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38 Sports Oakville Beaver Mention this ad and receive two free lessons!* * With one month sign up, applicable to new students only, expires March 15th. 905-582-5132 info@inklingmusic.com SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010 Personal trainer takes step-by-step approach Folgering climbs Empire State Building's 86-floor staircase in less than 14 minutes start. It felt like I was in the middle of a stampede with 80 other guys behind me when the race began." Folgering remembers the race's Trevor Folgering believes the best aggressive start. He still sports a way toward physical fitness is to take large bruise on his arm from being one step at a time. The 30-year-old local resident shoved into the side of the building's narrow stairwell. heads the Canadian "It felt like I was "The first 20 floors Stair Climbing were pretty insane," he in the middle of a Association, an organirecalled. "It got a lot zation devoted to sport stampede with easier after that because that is quickly gaining 80 other guys many of the competipopularity worldwide. behind me when tors fell behind, because In Folgering's latest the race began." the excruciating pain in conquest, he competed your legs begins to kick in the 33rd annual n Stair climber in. Mental strength is Empire State Building Trevor Folgering also a huge factor for Stair Climb. Folgering whoever wins." ascended the 86 floors Folgering first started climbing and 1,575 steps of New York City's tallest building in 13 minutes and 49 stairs as a form of exercise. He seconds, finishing 39th out of 160 quickly fell in love with the grueling workout rushing up a flight of stairs male competitors. "I will never forget how incredi- provides. The personal trainer also runs an ble it was to see so many other athletes getting ready to climb the same online stair-climbing fitness proset of stairs," he said of the start to gram called Step-Up Canada, using this year's unofficial world champi- the software application Skype. The fitness lover next plans to onship of stair climbing. "The Empire State Building race is very compete internationally for the first unique because every competitor in time in Las Vegas in March. Folgering will then return home a group starts at the same time. to begin training for the CN Tower There were 160 men competing in two groups, with the fastest quali- climb in April. He hopes to climb the fiers leading the way, and one group 553.3-metre building in less than 10 of women. I was in the tenth spot to minutes. n By Daniel Perry SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER STAIR MASTER: Trevor Folgering runs up the stairs at his training facility in Burlington. The 30-year-old local resident recently competed in the Empire State Building Stair Climb, ascending 86 floors and 1,575 steps in less than 14 minutes to finish 39th out of 160 competitors. Folgering is the head of the Canadian Stair Climbing Association. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER Mason posts back-to-back shutouts The Columbus Blue Jackets' recent coaching change seems to have agreed with Steve Mason. The Abbey Park grad has been sensational in goal for Columbus since the team fired Ken Hitchcock and replaced him with interim coach Claude Noel Feb. 3. Mason made 40 saves to earn his second consecutive shutout Wednesday, blanking the Western Conference-leading San Jose Sharks 3-0 at Columbus. In three games since Hitchcock's firing, Mason has Steve Mason stopped 90 of 91 shots. He would have had three straight shutouts had the Dallas Stars not scored with 46 seconds left in regulation in the Blue Jackets' 2-1 win Feb. 4. Mason, who has struggled this year after winning the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie last season, received a standing ovation from the Columbus crowd midway through the third period of Wednesday's win. "Getting a standing ovation is great," the 21-yearold told reporters. "The fans have always been behind me, especially this season when it's not really going the way that I had wanted it." Mason is now 16-18-6 on the year with a 3.06 goalsagainst average, .898 save percentage and four shutouts. His two shutouts over the past week have raised his franchise record to 14. He'll shoot for three straight shutouts tonight (Friday) when the Blue Jackets play host to the Vancouver Canucks. Columbus is then home to the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday, the last day of NHL action before the Olympic break. Griffiths earns silver at meet in Saskatchewan Local sprinter Miana Griffiths won silver in the 50-metre dash at last week's 45th annual Knights of Columbus Saskatchewan International Indoor Games. Griffiths, a former St. Thomas Aquinas student who now attends Ryerson University, crossed the line in 6.44 seconds, one-hundredth of a second behind Nigeria's Halimat Ismaila. Griffiths also reached the finals of the 60m race, edging out 2008 Olympian Adrienne Powers in the preliminaries.