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Lethbridge College trades student wins national gold medal

Jun 19, 2021 | 10:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – An apprenticeship student from the Lethbridge College has earned himself a gold medal and the title of best in Canada in his age group when it comes to Heavy Vehicle Technology.

Danny Peeters, 21, was announced as the Skills Canada national gold medalist during an online awards ceremony Tuesday.

Originally from Brooks, Alberta, Peeters took part in a grueling 7.5-hour test of knowledge and skills on May 27 and 28 at Lethbridge College that earned him the national championship.

The college says this is believed to be just the second Skills Canada gold medalist from Lethbridge College and the first in the Heavy Vehicle Technology category.

Peeters says he couldn’t be happier winning an award like this and representing the college.

“I am definitely happy that I got to participate. The competition was well thought out and very fair. I feel that I had a good time under the high-stress tasks. It was a good experience that I encourage others to do.”

Peeters’ instructors only have good things to say about him and his accomplishments.

“This is an amazing accomplishment,” says Sheldon Anderson, Dean of the Centre for Trades.

“It is the result of nine years of training, as Danny competed in high school, and it shows the level of commitment both from Danny and the instructors who mentored him throughout this process, including motor mechanics instructor Walter Michel. It is great to see a competitor from one of the smaller institutions take top national honours competing against institutions with much larger budgets. We are so proud of Danny.”

Peeters is going into his final year of his four-year Heavy Equipment Technician Apprenticeship and already has about 7,000 hours of experience working as a heavy-duty mechanic at Crosstown Truck in Brooks.