Vikings Weightlifting Club

A little Canadian Weightlifting History.

Two Canadian weightlifters had small parts in movies that I know of - perhaps there are more.

The Clan of the Cave Bear
Luciano Desimone - BC
Luciano competed at the following Canadian Senior Championships and had represented two BC clubs over his years of lifting - Spartak and Vikings.
1985 - 82.5kg - 8th
122.5 + 152.5 = 275
1986 - 90kg - 4th
127.5 + 155 = 282.5

Quest for Fire
Jacques Demers - QC
Jacques won a Silver medal in the 75kg category at the 1984 Olympic Games in LA
Best lifts I believe were 155 and 195.

How do you go from the first video to the 2nd video in 3 years? First you stop Dancing and second you train hard - taking care of business. On our way to Westerns today taking place in Saskatoon with Felix Bergeron. Other club members competing are Kenna Robinson and Laila Sandhu.

Congratulations to Wes Woo and his official induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame earlier this week - well deserved!!!
Joining Wes were 4 Spartak Weightlifting Club members - Earl Farrell, Robert Rudek, Carman Adair and Ray Vaillancourt. Carman Adair nominated Wes for this prestigious award!!!
.earl

Earl Farrell’s 70th Birthday Party

Left to Right:
Robert Rudek, Carman Adair, Earl Farrell
Wes Woo, Guy Greavette, John Swan

4 of us were on the BC Team at the 1975 Canada Winter Games in Lethbridge AB

52kg - Guy Greavette - Silver
57.5kg Sn**ch - 75kg C&J

56kg - Earl Farrell - Silver
72.5kg Sn**ch - 85kg C&J

60kg - Robert Rudek - Silver
90kg Sn**ch - 110kg C&J

82.5kg - John Swan
95kg Sn**ch - No C&J Result

Everyone in the photo except Guy Greavette lifted for the Spartak Weightlifting Club in Vancouver coached by Wes Woo

2 years later at the CDN Senior Weightlifting Championships, Robert, Earl and Guy all competed against each other in the 60kg category.

Carman Adair was two time CDN Senior Champion in 1977 and 1979 and a former BCWA President

Wes Woo coached at two Olympic Games (1968 and 1976) and will be finally inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame later this month.

Guy Greavette was the Best Man at Earl’s first wedding and Earl Farrell was the Best Man at Guy Greavette’s wedding. A great friendship among everyone over the years and lots of lifting!!!

Only a few spots available so don’t miss out on learning Olympic Weightlifting technique from one of the best lifters in Canada who is also a certified coach!!!

Kayla has represented Canada at 4 International events:

2022 Pan American Championships
2023 Commonwealth Championships
2024 World Cup
2024 World Championships

Global Fitness Centre
1574 Harvey Avenue, Kelowna BC
Wednesday - September 24
5:30 - 7:00 PM

Open to all ages and abilities!

Larry Mather and Dieter Stamm - I believe both have been Presidents in their respective Provinces. Both have Coached numerous athletes and have been instrumental in changing lives of young lifters who came into the sport of Weightlifting. Larry has Coached from grassroots all the way up to the international level and although Dieter has not Coached the International level, he has produced Athletes who have. Dieter has Officiated at International events and has been an International Category #1 Official for many years. Both have been instrumental and supportive of my development in the sport. Both Larry and Dieter have been coming to Ogopogo ever since Vikings started hosting with both perhaps only missing one year out of 15. Whenever I give Dieter a call in advance of an event, he is more than willing to attend. Larry has stayed at our home the last two years which has been fantastic, especially when Larry and his wife Clarece took me into their home back in 1979. Dieter comes up and visits his cousin every year. I consider both very good friends of myself but of course, the sport of Weightlifting. If you don’t know them, get to know them because they are a big part of the history of Weightlifting in Canada. The final photo is a shirt from the UBC Weightlifting Club which Dieter was a member back in the 1960’s. There is not enough room to mention all that these two have done for Weightlifting in BC, Alberta and Canada 🇨🇦 .weightlifting

Vikings in action at the 2025 Ogopogo Weightlifting Championships.

