The Tenth Stamp

June 23, 2009

The following story was submitted by Berndt Bellmann, a IAWLS member from Radebeul, Germany. Received March 8, 2009.

Because of my tight professional schedule I usually participate only two or three times a year at Worldloppet Races. Since several years I try to get the last lacking stamp in my second Worldloppet Passport. This would bring me the second Worldloppet Master title.
In 2007 this tenth stamp was supposed to be acquired. My wife and I were well trained and to finalize our shape we spent a week in the wonderful area of Nordseter, Norway. On the day of Birkebeinerrennet we were standing already in our wave at the start when the race was cancelled because of bad weather conditions in the mountains.
Another attempt followed in 2008. All preparations were made for Tartu Skimarathon, flight tickets were bought and accommodation ordered. But there was not enough snow in Estonia, so the race was cancelled. Again no stamp.
In 2009 the third try was planned in Canada. Everything started admirably. On the day before the race I wanted to show the first kilometres of the course to my wife and my daughter who wanted to participate too. However, it turned out later that this part of the course was not used for the competition. Because of the rainy weather the day before, the track was very icy. I slipped on the icy track and injured my shoulder. So, I stood there with my wife and my daughter in the middle of the woods injured and in big pain. It was out of the question to participate in the race the next day and the idea of the tenth stamp had completely flown out of my mind. For more than 50 years I have practiced cross-country skiing and would never have thought that one can get so seriously injured in this sport.
Why do I write these lines? I would like to thank very much the persons who helped me in this extremely painful situation in a fast and professional way:
-My wife Gitta who accompanied me on the way to the next Gatineau Park Way.
-My daughter Christine who hurried ahead in order to organize further help.
-The guides of the Gatineau National Park who picked me up and brought me with the snowmobile  to Gatineau.
-The officials of the Gatineau Loppet: Race Director Frédérique Moulin, Past Chairman Claude Laramée and the Technical Delegate Jim Rodiquez. Although they had a lot of work during the day before the race, they engaged time and energy to assist my wife and my daughter very efficiently.
-The ambulance man who drove me to the hospital and encouraged me.
-And last but not least the doctors and medical staff of the hospital Gatineau Hull who medicated me successfully by relocating my dislocated shoulder.
To all and also to those that I have not mentioned, I forward again my thanks for their help. The attached picture shows some of the above mentioned persons, from left to right: my daughter Christine, Jim Rodiquez and Frédérique Moulin.
When people ask me naively whether I have got enough of Worldloppet, I laugh. I am absolutely determined to finish my second Master and to continue my skiing career beyond that point. I am looking at the possibility to travel to Australia next August and participate in Kangaroo Hoppet. If this project cannot be realised, I will make a new try during the Nordic winter 2010.

This page was last revised on February 4, 2010