It's freezing outside but Stefan Bigsby, a member of the UBC Okanagan Heat varsity golf team, can keep training indoors using a golf simulator at iQuest in Kelowna.
“One of our goals was to develop our golfers on a year-round basis,” says Johnson. “In support of that vision, iQuest Healthcare and Fitness Centre in Kelowna offered to provide our student golf athletes with a very generous sponsorship program worth nearly $12,000.With the support of local business, UBC Okanagan is putting together one of the best student athletic golf programs in the country, says Rob Johnson, director of Athletics and Recreation at UBC Okanagan
“In addition to that we have partnered with one of the most well-known golf facilities in the Okanagan – The Okanagan Golf Club, which also gives us access to their golf professionals. So from coaching, training and development perspectives we have all the components to become one of the best university golf programs in the country.”
At iQuest, members of the newly established UBC Okanagan Heat golf team have access to a state-of-the-art training facility and professional staff, enabling them to work on both their physical and mental conditioning.
Team members have already received personal assessments and took part in a series of mental coaching sessions. The team has full use of the iQuest Golf Academy, which includes a golf simulator and short-game practice area, providing the student athletes with cutting-edge technology to help them improve specific fitness areas that relate to their individual golf swings.
“The team has the opportunity to train and continue to develop all aspects of their golf game during the off season, so they are more prepared for the season when it starts again in the spring,” says Adrienne Vedan, coach of the varsity golf team.
“This is the first year that we have had a golf team and knowing that there is support and interest from the community is critical in the development of our program. It raises the profile of our team in addition to helping them become better athletes.”
Lorne Friesen, Director of iQuest, says the health care and fitness centre was eager to offer its support to the varsity golf team, and believes the student athletes have the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.
“Golf is a lifestyle in the Okanagan and we wanted to do our part to support the development of our student golf athletes, as well as help attract top talent to the valley,” says Friesen. “When you look at the top athletes in the world, the physical and mental preparation they put into a game is exceptional. Golf is no longer just a sport – it is a science. Every athlete is looking for an edge. The UBC Okanagan golf team will find theirs at iQuest, and we have every intention of helping them reach the high goals they have set out for themselves.”
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