Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports 17 | Wednesday, May 14, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" Concussion could sideline Hinchcliffe from Indy 500 Oakville's James Hinchcliffe could miss the IndyCar season's biggest race after suffering a concussion Saturday. Hinchcliffe was running in eighth at the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis when he was struck by a piece of debris that flew off Justin Wilson's car. The Oakville driver pulled his car off the track and was later loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher. He was taken to an Indianapolis hospital and was released Saturday evening. He was to be re-evaluated by IndyCar doctors yesterday (Tuesday). Hinchcliffe did return to the track Sunday, but the initial estimate was that he would be out of the car for at least a week -- which could hurt his James Hinchcliffe chances of qualifying for this month's Indy 500. "I want to thank all the fans for their messages of concern and support," Hinchcliffe said. "I'm a little stiff and sore and I'd love to be back in the car tomorrow, but I suppose I should probably let the doctors make that decision. Such a bummer for the (United Fiber & Data) car when things were really starting to come together." It has been a trying season for Hinchcliffe, who is 21st in the overall point standings. He has started on the front row in two of the four races but has just one top-10 finish (seventh at the Grand Prix of Alabama) to show for it. At the Grand Prix of Long Beach, he was in third place before getting caught up in a crash involving the first and second-place cars. He finished 20th in Saturday's race after being forced to pull off the track on Lap 57. E.J. Viso is driving Hinchcliffe's No. 27 car in this week's practice sessions for the Indy 500, which will be run Sunday May 25. Qualifications for the race will be held May 17-18. "He is a great friend of mine, he was my teammate last year," Viso said. "Right now I'm helping him out, putting miles on his car and hoping he comes back soon and jumps back in." Hinchcliffe finished sixth in the 2012 Indy 500. He narrowly missed earning the pole that year after Ryan Briscoe edged him with an average speed of 226.484 miles per hour, compared to Hinchcliffe's 226.481. Hinchcliffe has not missed a race since his IndyCar debut in 2011, making 55 consecutive starts. -- Herb Garbutt Without a paddle by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff Marni Oldershaw reacts after qualifying for this year's Commonwealth Games at the Canadian Swimming Trials last month in Victoria. | photo courtesy Swimming Canada / Scott Grant Swimmer broke away from family tradition M arni Oldershaw wrung the last ounces of energy out of her body as she took the final strokes and her effort was rewarded when she touched the wall first. She immediately turned toward the stands in the Etobicoke Olympium, searching for her parents and when she finally spotted them, the exhausted 12-yearold pointed a finger into her mouth. "I think she's going to be sick," a nearby parent said with some concern. Dean Oldershaw just smiled, knowing exactly what the gesture meant. It was recognition of the mantra of a family that has produced five Olympians: Paddle `til you puke. She was telling her parents she had given everything she had. "She's an Oldershaw," he thought to himself. · · · · If she was really an Oldershaw, what was she doing in the water? The Oldershaw name was built on top of the water, through three generations of paddlers, through nine Olympic Games, becom- ing synonymous with canoe and kayak, not just in Canada, but around the world. Marni followed the family tradition started by her grandfather Bert, who competed at three Olympics. It would have been nearly impossible to avoid paddling altogether. By the age of two, she was sitting in a motorboat on Sixteen Mile Creek as her dad, who competed at the Munich and Montreal Games, coached future Olympic gold medallist Adam van Koeverden. Success came when Marni started paddling herself. She helped Burloak Canoe Club crew boats win provincial titles and made the podium in her individual events. But a promising paddling career was derailed by her ability in the pool. Before Oldershaw even reached high school, she was already breaking national age group records. Her 13-14-year-old 400-metre individual medley record still stands, as do three relay marks set with her Oakville Aquatic Club teammates. When Oldershaw was named to the junior national team for the North American Challenge at age 13, it became apparent she would have to make a choice between swimming and paddling. She sat down with her parents and made a list of pros and cons for each sport. "I think when it came time to stay with swimming and not do canoe, she thought she had to sell me on it," Dean said. "She was telling me paddlers peak into their 30s, swimmers peak at 20-24, so she could compete and then get on with the rest of her life. I think she was all worried that I would be pushing canoe, but the reality was she was already on a Canadian team representing her country (in swimming)." "I couldn't really tell you what was going through my mind as a 13-year-old, but I knew I couldn't do both because of the (conflicting) schedules," Marni said. "It would have been great to continue the family legacy, but maybe it was time to start a new one." · · · · Marni Oldershaw's swimming career didn't hinge on the final women's race of the Canadian Swimming Trials last month in Victoria, but it did represent a chance to achieve a significant milestone. She had competed at the world junior championships but she had never made a senior national team. That still seemed very far off in the future until last year's World University Games in see Marni on p.18