ATHLETE FAQ

• University skiing is a great pathway for athletes looking to continue their studies after high school. 

• For high school skiers in Ontario, Cross Country Ski Ontario (XCSO) has designated Ontario varsity programs as the main performance pathway for skiers looking to continue racing in U20 and U23. 

• Athletes part of the Ontario Ski Team can work with their varsity coach and provincial coaches to develop a high-performance training plan. OST members can access support for races beyond the varsity program calendar, such as World Junior Trials (when in the west) and international race trips. 

• For more information on the Ontario Ski Team, see XCSO's website. Reach out to us if you are interested in learning more about what provincial collaboration looks like within our program.

• uOttawa is a globally recognized institution, consistently ranking among Canada's top universities and in the top 1% worldwide.

• As the world's largest French/English bilingual university, uOttawa offers programs in both English and French, as well as a mix of both in the French Immersion Program

• Our commitment to academic excellence ensures you'll receive a world-class education while pursuing your athletic goals.

• Downtown campus: Rideau Canal, Parliament, Byward Market, trails, and Gatineau Park access. Learn more about our campus (and schedule a campus tour) here: https://www.uottawa.ca/study/campus-tours-admissions-events/campus-tours

• uOttawa's scholarship program is one of the most generous in the country. More info here, and List of Scholarships & Bursaries here. 

• Nakkertok Nordic: Our principal training venue, Nakkertok South, is only 15 minutes from uOttawa and features terrific grooming, varied terrain, racing trails homologated to FIS standards, and snowmaking for early-season skiing. Nakkertok North offers fun backcountry trails.

• Gatineau Park: Just a short drive (or bike ride!) from campus, the Gatineau Park boasts over 200 kilometres of world-class groomed trails, considered some of the best in North America, and scenic parkways (32.5km car-free) that are ideal for rollerskiing,

• Urban Ski Trails: Ottawa itself offers seven city trails, many accessible by foot or public transit, including the Rideau Winter Trail adjacent to uOttawa and trails at Mooney's Bay.

• Convenient Dryland Training: Weekday morning workouts are close to campus. uOttawa is steps from the Rideau Canal and the NCC's 300km Capital Pathway Network for running, cycling, and rollerskiing. 

• Passionate and Certified Coaches: Our team is guided by passionate and certified coaches who are dedicated to helping you achieve your athletic goals.

• Dedicated Strength Coach: We also have a dedicated strength coach who will help you build the physical foundation needed for success on the trails.

• Our coaches are invested in your development as both an athlete and a student.

• The team has coached-practices 4-5 times per week from September to April.

• For non-practice days and throughout the summer, training guidance and daily workouts are provided based on our Year Training Plan.

• Athletes are encouraged to adapt the plan to their individual goals and schedules.

• The training schedule varies weekly volume and intensity to optimize fitness and recovery.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE

FALL (Dryland - Tues and Thurs move to Nakkertok Nordic when there is enough snow - usually in November)

• Tuesday - 7:30 AM-9:00 AM.  Regular coordination Carleton Ravens and Nakkertok ENRG at various locations in Ottawa

• Wednesday - 4-5 PM.  Strength training at uOttawa's High Performance Center 

• Thursday - 7:30-9:00 AM. Usually close to uOttawa campus, often rollerskiing (or running) 

• Friday - 4-5 PM.  Strength training at uOttawa's High Performance Center 

• Sunday  - 8-10 AM. Usually in Gatineau Park - rollerskiing or ski striding/trail running

WINTER  

• Tuesday - 7:30-9:00 AM at Nakkertok Nordic 

• Wednesday - 4-5 PM. Strength training at uOttawa's High Performance Center

• Thursday - 7:30-9:00 AM. Rideau Winter Trail close to campus (if conditions allow) or Nakkertok Nordic 

• Friday - 4-5 PM.  Strength training at uOttawa's High Performance Center  (January only)

• Sunday - 8-10 AM. Nakkertok Nordic (sometimes Gatineau Park) - schedule/day may vary to accommodate weekend racing

• Selection for OUA Championships and other travel trips (e.g., Nationals) will be based on performance, attendance, and team contribution.

• We strongly encourage regular attendance to benefit from the training environment and to receive team support.

• We understand academic conflicts arise. Please communicate with the coach (uottawanordiq@gmail.com) if you have scheduling issues.

• Most of our practices in the fall are at or around campus and don't require transportation

• For most practices during the winter, our team coordinates rides with athletes who have cars. Weather-permitting, some of our practices will be on the Rideau Winter Trail, a short train ride away from campus. 

• If you have a car, we have a model that compensates athletes who drive others to practice 

• On non-practice days, athletes will coordinate drives for more opportunities to ski

Absolutely! This is your top priority as a student-athlete. 

Many Gee-Gees combine academic and athletic excellence—we even have athletes who have represented Canada on the World Stage! In fact, the discipline and structure required for high-level sport often improve time management and focus, giving many athletes an edge in their studies. We work to build your training schedule around your academic commitments, not the other way around.

We prioritize accessibility and work to keep your out-of-pocket costs minimal by subsidizing team operations.

Required Athlete Commitments:

1. Team Fee ($150 Annual): This fee covers team operating costs and gives you access to the team training log, coaching, facilities, and all subsidized support listed below.

2. Nakkertok Pass (~$140): Athletes must purchase a discounted Nakkertok membership to access our primary training trails.

3. Personal Ski Equipment: Athletes provide their own gear.

Team Support & Savings:

The team heavily subsidizes your race and training season. Your commitment provides high-level, year-round support: 

• Coaching & Planning: Access to a year-round training plan with 4–5 coached sessions per week Sept-April. We use regular field testing to understand your individual fitness strengths and areas for improvement to tailor your training. We also use video analysis to help you improve your technique.  

