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Kellen Forrest
Dinos Athletics
Les Gramantik’s journey to the Dinos Corridor of Fame is a narrative of perseverance and dedication to 1’s craft.
Gramantik, who enters the Dinos Corridor of Fame as the one coach within the 2024 class, got here to Calgary from a refugee camp in his house nation of Romania in 1977. An elite athlete and worldwide pole vaulter in Romania, Gramantik moved to Canada with a transition to teaching in thoughts.
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And it’s due to that transfer the College of Calgary Dinos monitor and discipline program exists in the present day.
After getting his foot within the door with the college in 1977, Gramantik was one of many main forces behind getting the Dinos monitor and discipline program began in 1978. One thing he’s nonetheless extraordinarily happy with to at the present time.
“I began this program for the monitor in 1978, and I’m happy with the truth that I’ve constructed this system,” Gramantik stated.
And Gramantik didn’t simply get it began, he constructed it right into a winner.
Serving because the Dinos head monitor and discipline coach from 1978-2005, Gramantik led the Dinos to 12 Canada West titles and 5 U SPORTS championships as head coach. He was named nationwide coach of the 12 months in 1991 to go together with six convention coach of the 12 months awards.
He parlayed his college success into national-level alternatives, being chosen to teach the Canadian Nationwide group in varied roles, together with six Commonwealth Video games, three Pan American Video games, eight Olympics/Paralympics and 11 World Championships. His time with Canada was headlined by serving as head coach on the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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However even together with his success as a nationwide group coach, Gramantik by no means forgot his roots. Although he’s now not the Dinos’ head monitor and discipline coach, he continues to work with this system to at the present time as an assistant coach.
“I all the time believed in loyalty in life, and I believe the college was good to me, even with alternatives somewhere else,” Gramantik stated when requested why he’s caught with the Dinos for thus lengthy. “When you’re comfortable someplace, you don’t want to modify. And I used to be pleased with this system, I used to be pleased with the group.”
His years of dedication to the Dinos have seen Gramantik work with a number of unimaginable athletes, and never solely assist them succeed on the college stage, however go on to have nationwide group careers as properly.
One specific group of athletes, who was given the group nickname the “College of Gramantik,” made a long-lasting impression on the legendary coach.
Rachael McIntosh, Katelyn Lehner, Rachel Machin and Niki Oudenaarden are 4 athletes that Gramantik helped succeed on the monitor, but additionally maintains a detailed relationship with their former coach.
The 4 athletes mixed to build up extra factors on the U SPORTS stage than some other college. They proceed to get along with Gramantik to at the present time to share tales and laughs, which is one thing that’s all the time been crucial to Gramanik.
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“We’re linked very properly,” Garmantik stated of his connection together with his 4 former athletes. “In order that’s essential to me. I don’t need athletes to depart me and goodbye, nothing to say.”
And regardless that he all the time tells his athletes to not get managed by their feelings, Gramantik couldn’t assist however let his emotions get to him when he discovered that each one his years of exhausting work resulted in a name to the corridor.
“It was very thrilling,” Gramanik stated. “I really feel an enormous sense of accomplishment in my brief time period of life. Coming from a small, poor nation a few years in the past, dwelling in poverty and also you get right here. So, I believe it’s a pleasant accomplishment. I’m actually comfortable about it. I actually cherish the second.”
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