Athlete Profile: Kendra Murray

Career Highlights

• Junior World Championships Middle Qualifier – 27th

2011 Highlights

• Western Canadian Orienteering Championships Middle- 1st
• Western Canadian Orienteering Championships Long – 1st
• Canadian Orienteering Championships Sprint – 1st
• Canadian Orienteering Championships Long – 1st
• Junior World Championships Middle Qualifier – 27th

When and how did you get involved with orienteering?
I have been involved with orienteering for as long as I can remember, going out with my mom before I could read a map by myself. I would say I started orienteering around the age of 5.
What do you love most about orienteering?
I love how different it is from anything else. Instead of having a specific course that must be run, the courses and terrain are all so variable it is always interesting.
What is your favourite orienteering discipline, and why?
I would probably say the middle although each as its pros and cons. I like the middle because its always so technically challenging and usually the person who runs pretty clean does well. It is always a challenge to find a good middle road between pushing yourself physically and not making mistakes.
Which orienteering event is always on your calendar?
Canadian Orienteering Championships. This is a great event, which is always competitive and fun.
Do you have an orienteering idol? If so, who and why?
I do not have a specific idol, however I admired pretty much everyone at JWOC as it gave me a taste of what could be done with orienteering
What was the highlight of your 2011 season?
JWOC Poland 2011. This was an amazing event and truly opened my eyes.
What are your 2012 orienteering goals?
I would really like to go to JWOC 2012 and have great races and improve on last years results.
What races are on your 2012 calendar?
Yukon local races, Yukon Champs, JWOC 2012, COCs
What is your favourite international orienteering location?
I have only orienteered outside of Canada once, and this was in Poland. So although it is my only choice, I really did love the Poland terrain – hilly but really really open with fast running.
When you’re not orienteering, where can we find you?
Skiing. My other life is cross-country skiing, which I have been doing longer than orienteering which is hard to believe! Currently I ski for the Yukon Ski Team, the Carleton University Nordic Ski Team, and am a member of the National Development Team.