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The 2010 Olympics -blast from the past

12/1/2022

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I am so happy I achieved my goal of making it to my hometown Olympic Winter Games! 

After an awesome season of getting multiple podiums, I was seen as a medal contender for the 2010 games.  But, ever since my horribly timed first ever blown ACL, MCL, and tibial bone bruise one month prior to the biggest event of my LIFE, I have been living a different lifestyle than I expected just a month out from the games. Each of my days have been scheduled around 3 physio appointments, 2 gym sessions, icing, rehabbing, and rest when time permitted. I did go in for a scope to my meniscus to get the bucket-handle tear out of the way just 3 weeks before the big race. 


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Actually- funny enough, on the date I was to carry the torch, I was on crutches from the scope. So, instead of skiing with it, I ended up snowmobiling with it, then hopping over to Crazy Canuck, Steve Podborski to light his torch. A great moment in Whistler! But, still I had to focus on getting healthy enough to walk, let alone race just 2.5 weeks later in front of a hometown crowd!

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This feat did happen dispite many obstacles over the month. It really is amazing what your mind and body can do if passion is leading you. This was something that I had dreamed about since grade 5. It's not something that would slip away from me easily.... I have a feeling this lesson I learned will come up many more times in my life... Dream on!

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Opening Ceremonies! What an experience. So energizing walking into the massiveness of the crowd cheering for the home team. This was a moment that I'll remember forever (sounds cliché, I know, but it's very true). 

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Onto the race !

The first training day was a day to feel out the amazing course that Jeff Ihaksi built. There were so many great jumps and flowing roller sections. Training day two was spent taking a more aggressive approach and getting back into the flow of skiing like myself. It felt so good to be on a ski cross course again! I did have a few flat landings that jarred my knee and sent quite a bit of pain through my body. But it only lasted a few minutes, then I could get back at it. 

Every time I looked at the larger than life bleachers at the finish corral, I was inspired to keep positive and get to the start gate. 

The boys raced the day before us. To see the crowd at the boys race sent chills through my body. Everyone loved the show and many said they thought of ski cross being the most exciting sport in the Olympics. It was good to know what to expect for our race day. The atmosphere was exhilarating. 

It was sure hard to stay calm and collected at the Olympic Village with countless celebrations going on inside and outside of the village from both the athletes and the fans! Multiple visits with my surgeon were a requirement as well, making sure the knee was holding up. A couple of cortisone shots, and draining was needed, along with constant icing

One more training day to nail the technical start, then came the race day.

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The first thing at Cypress Mountain I saw in the morning were amazing friends and family with signs cheering me on as I was getting hustled to the chair. It was an unexplainable, amazing feeling to see the support crew I had, no matter what happened! 

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My qualifying run felt very smooth, but it wasn’t very fast. I had been top 4 in my last 5 races, so 14th place was a bit of a disappointment for me. But, I knew the start gate was pretty fair, so lane choice wasn’t what would determine the winners.

Standing at the start, of course, was drastically different in the Olympics than it had been in any other race. We could hear the crowd cheering for the Canadians all the way from the finish line, yet it was unusually quiet up in the start. It was eery. The adrenaline and energy pumping through my veins was difficult to retain.
Deep breaths and leg swings until they called my name. And, pain killers unfortunately... 


My first heat was going well. I got out of the gate in second place and stayed there. I had a painful landing though. Off of a big jump in the middle of the course I got kicked back and landed with my butt on my bindings! This is exactly what I was happy to have avoided all of those training days. You see, in physio, I still wasn’t able to bend my knee all the way, but this landing forced it to go there. Ouch! The adrenaline I had from the crowd and well, the fact that I was at the OLYMPICS kept me going and I finished the course using mostly my right leg, as my left one felt very noodley. No one passed me and I went on to the quarter finals.

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The second heat was a battle to say the least. I had a horrible start that put me in third. I had to make a pass somewhere. I caught up to the two ahead of me and waited for the right time to make my move. I decided to go for it before a big double into a step-down feature. I got back onto my heals again and flew off of the double but managed to land the step-down. Fanny Smith, a great Swiss skier beside me was battling to stay on her feet as well. At one point I looked beside me and her skis were level with my head. I thought she was going down. She snuck back in front of me.  I then tried to absorb a double and lost all of my speed... I had no chance of moving on. 

