Alex Lake: seven years of excellence

NEWS RELEASE

While being a cadet he has travelled around Canada and visited Australia. "Cadets gives so many opportunities to do good things" Alexander said when asked what he enjoyed about cadets. 

After seeing his brother Jamie Schaeder-Lake in a Navy League uniform and hearing about the activities there Alexander decided to give the 2310 RC(Army) CC a try in May of 2005.

By the summer of 2006 he was in Blackdown Army Cadet Summer Training Center (ACSTC) for two weeks at Canadian Forces Base Borden. 

When cadets started in Sept. of 2006 Alexander started Bag Pipe lessons and Biathlon training.

The Biathlon training and hard work would lead to many area, provincial and national cadet biathlon competitions.  

In the summer of 2007 he was back at Blackdown ACSTC for the Army Cadet Leader Instructor.

For the 2007/2008 training year Biathlon and Pipe practices continued. 

In the winter of 2008 He was part of the 2310 three member team that won Silver Medals in the Team Relay and the Patrol Races at the Cadet National Biathlon Competition in Saint Jean Quebec.

This was the first medals to be won by any members of the 2310 RC (Army) CC at Nationals and the start of many more. 

An award for Most Improved Piper was presented to Alexander at the end of 2008 training year.

That summer Alexander went on a Rifle Coach course at Connaught National Army Cadet Summer Training Center (NACSTC) located outside of Ottawa.

In the 2008/2009 training year which still included a twice a week Biathlon training practice and Saturday marksmanship practice.

Add this practice into the regular Monday night cadet training night equals dedication.

He again qualified to compete in the Cadet National Biathlon and was part of the Bronze Medal Team Patrol Race for 2009.

There would be a two year drought  of national medals after 2009.

Also during the winter of 2009 he completed his National Star Certification Exam (NSCE) which a cadet has to instruct a skill or knowledge lesson, a drill lesson and take a knowledge test on past learned topics in the Army Cadet program.

Alexander had a final grade of 93.4% During the summer of 2008 he went on a Leadership and Challenge Course at Rocky NACSTC in the Rocky Mountains.

It was during this training year that Alexander says " I wanted to be the RSM", which is the short form for the Regimental Sergeant Major an appointment given to the highest ranking cadet Chief Warrant Officer in the Cadet Corps.

For the 2009/2010 training year saw more biathlon practices with competitions in the area and provincial levels with medals won there. In March of 2010 he participated in the Regional Winter Expedition in Mattawa Ontario.

When asked what was the most challenging thing you have done in cadets?

He said it was the Mattawa Expedition " It was not very cold, +5 cel. with not much snow. At one point they had to go along the edge of a road that was just gravel, so they had to push and pull the toboggan full of their gear for 4 hours. This pushed the team to their limits but we pushed past it."  

During the summer of 2010 he was off to Australia as part of  Army Cadet Exchange which was a reward for his high mark during his NSCE exam.

He, along with nine other Army Cadets from Canada, toured around the New South Wales area for two weeks to see major cities.

They got to do some training with the Australian Army Cadets that included repelling.

All of the flights, meals and accommodations were covered under the army cadet program.

The 2010/2011 training year was more biathlon training and greater responsibilities at the cadet corps as by this time he was instructing different levels of cadets on the Monday training nights.  

Still heavily training for biathlon and then competing in the area and provincial competitions.

For the summer of 2011 he would be back at Connaught NACSTC but this time as the Company Sergeant Major of Echo Company which is the Cadets that are going on Exchanges to other countries and arriving from other countries on exchanges here in Canada.

This was a chance to meet cadets from South Korea, Caiman Islands and the United States to name a few.

The 2011 and 2012 training year would be Alexander's last as he would have to retire on his 19th Birthday on April 07th of 2012.

In the fall of 2011 he would attain his gaol of being appointed the RSM.

He would have one last goal to meet, which was, " to get the unit biathlon team to nationals and win a medal."

This year's 2310 RCAC biathlon team went to nationals and with his brother Jamie Lake-Schreader on the team.

They worked hard at the area and provincial level competitions that were held here in Sault Ste Marie at the Algoma Rod and Gun Club.

They advanced to the Cadet National Biathlon in Nova Scotia.

There they won the Bronze Medal in the Relay Team event meeting Alexander's goal, but he did not stop there he also won an individual medal.

In a very competitive sport that has been dominated by cadet biathletes from Quebec and Alberta Alexander won a Bronze medal in the Individual Mass Start. 

Looking back on seven years Alexander reflects, "when you begin in Cadets it might not seem all that great but as you move through the ranks you get to do some pretty fun stuff". 

He is one of thousands of cadets in the Army Cadet program and has done some pretty fun yet extraordinary things and accomplishments for a young teenager.

As well Alexander his brother, mother Linda Schraeder and father Robert Lake have traveled to Guatemala to assist those less fortunate by building a house for a family.

Many of these families live in cornstalk houses with a door and no lock.

The new home is a one room cement block structure measuring 13 by 19 feet with a window and a door that locks.

On recalling his two trips too Guatemala, Alexander says, " It makes me realize how much we take for granted".  What makes this statement even more interesting and really hits home is that Alexander and his brother Jamie who are not blood brothers, were born in Guatemala and adopted as infants and brought back to Sault Ste Marie by their adoptive parents.

So what are Alexander's plans for the future?

He has applied to three universities to take chemical engineering which he would like to get a masters in and then possibly work in the petroleum industry.

Do you know a young boy or girl who wants to be challenged and is between the ages of 12 to 18?

To learn more about the Canadian Cadet Organization which encompasses Sea, Army and Air Cadet visit, http://www.cadets.ca/.

The 2310 RCAC meets on Monday nights at the Sault Ste Marie Armoury on Pine St and for more information call, 705-942-4540.

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