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Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
C3 Celebrates 30 years with Past, Present, and Future
Looking out at the C3 James Dick Quarry, it can be hard to believe that it once held not an ounce of sand. On Saturday, July 19, the quarry was filled with families and past and present athletes enjoying the beach, waterpark, and various other activities. C3 Canadian Cross Training Club celebrated their 30th anniversary with a BBQ and a trip down memory lane, with speeches and stories from past attendees. Barrie Shepley, head coach at C3, spoke of a time when there was no driveway, or even electricity on the site. 'Almost all of this has been done by complete absolute volunteers,' he said. 'The people who were coming out here when the weeds were literally right across the beach, there were no lane ropes, there were no swim buoys, there was no place to put down your stuff, and a whole bunch of moms and dads and volunteers agreed to get together.' 'Literally every ounce of sand that you see here was laid down by a volunteer,' he continued. 'All of the gravel driveway, all of the infrastructure, what we see in front of us, and if these people hadn't believed in what we were doing, there was absolutely no way we could be there.' When Shepley was in New Zealand for the 1994 World Championship, he wondered how a country of 3.4 million people could create Olympic champions in such a small place. 'We were over for the world championships for five weeks and by the time I left there I realized exactly what we have here. You took average parents, average school teachers, average counselors who said why can't we make something special in our town for our kids,' said Shepley. He shared that much of what everyone sees today is due to the Bechtel family. Sean Bechtel, a former professional triathlete, trained at C3. 'In my estimation we would not have had the Andrew Yorkes, the Lionel Sanders and the Kyle Jones had it not been for Sean because he could have buzzed off to the States with some older guys and did his training, but he stayed here and he was a big brother to those guys and the reason that we were able to get another generation of athletes was because of Sean,' shared Shepley. Bechtel remarked that it's great to see how much C3 has grown over the years, and thanked his previous coach himself. 'You can say all the stuff about the C3 not happening or any of this not happening because of other people, but we all know that it's all because of Barrie and what he does and how he brings people together and does everything. We're all part of it but Barrie is definitely the glue that holds everything together and creates new pieces and brings more and more and more to the community,' said Bechtel. Various other athletes spoke about the impact C3 has had on their lives. Bob Knuckey, four-time Ironman champion and winner of the 1976 Toronto Marathon, made the switch to become a triathlete because of Barrie and C3. He plans to beat his own Ironman time in Hawaii by two hours. Hans Porten, a world triathlon athlete, has been a part of C3 for 22 years. 'I came to Canada, didn't speak any English, learned it, Barrie Shepley saw me in a swimming pool, pulled me out and said, you look like a triathlete,' laughed Porten. 'And that's how it all started.' Porten has won dozens of triathlons and shared that he is one of the top men in his age group worldwide. Now, at almost 70 years old, he can reconnect with the athletes he met and trained with when he was 14 years old at the C3 celebration. Shepley shared that something C3 prides themselves on is their commitment to equality for women. 'Our Board has half women, our coaching staff, our entire organization. Anytime there's an opportunity for equal travel, equal prize money, equal visibility. It's something that's very important to see these young girls down here to realize that maybe, unlike their grandmothers that didn't have opportunities, they absolutely should expect demand and require equal time, equal opportunity,' he shared. Kristen Marchant is currently on her way to her second world pro championship. She also coaches bike workouts for C3. She said that at C3 she met many athletes who mentored her, and showed her what it took to become an elite triathlete. 'It's been a great ride and I hope to see many more years with everyone,' she shared. Some athletes had to come a little farther than others to celebrate C3's 30th anniversary. Mark Herbst is currently on a 30,000km journey to attempt a new Guinness World Record for the oldest person to circumnavigate the world by bicycle. He was in New Zealand when he got a call from Shepley, 'Any chance you can make it to Caledon by July 19?' 'I don't even know what I'm doing tomorrow yet for mileage, but now I have to figure out the mileage to get to Caledon for July 19!' laughed Herbst. It took thousands of kilometres and six straight weeks sitting on his bike, but Herbst was there to celebrate with his longtime friend Shepley. They've known each other for about 20 years now. Herbst was already heavy into triathlons and looking for a coach when he found Shepley. Over the years, not only have they formed a strong relationship as athletes, but as friends. Shepley and Herbst both sadly lost their wives to cancer, and Herbst shared that they've been able to be a strong support network for each other. A significant part of Herbst's journey is to raise $ 100,000 for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. 'There's nobody else in the world I would do this for. He's done such a great, great thing for this community with the quarry and I'm so happy to call him a friend,' said Herbst. Andrew Yorke, a Canadian professional triathlete, joined C3 at the age of twelve. Shepley shared that not only was Yorke a Pan American, Commonwealth Games, and World Championship-level athlete, but an Olympian from Caledon East who swam in the pools, ran on the Caledon trails, and swam at C3 regularly. 'It doesn't happen on its own because I want to do it, it happens because of everyone else,' shared Yorke. Shepley encouraged those attending to be teammates to one another in their own lives. 'If you're out there and we inspired you one inch, figure out one tiny thing in the next 12 months you can do for your community. You might not live nearby, but you can make a difference somehow in your community. We really need to all realize that we are better by being just partners and teammates,' he said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. 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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Blocks all stacked for NASA's future Artemis tower at KSC
