INNISFAIL – Rob Burton loves to tell the story about student Fraser Motley’s quirky ways.
The 16-year-old Grade 11 student at Innisfail High School is known for his whistling prowess and having energy that rivals the Energizer Bunny.
“He’s the nicest kid. He’s a real high energy kid who constantly whistles. He’s an amazing whistler, like it’s ridiculous,” said Burton, the school’s drama teacher, who added Motley is an excellent student and a “well rounded kid who comes from a family of eight brothers and sisters.
“He’s just a lovely little human being, a little quirky, a little weird but he’s just salt of the earth,” he said.
However, Burton, who shares cross-country running coaching duties for his school’s six-member team with math teacher Judith Ellingsgaard, was also quick to emphasize Motley’s energy is overwhelming.
“He could literally run circles around me. He’s teeming with energy, like boundless energy,” he said.
Fortunately for Burton, Motley saves enough of that energy for the course, like he did for five kilometres on Oct. 6 at the Zones championship at River Bend Golf Course in Red Deer. Burton loves to recount his young charge’s exhilarating race.
“Fraser is bouncing in the starting gates. They do two laps and there is this monster hill on the course, and in the first lap he pulls in front of the rest of the crowd. At about 200 metres in he’s a good 10 metres in front of everybody else, and after the first lap he’s at least 100 metres ahead of the next runner. He’s just way, way, way out front,” said Burton, adding the lead diminished by the last lap of the race.
“He was probably about 10, 15 metres in front of the next guy. Then they came up to a hill at the very end and the guy in second place must have just found something in him, and with Fraser maybe not mentally prepared at the end, just pulled in front in the last 100 metres.
“He was maybe three metres in front of Fraser for the finish. It was a real fun finish for the Zones,” said Burton of the ultra-close finish. “Fraser gave it everything he had.”
Motley, who concedes he’s a whistler in part to curb his enthusiasm, said not being able to keep the lead was due to a lapse in judgement.
“I didn’t play a good mental game. I just tried to stay ahead of everyone else and tried to keep the momentum going but I slowed down at the end. I tried to go up this hill as fast as I could but I just couldn’t and I was passed,” he said, adding he’s still happy with the second-place result.
The young runner claimed a silver medal for his outstanding performance, clocking in a time of just under 20 minutes. It should have been a confidence booster for the provincials in Red Deer 10 days later on Oct. 16.
However, all the uplifting drama that sustained him on Oct. 6 was not meant to be for the all-important season-ending finale.
“He was ready to rock and roll and was strong out of the gate, and about half way through I don’t know specifically what happened,” said Burton, adding his runner’s time was a less than satisfactory 25 minutes. “He had a hard time finishing the race.”
Motley just chalked it up to having an off-day performance-wise, which can happen to any athlete.
“My body did not perform the way I wanted it to. It was kind of a letdown, just an off day,” he said, adding it was a learning experience.
“I learned that every time I run it’s a different game. Some days I can run forever. Some days I don’t perform the way I would like to.”
With the season over, Motley is already looking forward to 2022 when he will be a year older and in Grade 12. Right now, he stands 5 ft. 11 ins. tall and weighs 125 to 130 lbs. There is still more growing to do.
“I am hoping I will get first in Zones next year and place better in provincials,” said Motley, who is already thinking beyond next season. “I would like to run for a college or university, yes I would.”
