Tag Archive | "Sara Renner"

Fast and Female XC Ski Event in Canmore Report

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January 24, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – At the age of 12, Canmore’s Sara Renner attended the 1988 Olympics as a spectator. That moment changed her life and prompted her to aim for Olympic dreams of her own.

With a career that was highlighted by an Olympic silver medal claimed at the 2006 Games in Torino with Beckie Scott in the team event, retired cross-country ski star Renner now inspires others to reach for the skies. This Sunday, she did just that as 80 aspiring female champions between the ages 9 to 19 joined the Fast and Female XC Ski event for an afternoon of motivation.

“When I was your age, I was exactly like you,” told Renner to the captive group of skiers coming from all corners of Alberta and even British Columbia. “I loved cross-country skiing, and one day I qualified for the Alberta Winter Games. That was such a thrill and really the beginning of my desire to train and work hard.”

“With experience, I learned that what made a big difference for me to reach the next level of performance was to focus on that 10 percent of the race that hurts the most,” explained Renner as her Olympic medal circulated amongst the girls in the crowd. “I knew that if I gave it all in that segment of the race, then I would do my best. That’s how I began to judge all my races – asking myself how much I had pushed myself in that 10 percent of the race when you just want to give up,” added the 2005 bronze medalist in the individual sprint at the World Ski Championships.

Held in conjunction with the first-ever FIS (Federation International de Ski) World Snow Day, the Fast and Female XC Ski event featured team building activities, one hour of on-snow ski drills, healthy snacks, Zumba dancing and Renner’s inspirational presentation. In keeping with Fast and Female’s mission, all activities were aimed at motivate girls to stick to sports and the healthy lifestyle. It is believed that girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys.

On this special occasion, Renner was joined by a dynamic group of tremendous female role-models including current and past national team athletes, World Cup Academy racers, and provincial team competitors such as Alysson Marshall, Emily Nishikawa, Janelle Greer, Annika Hicks, Kendra Hicks, Marlis Kromm, Rebecca Reid, Heidi Widmer, Kate Brennan, Natalie Hull, Brooke Gosling, and Karen Messenger. Many of these ladies were onsite to take part in the Haywood Western Championships and volunteered valuable time to join the Fast and Female event.

Founded by Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing and active World Cup racer, Chandra Crawford, Fast and Female strives to counter this phenomenon by hosting fun, non-competitive sporting events with inspiring female athletic role models all over North America. The organization is currently involved in sports such as alpine skiing, biathlon, ski cross, snowboard, cycling, and running. A key ingredient to Fast and Female’s success in impacting the lives of girls lies in the quality and wisdom of its ambassadors.

“When I qualified for my first World Cup, it wasn’t at all what I expected,” shared Renner. “You could have flipped the results page around and found my name all the way at the bottom. Over time, I was very lucky to have awesome teammates. We really demanded a lot of each other and that’s why we were able to turn things around and achieve such successes.”

In closing, Renner told the girls: “As an athlete, you’re always being judged for your performance, your body fat composition and so on. Ultimately, that doesn’t define who you are. What you have to know is that people around you will love you no matter what,” concluded the mother to two young girls.

This unique event was made possible thanks to the financial support of Fast and Female’s national financial and in-kind sponsors – including exclusive platinum sponsor Best Buy as well as Buff Multifunctional Headwear, CLARINS, Cold-FX, Cross-Country Canada, Lululemon Athletica, LUNA Bars and LIT Glitter. The Canmore Nordic Centre also provided free access to the venue and trails. We would also like to thank all volunteers who helped at the event. For a complete list of Fast and Female national program supporters and sponsors, please click HERE.

The next Fast and Female event will take place on February 4, 2012 at Blue Mountain Resort in Ontario with members of Canada’s national Ski Cross team. The off-snow activity will feature an afternoon of inspiration for girls involved in Alpine skiing and Ski Cross. The online registration page can be found HERE.

Fast and Female Event Video

More photos HERE.