There's still more than a year's worth of work to do on NASA's future Artemis launch tower at Kennedy Space Center, but all of the big pieces have been put in place. The last of seven modular steel blocks that make up the bulk of the tower's height was put into place on July 2 by the tower's contractor Bechtel. The block called Mod 10 brings it to 377 feet tall from the base structure. 'This achievement underscores our ongoing partnership with NASA and local unions, and the team's steady progress toward safe delivery of this critical infrastructure,' the company said in an emailed statement. Progress has been tracked on the company's website with the latest addition dubbed 'Reaching the Top.' Mod 4 was the first of the seven blocks put in place on Jan. 3, growing the structure 272 feet in less than six months. Mod 10 will support the Crew Access Arm for ML-2, which is among the parts that have yet to be assembled before the company's deadline of November 2026 for delivery to NASA. ML-2 is designed for use on a larger version of NASA's Space Launch System rocket, which won't fly until at least the Artemis IV mission on NASA's roadmap in late 2028. The first three Artemis missions have or will use the ML-1, which was converted from use from NASA's defunct Constellation program. Artemis I was the first launch of SLS, an uncrewed test flight that sent Orion out to the moon and back. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of Orion, looking to send four astronauts on a trip around the moon without landing no later than April 2026. Artemis III looks to return humans to the moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program in 1972. That mission, which is reliant on the completion of SpaceX's in-development Starship as a human landing system as well as new spacesuits from Axiom Space, is targeting launch by summer 2027. Whether or not ML-2 would ever be used was in question as President Donald Trump's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 sought to end the SLS rocket program as well as the Orion spacecraft, Gateway lunar space station and NASA's Exploration Ground Systems team based at KSC after the flight of Artemis III. But Congress, led by an effort from Sen. Ted Cruz, was able add more than $10 billion in this year's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' to save SLS for both the fourth and fifth launches of Artemis as well as set aside money for Orion and Gateway. Both versions of the Senate and House budget bills for 2026, moreover, look to keep funding for Artemis' existing programs in place. Congress is the ultimate decider of what the federal budget will look like, although without an agreement, it's possible NASA will simply continue with funding based on current levels with continuing resolutions. Still, with funds already set aside, work continued in earnest to get ML-2 ready for the fourth Artemis flight. It's supposed to fly the first part of the Gateway station, and would use the larger version of SLS called the Block 1B that has more payload capacity. It too would feature a rendezvous and moon landing with Starship. The Artemis V mission is supposed to be the first flight to use Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander instead of Starship. NASA will still need to perform about a year's worth of tests and added work after Bechtel hands it off in 2026. The ML2 project, which was initially a $383 million contract awarded in 2019, had an original delivery date of 2023. A NASA Office of Inspector General audit released in August 2024 said the costs had already nearly tripled to more than $1 billion with the delivery date pushed into late 2026. It's part of the growing costs and delays associated with all facets of the Artemis program. In 2023, the OIG said by the time Artemis III flies, the program will have topped $93 billion in costs since it was originally announced in 2012. --------------
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Blocks all stacked for NASA's future Artemis tower at KSC
There's still more than a year's worth of work to do on NASA's future Artemis launch tower at Kennedy Space Center, but all of the big pieces have been put in place. The last of seven modular steel blocks that make up the bulk of the tower's height was put into place on July 2 by the tower's contractor Bechtel. The block called Mod 10 brings it to 377 feet tall from the base structure. "This achievement underscores our ongoing partnership with NASA and local unions, and the team's steady progress toward safe delivery of this critical infrastructure," the company said in an emailed statement. Progress has been tracked on the company's website with the latest addition dubbed "Reaching the Top." Mod 4 was the first of the seven blocks put in place on Jan. 3, growing the structure 272 feet in less than six months. Mod 10 will support the Crew Access Arm for ML-2, which is among the parts that have yet to be assembled before the company's deadline of November 2026 for delivery to NASA. ML-2 is designed for use on a larger version of NASA's Space Launch System rocket, which won't fly until at least the Artemis IV mission on NASA's roadmap in late 2028. The first three Artemis missions have or will use the ML-1, which was converted from use from NASA's defunct Constellation program. Artemis I was the first launch of SLS, an uncrewed test flight that sent Orion out to the moon and back. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of Orion, looking to send four astronauts on a trip around the moon without landing no later than April 2026. Artemis III looks to return humans to the moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program in 1972. That mission, which is reliant on the completion of SpaceX's in-development Starship as a human landing system as well as new spacesuits from Axiom Space, is targeting launch by summer 2027. Whether or not ML-2 would ever be used was in question as President Donald Trump's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 sought to end the SLS rocket program as well as the Orion spacecraft, Gateway lunar space station and NASA's Exploration Ground Systems team based at KSC after the flight of Artemis III. But Congress, led by an effort from Sen. Ted Cruz, was able add more than $10 billion in this year's "Big, Beautiful Bill" to save SLS for both the fourth and fifth launches of Artemis as well as set aside money for Orion and Gateway. Both versions of the Senate and House budget bills for 2026, moreover, look to keep funding for Artemis' existing programs in place. Congress is the ultimate decider of what the federal budget will look like, although without an agreement, it's possible NASA will simply continue with funding based on current levels with continuing resolutions. Still, with funds already set aside, work continued in earnest to get ML-2 ready for the fourth Artemis flight. It's supposed to fly the first part of the Gateway station, and would use the larger version of SLS called the Block 1B that has more payload capacity. It too would feature a rendezvous and moon landing with Starship. The Artemis V mission is supposed to be the first flight to use Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander instead of Starship. NASA will still need to perform about a year's worth of tests and added work after Bechtel hands it off in 2026. The ML2 project, which was initially a $383 million contract awarded in 2019, had an original delivery date of 2023. A NASA Office of Inspector General audit released in August 2024 said the costs had already nearly tripled to more than $1 billion with the delivery date pushed into late 2026. It's part of the growing costs and delays associated with all facets of the Artemis program. In 2023, the OIG said by the time Artemis III flies, the program will have topped $93 billion in costs since it was originally announced in 2012. -------------- Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Zawya
17-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Bechtel awarded PMC contract for Expo 2030 in Saudi Arabia
US-headquartered global engineering and construction firm Bechtel announced on Wednesday that it has been appointed project management consultant (PMC) for the 2030 World Expo in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Working with Expo 2030 Riyadh Company, Bechtel will oversee delivery of the infrastructure program across the six-square-kilometre site, including early works, utilities, roads, and the public realm, the company said in a press statement. Following the six-month event, Bechtel will also support transforming the site into sustainable urban development, continuing to serve as a hub for green innovation, cultural celebration, and commerce. Expo 2030 Riyadh will bring together more than 195 countries, 29 international organisations, and other participants under the theme 'Foresight for Tomorrow.' The organisers expect approximately 42 million event visitors. (Writing by Deva Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Gulf Insider
16-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Is Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Going To Be The 'Super Hub Of The Future'?
Riyadh as a 'super hub of the future'? That's what the real estate consultancy Knight Frank is projecting as the Saudi city oversees one of the most ambitious and fast-track developments, whether it's infrastructure, housing, office towers, or creating retail and entertainment destinations. 'The Saudi capital is rapidly transforming into a dynamic destination for global wealth… strategically diversifying its economy away from oil dependence and evolving into a powerhouse for finance, culture and lifestyle,' says Knight Frank. Riyadh continues to attract 'significant domestic and international business activity' – and which led to nation-wide unemployment rate fall to a record low of 7% in Q4-2024′. In the final quarter of last year, Saudi Arabia issued more than 160,000 new business licences, which is a 67% increase from the same period the year before. It brought the total number of registered commercial entities in the Kingdom to more than 1.6 million. 'A key initiative is the 'Regional Headquarters Programme', which has already surpassed its 2030 target, with around 600 international companies,' says the report. This includes corporate giants such as Bechtel, Northern Trust and PwC,w which have committed to 'establishing regional bases in Riyadh'. All of which has led to Grade-A office vacancy rates of 'just 2%', while prime office rents surged by 23% in the past year (and by 84% since Q1-2020). Riyadh's office inventory is projected to expand from 5.5 million square metres to 9.8 million square metres by 2027. 'This growth is supported by state-led infrastructure developments and rising interest from institutional investors targeting long-term exposure to the Kingdom's evolving office landscape,' says the statement. In parallel, the infrastructure investments are moving more or less on schedule. There are the attractions such as the 220-kilometre stretch of Sports Boulevard, an 'expanding' King Khalid International Airport – currently serving 113 domestic and international destinations – and the Riyadh Metro and public bus network. 'These developments are attracting expatriates, entrepreneurs and families, reshaping perceptions and reinforcing Riyadh's emergence as a global city of choice for the next generation of talent,' says Knight Frank. 'Combined with the rise in major multinationals opening offices in the city and high-quality residential and leisure developments, Riyadh has a uniquely compelling offer as a live-work-play destination both within the GCC and globally,' said Harmen De Jong, Regional Partner – Head of Consultancy, MENA at Knight Frank.