It was heartbreaking seeing the two girls in my heat go up the chair for the next round as I stayed in the finish corral. I was happy for them, and I had to be happy with 12th place in the Olympics... Which, in hindsight, I am happy about 12th. It's no podium, but all odds were against me to even stand in the start gate that day. 
I am thankful for the support I had, and the grit I learned I was capable of.


And of course, Canada pulled through and my good friend and team mate Ashleigh McIvor won gold for all of us ! 


One week after the games, I went in for reconstruction surgery, then onto the road to recovery!

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Whistler Blackcomb, Avis, GoPro, GMC, Davey and I all come together for a fun video

8/12/2021

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A journey from Vancouver to Whistler with a couple of Olympians. Not a bad way to spend a sunny day.  
Thanks to GoPro, Whistler Blackcomb, Avis, GMC, Ryan, Jordyn, and GLC for making this edit happen! Watch out for a winter version... 
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Spring Update...Fashion Exposed, Shoots, Bike Rides, Hosting gigs...

4/30/2013

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First off, if you'd like more frequent updates check out my Facebook page and Twitter! 

This year of skiing has been my first full season at home on my skis in a coon's age. It was a great transition season into the next chapters of my life after the Olympics. Thanks to Atomic, Oakley, Lazer Helmets, GoPro, DissentLabs and Sorel I've been able to continue to live my passion in the mountains by exploring my the mountains on skins. It was so nice to have time to adventure in my own backyard, and revive that love I have for freeskiing. 

OK. What else, here she goes... Less words, more photos!

Lately: 
Seattle trip for Jules Fuel cereal (name still under review) branding meetings with Mom, Brandon and Kevin. Awesome trip and met some cool people with creative minds! Keep checking in for updates on this, cuz once it starts going, it's going to go... 

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Research/Discovery day

The WSSF Fashion Exposed (not your typical runway fashion show) was full of dancing down the stage to good tunes in the sunshine of Skier's Plaza alongside a bunch of cool girls in rockin' outfits from the stylin' sponsors to an energized outdoor crowd with Feet Banks/Mercedes Nicoll MC-ing. Always a fun, energized time.
Matt Murray, a photographer in town that does some marketing for Whistler Accommodation companies and events has snatched a few cool photos of the event. 
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Sharai!
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A stop by the RTOWN Tent
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Ski Days!! The Ski With An Olympian program this year was a great experience- we see it expanding more each year and I'm excited to be involved. Good crashes, races, learning curves and lunching. Awesome clients each time! I'm looking forward to next year already.
I had an end of the year booking of 11 days with a 4,6 and 8 year old. Good way to end the season. 
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George and James posing with my Dad and his awesome stretchies.
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Also- had a great time with the Deloitte crew for a couple ski days with Karen Stemmle, Liisa Savijarvi, Davey and Ashleigh as fellow coaches. 
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Hosting gigs! Had a fun day of driving around in this awesome BMW with Noel of NewPort and Dave from MillCreek Pictures for Newport Auto's new youtube vids. Stay tuned for the finished product.
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Lots of RTOWN Communication hosting days this past month too. Here's a recent clip for the activities intro.
Mom and Daughter/Son Tractivity Fashion show for the Heart and Stroke Foundation - Kristen Robinson did a great job of putting this great event together. It was fun to do something like this with our Moms for a great cause with fellow athletes. 
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Dick's Sporting Goods shoot is going on right now in the mountains of Whistler! I've been with the crew for a total of 4 days of skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and gondola riding for next year's catalogue and campaign. Good times!
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And of course... once the snow melts, the bike gets put to work again! I've missed my mountain bike. We've been on a lot of rides already, getting the bike legs back and the adrenaline pumping. Thanks Lazer for the helmets! And thanks DissentLabs for the socks!  
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So many things going on that my head is spinning just trying to update you all!  I think I've missed a bunch, but as I said at the beginning of the blog, I update my Facebook Fanpage and Twitter more than anything, so check those out!

