November 06, 2018 (Toronto, ON) – Olympic gold medal-winning cross-country skier Chandra Crawford was in Toronto on Oct. 18 for her induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame along with five other athletes and two builders.

Crawford has had a memorable career, but for many Canadians she is best remembered for that special moment on the podium following her gold medal performance in the 1.1 km sprint at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino at the age of 22.

She had just begun to establish herself on the international stage leading up to the Games, and only a week before had won her first World Cup medal — a bronze. Some shrink away from the biggest moments, a special few embrace them fully, and that is exactly what Crawford did. In Torino, she dominated the quarter-final and semi-final heats in her event and reached the finish line in the final race metres ahead of the closest competitor.

Yes, she was just the second North American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing, but it was her passionate singing of the national anthem atop the podium that won the hearts of Canadians.

“If you’re ever standing on top of the podium, this is how you sing our national anthem,” CBC broadcaster Brian Williams famously stated, at the time.

She competed for Canada in two more Winter Olympic Games, 2010 in Vancouver and 2014 in Sochi, despite facing significant injuries that resulted in her missing the entire 2008/2009 season.

Although she had a long career, and more successes, Crawford also established herself as a role model for young skiers. To that end, in 2005, she established Fast and Female, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering girls between the ages of 8 to 18 to stick with sports and healthy, active lifestyles.

Crawford retired in 2014 after thirteen years of international competition and seven trips to the World Cup podium to concentrate on Fast and Female that reaches more than 3,000 girls annually.

This year there were eight inductees. Those who entered the Hall of Fame alongside Crawford include Jeff Adams, Damon Allen, Mary Baker, Alexandre Despatie, David Keon, Dr. Sandra Kirby and Wilton Littlechild.

The evening featured a special VIP reception and three-course dinner followed by a formal program taped to broadcast by Sportsnet. Masters of ceremonies for the event were Ron MacLean and Tara Slone.

Following the program, musical entertainment was provided by the house band George St. Kitts and special guest Kelsi Mayne. Every inductee receiving the member jacket, symbolizing Canada’s highest sporting honour.

For Crawford, despite the gold medal, and World Cup wins, it was her 43rd place finish in Sochi that is the favourite moment of her career because of what she had to get through to get there.

“I used my sport as a vehicle for personal growth and achieved inner peace that is more valuable to me than my 2006 gold medal,” said Crawford.

On October 5 in Buenos Aires, Argentina Crawford was also honoured as the Continental Trophy winner for the Americas at the 2018 IOC Women and Sport Awards. SkiTrax joins the xc ski community around the globe in congratulating Crawford on her induction, passion, and many contributions to the sport.