Latest News

Richmond’s Noa Lichtmann is a keen participant in Isolympics, a novel spin on ultimate frisbee.

Photo submitted

Isolympics puts novel spin on ultimate frisbee

By Don Fennell

Published 11:33 PDT, Fri April 24, 2020

Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021

—

For Noa Lichtmann, and many others, ultimate frisbee is the perfect game. So naturally they were disappointed when the COVID-19 crisis cancelled the season.

But thanks to a pair of progressive coaches, Danie Proby and Ari Nitikman, they’ll still be able to stay competitive and keep their skills sharp.

Essentially a challenge series featuring disc tricks, Elevate Ultimate’s Isolympics is obviously a departure from the traditional outdoor pursuit. Yet high school teams from around the province were quick to sign up when the coaches put out the call on Instagram.

“I decided to enter our Burnett team,” says Lichtmann, explaining that teams are represented by a selected player in a single knockout competition.

Burnett won its first round challenge, where a player was required to do as many squats as possible in a minute while balancing a frisbee on her head. This was, of course, carried out at home—thus the name Isolympics. Other challenges (or tricks) include spinning a disc on your finger, like a basketball, and throwing and catching the disc behind your back with the same hand.

“I am thankful to be able to participate in the different online programs Danie and Ari are offering in place of the actual academy we’d be attending if not for the pandemic,” says Lichtmann. “I miss my friends, both from Elevate and Burnett, but it is great to have a connection with them through Isolympics. I look forward to the day when we’ll all be on the turf together throwing a disc.”

Many other ultimate athletes have also expressed their appreciation, saying it’s made isolation at least bearable.

It’s only been a couple of weeks since Proby and Nikitman launched the creative alternative to ultimate. Both are overjoyed by the feedback.

“It was great,” Proby said. “We’ve been coaching youth ultimate for many years now and were really in touch with what the kids are going through. Just as in other sports, ultimate is everything to them. Many had been training for a long time and looking forward to provincials this year.”

Lichtmann, who only picked up the outdoor game about a year ago, was drawn by the uniqueness of the sport and the spirit and athleticism of the players. She was looking forward to joining both her Elevate and Burnett teammates in Washington state for competitions this season.

“When people think of frisbee, they usually think of the beach,” Lichtmann says. “But ultimate is the coolest sport. After Danie and Ari’s visit to our school, I was hooked. From when I first started playing, I could tell it was going to be a place where I could express myself and just have fun. The ultimate community is full of some of the goofiest, most fun and accepting people. Whenever I play, I know I am in a free-to-fail environment of supportive people.”

Recent recipients of a BC small business award for Elevate Ultimate, Proby (coach of Team Canada’s under-20 women’s team that was set to compete at the worlds this summer in Sweden) and Nikitman are equally obsessed with the sport. They’re driven to pass on the best qualities of the game to their young protégés—including goal setting, accountability, sportsmanship and open-mindedness.

“Our aim goes beyond helping athletes make their school teams or even Team Canada,” Proby stresses. “Our mission is to pass on skills and values that will transcend the field.”