Happy sunny days :)... I'm heading to Maui tomorrow!! Time for sun, surf, coconuts, volcano hiking, luaus and Mana foods (Jules Fuel research right?)
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Joffre Lakes Adventure

4/6/2021

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Well, I went out to chase some boys in the mountains again last week, and the result was epic. We were able to get dropped by a heli from the Pemberton Heli Pad onto a mountain top in the Joffre range. We then went on to summit 3 peaks with ice axes and rope when needed (a first for me). Good thing we were with one of the best mountaineers around, Jimmy Martinello. As a Mountain Life Magazine photographer, he snapped a bunch of great photos throughout the 10 hour exhibition. Check them out on my Ski Time album on Facebook! Davey Barr and I also documented as much of the day as possible on our GoPro HERO3s. An edit to come soon! I ended up having to ski in a headband the whole day because the first summit sucked my helmet off of my backpack... It slowly rolled off of the ridge I was balancing on and into the abiss. My hot pink Lazer Helmet leads a different life now, hidden in a mountain range. 

What a day! Thanks to my awesome sponsors for the top of the line equipment we get to rock on these adventures. Atomic, Oakley, Lazer Snow, GoPro and Dissentlabs Socks.
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Justin Sweeny, Willie Goldman, Davey Barr, Moi and Jimmy Martinello. Rad crew!
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Peak to Valley Champs of 2013 and Ontario

2/4/2021

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Davey and I were recruited this year to the Dolan brother's team for the Peak to Valley Race. Clay and Luke Dolan (Luke was my red stars coach way back) were the champions last year, so we felt a bit of healthy pressure the weeks leading up to it. The competitive blood boiled to the top for Davey and I as we got closer to the minute of bursting out of the gate- the butterflies were back. No matter what we do, it always ends up being nerve-racking and competitive. It was great to have that feeling again after 2 years of not competing.
We didn't want to let the reigning champs down. 

After 180 gates, 5 kms and 5 minutes 19 secs (4:57 for Davey), our legs were burning and we were sitting pretty to step on top of the podium later that night at the P to V party at the Roundhouse. Looks like we'll have to defend our title next year. We're now hooked on the adrenaline and vibe of the renowned Peak to Valley that was created by my Mom, Dad, YP and Cate in the early 80s!
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Just before the Peak to Valley, Davey and I headed out East to Craigleith Club for some guest coaching for the Podborski Cup (185 10-14 year olds). It's awesome to see alpine have some Ski Cross development at a younger age. 





Check the link below for an inside look at the camp. http://vimeo.com/58362360#at=0

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Davey and I then had a couple days at Blue Mountain with the David Cornfield Melanoma Foundation to promote sunscreen in the winter time. It is great to be a part of a cause that is dear to my heart. My Dad passed away from Melanoma at a young age. We had a couple ski days with people and had some quality time at the booth withe the great organizers of the fund. 

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Ski Days and Photoshoots

1/16/2013

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My apologies for not keeping my blog up to date with my life! Lots has been going on since my first day back on snow in November. I've had a lot of bookings for the new 'Ski With an Olympian' Program we started with Whistler Blackcomb. I've met some great people and had tons of fun with it so far. Tell everyone you know about it!  :)

I was also stoked to get up the mountain for a couple days with Mike Douglas and Switchback Entertainment for the filming of a Wonder Reels episode. This one, with the name 'Size Matters', had us up on the glacier before sunrise to ski some sweet powder with a chopper following. Great experience !
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Another day was spent with Edith Rozsa and Ski Television for one of their upcoming episodes. Look for it online or on the ski channel in the near future!  
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Davey and I were stoked to get up with Paul Morrison on a beauty day to take some shots. Always a good time! Here are a few...
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RTOWN Communications has been keeping me busy with hosting and blogging! Below are a couple links to the latest hosting spots. Every week I update the Julia's Picks blog too at www.juliaspicks.rtown.ca.
Last but not least... A Bogner shoot for a week in St. Moritz! It was quite the experience. We were filming at 1000 frames/second with the fantom camera. Crashing on our skis, skiing through snow walls, getting pulled by a ski doo into the lake on our skis, jumping out of buildings onto airbags, and doing a night shoot with magnesium torches and LED lights suits. Not to mention the amazing dinners every night with the crew of 20, home made schnapps and tea at Willy's rustic cabin, and a make up appointment every morning before throwing on the helmet! Here's a behind the scenes video and some snippets of the trip.
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First Day on the Hill!! And dressing up

