Connor Black
ON recent success
On Sept. 18, Connor Black raced an impressive eight kilometers in 25 minutes at Fort Henry in Kingston giving him a first-place finish.
In the following days, Black, a fourth-year kinetics student, achieved Gryphon MUSCLE MLK athlete of the week and conference-wide honours as OUA athlete of the week.
Black intends to continue the success he had at Fort Henry throughout the season and into the U Sports championships held in Victoria, B.C. on Nov. 12.
I asked him if he believes he was at his peak performance level in Kingston.
“[No], I see peak Connor Black on Nov. 12th out in Victoria, B.C., that’s where I see peak Connor Black.”
ON origins
Before finishing high school and shifting his focus to long-distance running, Black was a AAA hockey player.
“For the longest time that’s what I wanted to do. I was in love with hockey. I started switching gears around middle of grade ten. [That’s] when I got serious [with running].”
By grade 12 he was fully immersed in running culture.
“I was pulled into the running realm where I was surrounded by people who were running 24/7. I started to pick up on their habits, I started to find more consistency.”
ON development
During his first year at Guelph, Black was injured, and trained through pool sessions with the Speed River Track and Field Club. Two Olympic marathoners trained with the Speed River club, including Guelph graduate and veteran of the sport Reid Coolsaet.“I hopped in the pool and in one of my first sessions in the pool I aqua jogged with Reid Coolsaet […] I was doing a bunch of sessions in the pool with him and I was just feeding off all his knowledge,” said Black.
Black is a hungry athlete, seeking success and glory in his fourth and last year. And, as for this challenge, to share Black’s own mantra, he is “calm, but on it.”
Linnea Knutsson
ON becoming a Gryphon
A week before the Gryphons golf team’s first OUA event of the season, Linnea Knutsson, a third-year exchange student from Landskrona, Sweden, emailed the Gryphons coach asking if she could play on the team for the remainder of her exchange.
Knutsson is eligible during the fall; she is returning to Sweden next semester.
“When I came here I didn’t expect to play golf here because I felt Canada is so cold. And my coach was like: ‘How delightful that you wrote me because we actually need girls,’” Knutsson said.
Knutsson asked her parents if they could deliver her clubs through express delivery. On Sept. 13, a day before the Western Invitational, they arrived.
Knutsson shot an 81 — only two shots behind the leader — to ensure a bronze placing.
Knutsson’s performance earned her MUSCLE MLK athlete of the week in her first-ever performance as a Gryphon.
ON origins and development
Knutsson always lived close to her local golf course in Landskrona. As a child, it was her grandmother that always wanted to play the game.
“I was five, my grandma took me to the golf course. She played for a couple of years and she wanted me to be a golfer as well.”
Knutsson didn’t enjoy golf until she started to play with her girlfriend growing up. This friendly competition provided Knutsson with what she loves most about golf — competitive spirit coupled with a relaxing sociality.
Knutsson played the highest level of competitive golf in Sweden as an under-18 athlete. Her local club won the Sweden national championship for mixed (boys and girls) play.
ON life after sport
Knutsson, however, decided not to pursue professional sport in Sweden and instead opted for education; “I was like why am I playing golf? It’s just a big pressure, it’s not even fun at that point.”
Knutsson told me that in Sweden they do not have varsity sports at the university. But that does not mean that Knutsson is finished playing competitively. Her boyfriend in Sweden decided to take the professional route and she savours every chance she can get to defeat him on the green.
When asked about life after sport, Knutsson told The Ontarion that she is “already there,” choosing a zen attitude over critical professionalism.
She now seeks to immerse herself in golf for pleasure, student life, and Canadian culture.
Photos by Alora Griffiths & Matteo Cimellaro/The Ontarion