• Training Log: Your fee includes an account for our team training platform (Final Surge). Use this to track and plan your workouts so coaches can monitor your progress and provide feedback.

• Student-Athlete Gym Access: Use the High Performance Centre for year-round strength and conditioning. You also get priority access to sports therapy through the Ottawa Sports Medicine Clinic.

• Race Support: Full race support at key events, subsidies for some race entry fees, subsidies for travel and accommodation to select events. 

• Sponsorships: Access to discounts and support from team partners (The Cyclery, Apogee, Lululemon, XACT Nutrition), and Gee-Gees partners (Adidas).

• OUA Championship Bonus: Athletes selected for the Ontario University Championships Team (16-18 athletes) receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the championships. 

We use Nakkertok Nordic as our main training facility - it is a terrific facility with amazing trails,  excellent grooming, a chalet, lit trails for night skiing, waxing facilities, snowmaking (5 months on snow), and is largely run by dedicated volunteers. We also coordinate some practices with their racing team (ENRG), and some uOttawa Nordiq athletes are also part of ENRG.  ENRG offers personalized coaching and access to training camps and high-level competitions, and is an excellent option for some athletes (find out more about ENRG here-English or here-Francais.)   

• Student-Athletes benefit from the uOttawa Student-Athlete Council, which hosts events and workshops throughout the year. 

• Events: Welcome BBQ, Trivia Nights, Women in Sport Event, exclusive Lululemon shopping events, discounted NHL and PWHL Games, Year-End Banquet and After-Party

• Study Rooms: The Student-Athlete Council provides study rooms reserved for student-athletes on certain days of the week and during exams. The ski team is one of the most frequent users of the study rooms

• Follow them on Instagram @geegeesac

• For any competition where you are representing the Gee-Gees, you will be eligible to receive a letter of excused absence for assessments, including midterms, labs and presentations. Athletes should coordinate with professors well in advance to plan for their absences.

• Any coursework deadlines and homework are your responsibility to complete, and do not fall under an excused absence

• In the experience of athletes on our team, with enough notice and a letter of absence, professors are very accommodating and excited to hear about your competitions. Gee-Gees Nordiq has a reputation for being academically engaged and creating good relationships with professors. 

• The High Performance Centre (HPC) in Montpetit is the location of our gym sessions on Wednesdays and Fridays

• Beyond the specific practice times, the HPC hosts open gym hours for roughly 30 hours/week. The schedule is updated monthly and can be found on @geegeeperformance's Instagram

• During these sessions, you can access the weight courts, the stretch pit, and exercise equipment (including treadmills, spin bikes and a ski erg!)

• Student-Athletes receive a free season pass to any regular-season at-home games, allowing them to attend games and cheer on other student-athletes

• The ski team regularly plans outings to attend games, and we hope to have a big Gee-Gees attendance at our home OUAs in 2028!

• The team goes to a wide range of races, both locally and across the country. Our calendar often consists of:

  • National Championships

  • OUA Championships - fully supported trip for a team of 8 men and 8 women

  • Eastern Canadian Championships

  • Ontario Cups

  • Quebec Cups

  • Local races in the National Capital Region

• Subsidized Travel: We seek to make skiing as affordable as possible and regularly provide financial support for trips beyond OUA championships.

• ENRG Partnership: For athletes seeking more high-performance training and racing opportunities, we coordinate with the Equipe Nakkertok Racing Group (ENRG). You can compete for both uOttawa and ENRG.

• XCSO Ontario Ski Team Support: For members of the Ontario Ski Team, support opportunities for races outside of the Gee-Gees race calendar may be available. Please contact XCSO for more information. 

• Athlete-led Race Trips: Athletes can also organize team race trips, and we'll assist with coordination and wax support.

• The uOttawa Gee-Gees Nordiq Team is a proud member of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canadian Collegiate Nordic Series (CCNS) and are a consistent performer in both. 

• CCNS: replacing CCUNC in 2026/27, the CCNS is a series of races at the provincial and national level that recognizes the achievements of varsity skiers around the country. Each year, the series culminates with the Canadian Collegiate Nordic Championships, an event held in conjunction with Canadian Ski Nationals. 

• Historic Results: The team has been medalists or champions at both OUA and CCUNC championships since the current team was established in 2018. 

  • CCUNC Championships 2026: The women's team came home with four gold medals in the university category and the silver medal in the aggregate. The men's team laid down many top 10s and placed 4th in the aggregate.

  • OUA Championships 2026: The Gee-Gees hosted the province at Nakkertok Nordic. The women's team came home with the silver medal, while the men's team came home with the bronze.

Students must meet OUA/CCNS (Canadian Collegiate Nordic Series) eligibility requirements to be on the uOttawa Gee-Gees team roster and to represent uOttawa at provincial and national championships. If you don’t meet these requirements but still want to train and compete with the team, please contact us. 

Eligibility:  At uOttawa, to be eligible to compete, students must be enrolled in a minimum of three courses in the semester they are competing. By the new CCNS eligibility rules, this includes both the fall and winter semesters. 

Nordic IS spelled with a "c" in English; the French version is nordique.  uOttawa Nordiq is a bilingual team, and we want our name to reflect this language diversity and uOttawa's bilingual mandate (uOttawa is the world's largest English-French bilingual university).  Veuillez nous excuser pour le manque actuel de contenu en français sur ce site. ... nous y travaillons !  La plupart de nos entraîneurs parlent français, alors n'hésitez pas à communiquer avec nous en français. 

Please fill out the Athlete Interest Form and a coach will get in touch with you.

NOTE: To comply with Nordiq Canada's Safe Sport policies, if you are under the age of 18, you must copy a parent/guardian on any communications with coaching staff