July 05, 2019 (Ottawa, ON) – On July 4, Canadian cross-country ski legend Beckie Scott, 44, Olympic champion and tireless advocate of clean sport, received the honour of Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest awards.

The chair of the athletes’ committee on WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, she’s renowned for her ardent fight against doping. Scott won Olympic gold at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City with a historic stunning performance to secure the first Olympic medal won by any North American athlete in cross-country skiing.

She initially won bronze but when the first and second place finishers were disqualified for using performance-enhancing drugs, Scott was awarded her gold medal two-and-a-half years after the competition. She won Team Sprint silver with Sarah Renner at the Torino Games in 2016.

Over the past year, she encountered criticism for her unwillingness to support WADA’s decision to bring Russia back into compliance after a doping scandal tainted the 2014 Sochi Olympics. As such she resigned from WADA’s Compliance Review Committee.

Scott has twice received the John Semmelink Memorial Award given to a Canadian skier “through sportsmanship, conduct, and ability, best represents Canada in international competition.” She has been inducted into the Alberta Sports (2005), Canada’s Sports (2007), Canadian Ski (2010) and Canadian Olympic (2012) Halls of Fame.

She has also dedicated much of her life to charitable efforts including working with organizations such as UNICEF and Right to Play as well as with First Nations youth.

Through her organization Spirit North, Scott reaches thousands of youth from 35 Indigenous communities in Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. The group’s goal is “…improving the health and well-being of Indigenous youth through the transformative power of cross-country skiing, sport and play.”

“Extending the Canada Day celebrations a little longer with the Order of Canada investiture ceremony today! All my love and all my thanks to this wonderful country – and to those who have shared this incredible journey #ohcanada,” tweeted Scott.