Taylor Rode (f77) - 4th place
40 + 49 =89
**PR Competition lifts

Kenna Robinson (f63) - Bronze
55 + 68 =123
**PR Competition lifts

Torsten Godwin (m60 - 44.25) - Gold
28 + 39 =67
**PR Competition lifts

James (m+110) - Gold
92 + 108 =200
**First competition, 14 years old

Felix Bergeron (m88) - Silver
108 + 142 =250
**Best Youth and Junior Male Lifter
**PR + BC Youth Record C&J

Jeanette Perry (+86) - Silver
60 + 75 =135
**6 for 6 - PR Competition Sn**ch + Total

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Team Canada 🇨🇦 for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships has been officially announced. Very proud to have two Youth lifters from the club representing Canada - Felix Bergeron and Laila Sandhu. The last time 2 lifters from the club represented Vikings and Canada Internationally was the 2022 Pan American Senior Championships in Bogota, Colombia 🇨🇴 - Kayla Shepard and Miklos (Mike) Bencsik with Mike winning a Silver in the C&J.

20 lifters selected to represent Canada at the Commonwealth Championships with 9 going from BC plus 2 Coaches and the Team Leader. Looking forward to a great event in Ahmedabad, India 🇮🇳

Donald Alan St. Jean
May 20, 1955-April 30, 2025

I learned of Don St. Jeans passing a few days ago from his niece who lives here in Lake Country. Don passed away just short of his 70th Birthday.

He lived in a remote area of BC and usually once a year we would talk on the phone and reminisce on the good old days of the Vikings Weightlifting Club. Don trained and competed with the club in the 56kg category. One of the toughest guys I have ever met. He was a Tree Faller and worked in Construction for a period of time. He told me a story where it was at the end of the day and he was racing to get some framing done on a house. He was going fast with the nail gun and lost control of it and put a nail right into his leg - ouch!!! I believe a couple weeks later he did a PR Clean at 115kg (253lbs) at a bodyweight of 125lbs. Tough as Nails!!!
In fact Don cheated death many times. Won’t get into those stories but he was like a cat with nine lives!!!
Many years ago a big group of people from Lake Country went on vacation in Hawaii. We were in a nightclub one night having a few drinks and his niece (did not know at the time it was his niece), said to me, my Uncle was a Weightlifter. I just kind of brushed it off because many people would tell me someone they knew was a weightlifter. We were traveling back home and had a long layover at the Vancouver Airport. My Father Ron Greavette who started Vikings and Coached everyone in the early years met us for coffee. He said - you won’t guess who just called him and he wanted me to call him back. It was Don and we had not talked for a number years. We got talking on the phone and somehow got around to him telling me - You know my niece lives in Lake Country and her name is Rachael and this was the person who mentioned to me on our trip that her Uncle was the weightlifter. Small World!!!
I have included some photos of Don Olympic Weightlifting and Powerlifting. Two photos are of the three St. Jean boys - all have now passed away. Don is the youngest of the three. I have had a chance to communicate with one of Don’s daughters (he has two daughters and one son). Hopefully I will get a chance to meet them one day. RIP Don!!!

When the 2025 World Junior Weightlifting Championships conclude Canada will have had 197 Athletes compete on that International stage. I think the info here is accurate.

108 competed once
50 competed twice
23 competed 3 times
12 competed 4 times
2 competed 5 times
2 competed 6 times

Photo 1 - 2025 Team Canada 🇨🇦
Photo 2 - Luc Chagnon (QC)
6 World Juniors
Photo 3 - Jeane Lassen (YT)
6 World Juniors
Photo 4 - Francis Luna-Grenier (QC) 5 World Juniors
Photo 5 - Kristel Ngarlem (QC)
5 World Juniors
Photo 6 - Christine Girard (QC)
4 World Juniors
Photo 7 - Alex Bellemare (QC)
4 World Juniors
Photo 8 - Tali Darsigny (QC)
4 World Juniors
Photo 9 - Boady Santavy (ON)
3 World Juniors
Photo 10 - Pierre-Alexandre Bessette (QC) 3 World Juniors
Photo 11 - Prabdeep Sanghera (BC) 3 World Juniors
Photo 12 - Guy Greavette (BC)
3 World Juniors
Photo 13 - Marilou Dozois-Prévost (QC) 3 World Juniors
Photo 14 - Jessica Ruel (QC)
3 World Juniors
Photo 15 - Shad Darsigny (QC)
3 World Juniors
Photo 16 - Magalie Rioux (QC)
3 World Juniors
Photo 17 - Mathieu Marineau (QC) 3 World Juniors
Photo 18 - Andreanne Messier (QC) 4 World Juniors
Photo 19 - Charlotte Simoneau (QC) 4 World Juniors

