With Spillum IL Nordic skiing in bright reflective tape on the back, there is no doubt where these young people belong to when they train in the autumn darkness
SPILLUM: – The autumn darkness is a demanding time. Part of the training will necessarily take place in areas where there may also be automobiles and other road users, and with such a large training group that we have, so we need to put extra focus on safety, says Ann Kristin Jansen skigruppa in Spillum IL.
Skigruppa therefore applied Gjensidigestiftelsen on road funds; funds that would be earmarked own reflective jackets for use in training.
– We received 26 000 million in funding, and the money is used to purchase jackets. On the jackets we got pressed extra reflective tape on the front and the club name is reflective on the back. Therefore, athletes should appear along the road, says Jansen, who is happy for the many feedback skigruppa received for the initiative.
– It is noticed, and it seems we are good. For it is important that we think in traffic. Although such roller training takes place on footpaths, so will the athletes occasionally pass areas where there are also cars present, says Jansen.
– No later than on Thursday became the Terese Johaug hit when she was on roller training, so accidents can happen, she adds.
Jansen says that the idea for reflective jackets came after coaches discovered that the oldest athletes ever had “forgotten” reflective vest when they arrived at training.
– We found that among young people there was not always cool to use reflective vest, but with reflective jackets disappeared this problem, she smiles.
The club bought 55 coats, and these were swept away.
– We bought jackets intended for training group of 12-13 years, and these are almost sold out, says Jansen, who has been responsible for the jacket sales team.
– We have received many questions from people outside the skiing community to get buy jacket of us, but unfortunately we are unable to do so, then the warehouse thus was sold among its practitioners, she said.
She hopes other training groups in Namdalen follow the team’s example.
– To equip practitioners with training garments with safety vest that they will use while they are visible in traffic is important. It means everyone wins, says Ann Kristin Jansen Spillum ILs cross country team.