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A blast of icy, cold wind and sub-zero temperatures wasn’t exactly the greeting Sarah Mitton was expecting for her first event of her 2026 track and field season, but it’s one she’s embracing.
On Friday, Mitton was seeking refuge from the elements inside the Saskatoon Field House for the 2026 edition of the Knights of Columbus Indoor Games.
“It’s my season opener this weekend so there’s excitement on that front,” Mitton said. “There’s a little less excitement because of the cold, but we’re surviving.”
Mitton, a two-time gold medallist for Canada at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in shot put, is highlighting the 59th year of the K of C Games as one of a few dozen elite international athletes competing.
Expected to be one of Canada’s top medal threats at the 2028 Summer Olympics, Mitton is in the midst of a slower year in her training with a ramp up towards Los Angeles expected to begin next winter.
The upcoming 2026 Winter Games in Milan have already hooked her Olympic drive however, even if she’s not the one chasing gold.
“When the Olympic hype comes back for somebody else you start to feel it for yourself in a way,” Mitton said. “It’s kind of a nice midpoint to be like, ‘Okay, remember this is what we’re training for.’”
While looking to kick her 2026 season off with a few big throws in Saskatoon, Mitton added she’s using the competition as a baseline to see where she’ll be able to grow in the coming months.
For University of Saskatchewan Huskies track and field coach Jason Reindl, landing a world champion like Mitton benefits not only his collegiate athletes but the city’s local clubs as well.
“Anytime we can welcome athletes of this calibre to the city and our community is just an amazing experience,” Reindl said.
“From the littlest of elementary school students up to our club and university athletes, and then our masters and senior competitors.”
The K of C Games are one of the few high-level track and field events in western Canada which blend international competition for their invitational athletes, as well as a chance for local kids to discover the sport and compete with their school teams.
“It’s just so unique,” Reindl said. “It is something we’re just happy to keep on promoting and celebrate.”
That atmosphere of pushing her own limits while helping to inspire the next generation of track and field stars is something which drew Mitton to Saskatoon, aiming to share her story and ignite the same fire for athletics which has led her to the highest levels of competition in the world.
“Give everything a try,” Mitton said.
“See what you love, see what you like and see what your body is also telling you you’re good at. I think that there’s a lot of joy in doing something you like, but also there’s a lot of joy in doing something you’re really good at.”