11/21/2012

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Busy times! 
The most exciting news- I finally got back on the Atomics after 1 year and 8 months of not skiing/recovering from my micro-fracture and ACL surgery (mainly to allow the cartilage to regrow/heal). The longest I haven't skied in my entire life! I was actually nervous, and believe it or not, pretty wobbly feeling standing in the line up to head up Red chair. That's embarrassing to say.... But- I redeemed my confidence after a couple runs! I only did 3, but the knee felt solid. YES I am so excited for this winter !
Not to mention- Davey and I got to try out our new Lazer helmets for the first time with our Oakley goggles. They fit great together. 

It was such a great feeling to get back on the snow !!



A few other things have happened over the last week and a bit...Davey and I got to help out Ashleigh with her retirement announcement. She did a great job, and I as hard as it is to leave something that we have all focused our life around for the last 6 years, we are all excited for our next phase of life. 




I got to get all dressed up a few times for Cornucopia ...

Look who I found... Kristy Mitchel is a fellow host for RTOWN Communications all feathered up at the High Roller's Party
And dressed up again...(caught me using the same dress...) for the Gold Medal Plates dinner. It's always a great night, especially because we get to eat great food, drink delicious wines and catch up with fellow Olympians. 

This is a shot of Joy Fera (amazing woman and Olympic rower) and I. 

ALSO- for my last RTOWN Communications hosting gig, I got to experience a Skeleton ride! What a crazy rush! I think I pulled a neck muscle from the G-Forces. John Fairbairn, Mellissa Hollingsworth and Cassie Hawrysh were all there from the national team to give me tips.
There, all caught up I think. I'll be done school next week, then I'll be heading to Nakiska for the first World Cup Ski Cross event to commentate and see my old teammates :) Excited to see everyone. 
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Come Ski with us!! -The Ski With An Olympian Program

11/7/2021

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I'm getting pretty excited for winter now that we have this program going on with Whistler Blackcomb! I hope to be showing some awesome people the Whistler experience they came for. Great skiing, stories, famous apres-ski, good people, and fun times. I'm looking forward to this!

Davey Barr, Anastasia Skryabina, Rob Boyd and I are the Olympians to ski with so far. More names are to come.

<-----Click the image for the first media press release.






Or click on the one below for the Whistler Blackcomb site.


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Rainy weekend of Night Riding and Paddle boarding

11/7/2021

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I experienced my first night ride on Friday! What an adrenaline rush. Alex, Davey and I rode Billy's Epic. It was wet and dark! A little tentative at the beginning as I was getting used to riding with minimal light, I smoothly crashed- throwing my bike ahead of me while bum dropping on a nice round rock .. ow. After that though, good times! It felt like we were in a video game, riding down a mountain in pitch black with little head lamps! Fun time.
And here's a few shots from SUPing the River of Golden dreams one day, then getting right into it and paddling the rapids of the Green River the next! We are SOLD on this sport. The inflatable Stand Up Paddle boards are awesome. Can't wait to ski in the morning, then put on the wet suit to paddle a river in the afternoon. Or better yet- roll up our paddle boards and take them down to Mexico to catch some waves in HOT weather!
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New GoPro Hero 3 Camera!

10/24/2012

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Ground breaking news for GoPro! The Hero3 camera has come out and it's been the biggest and best product launch yet. I've been playing around with it for the last few days and here are some of the results... 

This past weekend, Davey and I headed up to Bralorne (my first Bralorne experience) for some dirt biking with a couple of friends. We hit the snow line on our way up, and I felt the excitement coming over me of realizing winter is close, and so are my pow turns! 

For more- check out my album on Facebook dedicated to the awesome new cam: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.482652105108059.111625.175699832469956&type=3 
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