Renner Remembers as Assiniboine Lodge Receives Retrofit

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September 28, 2011 (Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park, BC) – The historic 83-year-old lodge in Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park, which has been operated by Canadian XC skiing legend Sara Renner’s parents since 1983, is currently under renovation. Renner recounts colourful stories of childhood adventures from her summers spent at the lodge in a Canadian Press interview, including tales so unique, even her schoolmates did not believe them. Read the article HERE.

SPRINT to WIN Video

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August 24, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – Since Beckie Scott’s breakthrough win at the 2002 Winter Olympics, North American sprinters have enjoyed growing success on the international cross-country race circuit. SPRINT to WIN, produced in 2008, features commentary from some of the most accomplished sprinters including Beckie Scott, Sara Renner and Chandra Crawford. Insight on the evolution of sprint racing is also provided from sprinting greats Kikkan Randall, Bjorn Lind, Emil Joensson and Devon Kershaw.

Purchase Sprint to Win HERE.

Olympic and Paralympic Medallists Gather in Canmore for 4th Annual Right To Play Red Ball Celebrity Golf Classic

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June 21, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – A medal-winning lineup of Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes will gather with corporate Canada while teeing it up at Silvertip Golf Resort in Canmore, Alta., June 23 for the 4th Annual Right To Play Red BallCelebrity Golf Classic, presented by Samsung.

The Red Ball Celebrity Golf Classic will raise funds for Right To Play – an international humanitarian organization working to create a healthier and safer world for children through the power of sport and play. It is the second time the event has been sold out since two-time Olympic medallist and Western Canadian Senior Advisor for Right To Play, Beckie Scott, launched the event four years ago at the course minutes from the home training base for the nation’s Nordic athletes at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

“As Canadians we often take for granted how fortunate we are to have access to sport which plays such a critical role in our personal and social development” said Scott “This incredible gathering of Canadian role models will be used to celebrate their remarkable achievements in sport this year, while raising crucial awareness and funds in support of our Sport For Development and Peace projects in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. We look forward to once again celebrating the Red Ball Movement in Canmore.”

The celebration will officially kick-off on the driving range of Silvertip Golf Resort at 10:30 a.m. when some of Canada’s highest-profiled Olympic and Paralympic athletes, will participate in a unique closest-to-the-pin contest.

In addition to a wide-variety of on-course challenges and activities, the tournament will also feature extraordinary auction items, and music by one southern Alberta’s hottest bands – The Otherside.

A gala evening hosted by CBC’s Scott Russell.

Led by four-time Olympic gold medallist, Johann Koss, Right To Play is supported by an international team of more than 300 Olympic, Paralympic and professional athletes from more than 40 countries. Through sport and play programs Right To Play is empowering children and communities to look after themselves and each other.

Who: (30 Athletes Include)
– Beckie Scott – Cross-Country Skiing
– Kaillie Humphries – Bobsleigh
– Brian McKeever – Cross-Country Skiing
– Kyle Shewfelt – Gymnastics
– Alex Gough – Luge
– Robin McKeever – Cross-Country Skiing
– Jon Montgomery – Skeleton
– Cassie Campbell – Women’s Hockey

– Sara Renner – Cross-Country Skiing
– Helen Upperton – Bobsleigh
– Lyndon Rush – Bobsleigh
– Warren Shouldice – Freestyle Skiing
– Mellisa Hollingsworth – Skeleton
– Jeff Pain – Skeleton
– Emily Brydon – Alpine Skiing
– Thomas Grandi – Alpine Skiing

Where: Silvertip Golf Resort, Canmore, Alta.
When: June 23, 2010

Schedule:
– 9 a.m. Registration – Athlete Media Interviews Begin
– 10:30 a.m. Athlete Introductions – Media Photo Op
– 11 a.m. Golf
– 4 p.m. Cocktail Reception
– 5 p.m. Dinner and Live Auction

Beckie Scott Named Chef de Mission for Canadian Team at Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games

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March 24, 2011 (Ottawa, ON) – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced today that Beckie Scott has been appointed as Canada’s Chef de Mission for the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games (WYOG) in Innsbruck, Austria.

