麻豆社区

It didn't matter what colour she was wearing.

Jessica Frotten has made the Yukon proud at the Canada Summer Games, wheeling her way to three bronze medals in three attempts in wheelchair racing for Team Saskatchewan.

"I might be wearing the green, but my heart's definitely in the Yukon,鈥� Frotten told the Star this morning.

Messages of congratulations have been pouring in to the young athlete through social media since her first medal win Thursday.

Yesterday, she won her first medal in the 400-metre sprint (1:16.78), and followed that up with a second bronze in the 1,500-m (5:06.99).

Then early this afternoon, Frotten went on to win her third bronze in three tries, with a third-place finish in the 200-m (41.20).

In all three races, the 25-year-old Whitehorse native finished behind Quebec's Sarah White and New Brunswick's Veronica Coombes. Both have a long history in the sport, unlike Frotten, who only began training in January.

Reached in Sherbrooke, Que., Frotten said she did not head into the Games expecting to win medals.

"It's kind of surreal, you know? It's great. It kind of shows where I'm at. There's some things that I need to improve on for sure,鈥� she said.

Frotten said she has been hampered recently by the steering on her chair, which "hasn't been co-operating.鈥�

While Frotten competed in two shorter dashes, she said she prefers the longer races, as it allows some room for error.

"In the sprints, everything's got to be so bang on,鈥� she said. "In the 1,500, you kind of have a little bit of time to make a few mistakes.鈥�

Frotten has lived in Regina the past two years as she receives treatment at the First Steps Wellness Centre.

A large troupe of Team Yukon athletes packed the stadium stands for her 1,500-metre race last night.

"The whole soccer team was here. I could hear them in the crowd, and it was just incredible,鈥� Frotten said.

Team Yukon's Athletics coach Don White said the stadium was packed with "better than 100鈥� Yukoners for Frotten's 1,500-metre event.

The history of the moment was not lost on White.

"With track, although she wasn't competing for us, it was the first track medals that were ever won by a Yukon athlete, as far as I know,鈥� White said.

White said that while Frotten's original wish was to compete for the Yukon, the territory lacks the appropriate facilities for her to train.

Frotten suffered major injuries in a 2009 car crash.