing and Soccer don't have a lot in common. One is a team sport, the other individual. One is played on grass (or turf), the other on snow. Soccer involves a ball, and Nordic consists of skis and poles. The sports could not be more different, but somehow both sports appealed to the 4th year Sport and Physical Education student.
As someone who grew up coming to Voyageurs soccer games and, through high school, had developed relations with their former coaches Greg Zobras and Carlos Castrechino, Cameron always knew that playing varsity soccer was what he wanted. But after a good showing at OFSAA with the Lo-Ellen Nordic Ski team, Cameron quickly found that something he did for fun, and more as a passion, was now something he could compete at a university level. Cameron had not only become one of the varsity soccer players he once looked up to, but one of Laurentian's few dual-sport athletes.
With a full course load and two coaches to keep happy he admitted to only having 1 or 2 hours free a day. Every single day, the 4th year student will train for both sports. He starts in the morning with gym work or ski work (depending on the climate). He will then spend all day focusing on his schoolwork and then heads to soccer practice around dinner time. Depending on the time of year, he is also getting ready for a weekend competition on top of training. In the fall, it's a home soccer weekend with two games or a road trip for road games. If the snow has settled, Cameron is getting ready for a Nordic ski meet. Both competitive seasons at different times have benefited the Lo-Ellen alum, but it still doesn't make it easy.
As the soccer season has wrapped up, the dual-Student athlete, although still spending every day training and practicing a bit of both sports, will enjoy the most needed break from competing, at least until the trail snow is here to stay.