Stories & Updates

I add new stories and updates from time to time. Sometimes I'm travelling to venues, racing circuits, or discovering new experiences.

My second international race, and first time in Europe, was overseas for the University Winter Games in Italy! It was a dream come true for a young kid who had dreamt of racing outside of Canada. I surprisingly qualified in second place during the team trials after a hard-fought race through the warmest, deepest snow imaginable.

Once I touched down in Italy, it suddenly all hit me. The language, the people, the culture; there were so many things that made me realize we all have our own way of life. Meeting all the athletes from different countries was a pleasure, and it made me feel a sense of belonging in a place far from home. I competed in 4 races, ranking the 2nd-best North American at the games. I still have all my trading pins, race bibs, and many memories that deserve their own story. So feel free to ask me about it the next time we meet!

After a couple of years battling pain during racing, any skiing at all, running, driving, and yes, sleeping, I decided to bite the bullet and go for surgery. It turns out I had compartment syndrome, which was restricting blood flow and causing nerve damage to my legs. My surgeon, a professor at the University of Calgary, was truly charismatic and straightforward. He gave me the rundown and booked me for surgery halfway through my 2023/2024 season. 

The first procedure was successful, and I was minutes away from being sent home from the hospital, but in a surprise turn of events, my right leg began swelling to twice the size of the other. I was the lowly 8% with complications, and an even smaller percentage that needed immediate surgery. A team was put together in minutes and got me to the procedure room to drain a cup and a half of blood from 2 ruptured veins and an artery. If it weren't for this procedure, I would have lost my leg in under 2 hours. So thankfully, the extra recovery time and 15in scar I now have aren't a bad exchange. I can now do all the things I need pain-free and back to 100%.

My first ever race outside of Canada was hosted at the Lake Placid, New York, University Winter Games. This was one of my biggest dreams come true: representing Team Canada! This was all during a very large transition in my life to living on my own for University.

 When I got to New York, it really was just like the movies. The American flags, the Amish, the old, Civil War-like buildings, and of course, the security. The course was nothing like I have ever skied before, both in terrain and conditions. Powder, water, and ice? I didn't know this could exist. Of course, the races didn't go as planned, as this was where I first discovered my battle with compartment syndrome. Luckily, I didn't break anything like some other competitors after a couple of crashes. I came away from the experience with a new appreciation for why I work so hard for this opportunity and with a greater drive to return so that I can do better next time.