Could not find photos for everyone. Other notable lifters:

4 World Juniors
Raymond Derouin (QC)
Kevin Roy (ON)
Denis Aumais (QC)
Redjean Clerc (QC)
Charlotte MacEachern (MB)
Natalie Williams (ON)
Valerie Lefebvre (QC)

3 World Juniors
Mario Phaneuf (QC)
Michel Pietracupa (QC)
Langis Cote (QC)
Patrick Arnau (QC)
Sebastien Groulx (QC)
Serge Tremblay (QC)
Pierre Cadieux (QC)
Danny Schultz (AB)
Julien Galipeau (QC)
Rosemary Densmore (MB)
Annie Moniqui (QC)
Paul Dumais (QC)
Ann-Maxime Bouffard (QC)
Naomie Lusignan (QC)

World Juniors is a big part of Long Term Athlete Development. A big stepping stone and valued experience for young Weightlifters on their way on to bigger events!!!

Congrats to all 197 Canadian Weightlifters who have represented or will very soon represent Canada 🇨🇦 at World Juniors over the past 50 years. .weightlifting.assoc

2025 represents 50 years since the first World Juniors in Marseille, France (1975). This post is to celebrate the achievements of BCWA members at World Juniors. Please share!!!

ATHLETES
1975 - Spartak WL Club
Robert Rudek (56kg) - 12th
1978 - Vikings WL Club
Guy Greavette (67.5kg) - 16th
1979 - Vikings WL Club
Guy Greavette (75kg) - 15th
1980 - Vikings WL Club
Guy Greavette (75kg) - 8th
1982 - Guru Gobind WL Club
Major Lidder (100kg) - 6th
1984 - Caribou WL Club
Paramjit Gill (90kg) - 11th
1992 - Vikings WL Club
Satwinder Ghatarora (60kg) - 20th
1995 - Surrey WL Club
Miel McGerrigle (54kg) - 4th
**SILVER MEDAL - C&J
2001 - Vikings WL Club
Deep Takhar (105kg) - 17th
2002 - Semi WL Club
Bridget Bernier (+75) - 9th
2003 - Surrey WL Club
Evan Openshaw (85kg)
2005 - EMS WL Club
Adrian Chatelain (56kg) - 22nd
2005 - Semi WL Club
Walter Bailey (69kg) - 20th
2007 - Semi WL Club
Katelynn Williams (69kg) - 11th
2011 - Lions WL Club
Harinder Mahey (85kg) - 14th
2011 - Lions WL Club
Prabdeep Sanghera (75kg) - 15th
2012 - Lions WL Club
Prabdeep Sanghera (75kg) - 8th
2013 - Lions WL Club
Helena Billen (53kg) - 13th
2013 - Lions WL Club
Prabdeep Sanghera (75kg) - 6th
** SILVER MEDAL - Sn**ch
2019 - Lions WL Club
Jeenat Billen (71kg) - 11th
2022 - United Barbell Club
Melissa Lin (71kg) - 14th
2023 - Power & Grace WL Club
Kathryn Lee (71kg) - 7th
2024 - Hercules WL Club
Kate Barry (64kg) - 18th

COACHES
1976/1977 - Ron Greavette
1995 - Peter MacDowell
2011/2012 - Makhan Sandhu
2013 - Harnek Sanghera
2022 - Mandeep Khatkar
2023 - David Ogle
2024 - Raf Korkowski

Hopefully I did not miss anyone. 19 Athletes in Total.
Congrats to all - what a great achievement!!!