Help Me Train In Victoria

Photo by PHIL McLACHLAN


Hello, My name is Jack Amos.  I am a 15 year old competitive runner and proud citizen of the historical, diverse and inclusive community of Dawson City, Yukon!

Dawson is an isolated community of 1500 people in northern Canada,  about 450 km's south of  the Arctic Circle.  The nearest city, Whitehorse,  is 550 km south (a 6 hour drive away).    

Living in Dawson City, has meant that I do the majority of my training outside and on my own.   Most of the time it is  winter and temperatures that I have trained in have reached - 48 C, which gets to be rather chilly.  

Ice Fog in Dawson City           64°03′36″N 139°24′39″W.

However, so far, I have had a fair amount of success training this way.  Representing Team Yukon my achievements so far include;  4 medals at the Arctic winter games,  3 medals at the Jack Brow track meet,  Yukon Cross Country Champion, B.C. Cross Country Champion and Alberta Indoor 3000 meter Provincial Champion.  Last year I also won the International Dome Race.

My dream would be to perhaps represent Canada one day,  but, my more immediate goal is to be able to run competitively on a national level.    To realistically achieve this it has been pointed out that I need to move to an area which has a stronger environment for supporting and training runners.  This environment would include;   milder weather year round so it is easier on my lungs and which will also help with cross training programs, such as bicycling and swimming;  accessibility to more competitions which would help with speed and experience; and  track training with fast runners to pitch myself against.


I have looked at two area's which are at the heart of Canadas running world, Victoria, B.C. and Guelph, Ontario.  Due to geography, Victoria seems to be the logical and the financially better choice.  I have contacted Olympian Bruce Deacon who is the coach of the Prarie Inn Harriers (P.I.H.),  B.C.'s top running club.  The P.I.H. has a strong, youth focussed program, and is based out of Victoria.

Their team is quite impressive, including, but not withstanding: Taylor Lyman (Team Canada World U-18 IAAF Championships; 800 m) Tyler Dozzi (2016 Canadian Cross Country Champion), and Liam Stanley (Silver Medalist Para olympics Rio 2016).  I have already met and travelled with Bruce and the team to the UW High School track meet in Seattle, Washington.  

My monetary contributions towards my project include money that I have already saved and money that I earn in the summer; busking for 3 hours a day (juggling) and working in a local theatre 4  nights a week.  These are jobs that accommodate my training,  my courses (academics and lifesaving) and race competitions.  I earn about $15.00 an hour.  

My voluntary athletic contributions towards my community have included;  being the school student representative for the weekly running club which took students out running weekly,  after school;  and shortly I will be assisting with a new, weekly program involving teaching running to young people.   My fundraising efforts in the past have included $1000.00 towards 'AgainstMalaria' and over a $1000.00 towards Sarcoma Cancer Research.  I have also voluntarily  performed for others' fundraising efforts and for the local music festival.

The funds that I need, to be able to achieve this move, are primarily for rent and food.   To secure a place to live and to enroll in highschool, it would be preferable to have an idea if I would be successful by the end of April, 2017.

I am a determined and hardworking runner whose love for running and representing the Yukon, are my motivators.   I want to become as fast as I can and make the Yukon proud, so please help my dream come true!