Labrathon athletes, organizers keep memory of Max Winters alive

For the first time in 33 years, a familiar face is missing from the Labrador Winter Games. Max Winters passed away in October at the age of 76.

Winters,known to manyas 'Mackie,' made many contributions to Labrador sport.He co-founded the Labrathon, one of the most popular events at the gamesand, despite his passing, Winters'memory lived on.

• Max Winters, champion of Labrador sports, dead at 76

Labrador singer-songwriter Harry Martin paid an emotional tribute to Wintersat the opening ceremonies, dedicating one of his most well-known songs to Winters.

The performance left many in tears, as the darkened arena filled with the soft light of cell phones.Team Makkovik, fromWinters' home town, even stitched a red letter M into itsuniforms.

In honour of its co-founder, the traditional tents which surround the Labrathonare now referred to as Maxville.

Denley Bird is co-chair of the Labrathon committee.

"We'll miss Max for sure," said Bird. "He'd know where to go for different problems and get them solved fairly quickly, it's going to be different."

Keeping tradition alive

The Labrathon is not so much an athletic event, as it is a challenge of tradition.

It's a combination of culture and athletic skill, including elements oftarget shooting, log sawing, setting a traditional trap, using a chisel to make a hole in the ice, and boiling a kettle over an open fire.

"Max was a person that loved competition," said Bird. "He especially liked the old way of life, the trapper's way of life. He always thought a lot of the old people that trapped ... he had a lot of respect for them."

His daughter, Marlene Wheeler, now co-chairs the event alongside Bird.

"We all had the expectation that he was going to be here, and unfortunately that's not the case," she said. "So Gunnar and I stepped up and decided to co-chair together."

Wheeler said her father loved the event.

"Last fall, we were talking about the Labrathon and we were just kind of chatting and I asked him a few different questions, and I look back now and wish I had asked him some more questions," she said.

"One thing he said to me and it really, really stuck with me, he said, 'You know [Marlene],' he said, 'This event is about honouring the tradition of the Labrador trapper.'"

"We need to remember it's not about winning a medal," he told her.

'Very proud to be a Labradorian'

Winters' son, John Paul, is living in St. John'sbut made the trip home for the games this year as a way to honour his father's memory.

"It's nice to see all the guys and girls here again that's been a part of this for so long," he said. "They always helped out my father, whenever he asked them, they were there."

The Labrathon was almost a way of life for John Paul.

"This was definitely part of growing up, being down here pushing stopwatches and setting tents up.It's been very emotional," he said.

"It's a great thing we're very honoured by a lot of stuff that happened you know, he was very proud to be a Labradorian and a lot of people are recognizing that."