On August 8th, a team of the best track and field athletes Nova Scotia can provide will board a plane headed to the Legion National Championships in Brandon, Manitoba. Travelling alongside those athletes will be three HaliFAST personnel.

This summer marks the 42nd year that the Royal Canadian Legion has been involved in the national championship, allocating millions of dollars over the years to help the development of youth athletes in Canada through camps and the National Championships.

There is a rigorous selection criteria in order to be selected as an athlete on the team, and its coaching staff is held to the same standard. This year, HaliFAST head coach Rich Lehman, and throws coach Kirk Jessome have been selected to help lead the young group.

Lehman is no stranger to being involved with provincial teams, having previously held the position of team coach and head coach on the Legion Team as well as being named as a team coach for the 2017 Canada Summer Games team.

Lehman has also been named to his first national team as a team coach for the NACAC U18 Championships. The championship has gone through hosting changes, and decisions on the participation of Athletics Canada has not been finalized.

Kirk Jessome has been the throws coach for HaliFAST for the past two seasons, as well as coaching for Dalhousie University this season. Jessome is being named to his first provincial team as a coach in the hopes of development for future teams.

Rounding off the trio of personnel headed to Manitoba for the championships is Naté-Janine Williams. Williams has been named as the Manager for the team, as well as a chaperone. Williams also has plenty of provincial team experience as chaperone in each of the last three years.

The team will be selected at the Legion Team Trails held at Beazley Field, June 23-24. For additional information, and selection criteria for the team, see here