Wolfville athlete wins bronze at track nationals

And he did just that.

The Wolfville resident, a member of Launchers Athletics in Port Williams, won a gold medal in para shot put at the Canadian Senior Track and Field Championships in Ottawa July 4-5.

“It’s the first medal that I’ve won in a couple of years at nationals, so I was pretty pumped,” he said, noting that he’s dealt with a few injuries in recent years.

“I wanted to make an impact this year because the last couple of years have been up and down like a yo-yo.”

Bambrick threw a 12-pound shot put 11.12 metres to clinch third place. He also finished fifth in discus .

“I just put my head down and focused,” he said, adding that his Launchers coach Steve Wohlmuth was an invaluable resource while he prepared for the high-level competition.

“We knew I was going to nationals, so we changed a few things and Steve worked with me one on one a lot.”

The 33-year-old has been going to nationals since 2010, but every competition starts with a clean slate. He balances his full-time job at Acadia University with workouts guided by a personal trainer and throwing sessions with Wohlmuth.

“It’s awesome because I’m from the Maritimes and most of the people that I compete with are from Ontario and out west… . you want to show up and show people what you can do,” said Bambrick, who first joined track and field as a way to get exercise that would help his cerebral palsy.

“I just want to be better each meet.”