“I am absolutely thrilled and incredibly honoured to have been asked to be the Chef de Mission of the Canadian team competing in Innsbruck 2012,” Scott said. “The first winter edition of the Youth Olympic Games will be sensational and I can’t imagine a greater experience for young competitive athletes. I really look forward to guiding, assisting and sharing this memorable event with our team.”

Scott is a three-time Olympian, a double medallist and one of Canada’s best cross-country skiers ever. She made history at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games by winning a gold medal in pursuit. In so doing, she became the first North American woman to win an Olympic medal (of any kind) in cross-country skiing. Four years later, Scott took to the podium again, teaming with Sara Renner to win the silver medal in team sprint.

“Beckie is the ideal candidate for these inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games,” said Caroline Assalian, the COC’s Executive Managing Director, Sport and NSF Relations. “She has intimate knowledge of these Games from her work on the IOC Coordination Commission for Innsbruck 2012. More importantly, the WYOG are about inspiring youth and living the Olympic Values. Beckie has demonstrated her commitment to those values. She believes in the Youth Olympic movement which is why she has decided to make the Canadian Youth Olympic Team a priority.”

During the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Scott was elected to the IOC Athletes’ Commission for an eight-year term. She is also a member of the IOC’s Coordination for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games – as well as the Coordination of the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games.

As a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Athlete Committee, Scott is a passionate and influential lobbyist in this area. Among her many initiatives was an athletes’ petition that requested an independent drug-testing body for all World Cup and Olympic competitions.

She was also a part of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games as a board member for the organizing committee, VANOC. In 2006, Scott became a member of the COC’s Executive Committee as well as the Athletes’ Council, consequent to her election as an IOC member. She also serves on the board of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

As Chef de Mission, Scott will take on the role of official representative and spokesperson of the Canadian Youth Olympic Team, and be a key member of the overall leadership team for Canada’s participation in the Winter Youth Olympic Games. Her leadership and Olympic experience are invaluable assets to the delegation. Scott’s knowledge of sport and the Olympic Movement will be of utmost importance in the interaction with stakeholders, both nationally and internationally.

The inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place from January 13 – 22, 2012 in Innsbruck, Austria, site of the 1964 and 1976 Olympic Winter Games.

Interview with Dave Wood – New Nordic Academy Launched

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March 07, 2011 (Rossland, BC) – Dave Wood was Canada’s most successful National Team cross-country ski coach, with career highlights including Beckie Scott’s legendary Olympic pursuit gold in 2002, Sara Renner’s sprint bronze at the Nordic World Championships in 2005, Chandra Crawford’s sprint gold in 2006 in Torino, and nine top-10’s at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Wood spent 18 years with Cross Country Canada (CCC) and lead the program for 12 of those years. He resigned in May 2010 and is still very much involved with skiing, currently coaching the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, B.C. He talked with SkiTrax’s Marty Hall about his new New Nordic Academy program.

It’s been 9 months since your departure from the Canadian National Team, what’s been happening with you and your career – bring us up to speed?
Dave Wood: In the spring I began working with the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, BC. The program here has younger skiers ages 13 to 17, all in high school. We have an ideal natural environment for Cross country skiers in Rossland.

Most of the training can be completed “out the door”. We have to travel for Roller skiing to find different terrain, but we have everything from flatter gentle terrain to long continuous uphills (10 to 25 km). The trails are superb and with the Red Mountain alpine area only 15 minutes running from town we can do as much ski simulation on foot as one can stand!

The program had a couple of training camps in the summer, the Haig Glacier, and a dryland camp in the Bow Valley. This is an opportunity to begin to introduce these skiers to training at altitude. We began skiing in Early November up at the Paulson trails (local). There are 3 areas for Cross Country here, and the Paulson trails (maintained by the Castlegar club) have snow a little earlier than Black Jack.

I went to Boston in September for a NENSA seminar. I made a presentation and sat in on the rest of seminar. Always good to get into other areas. As well I went to a COC function (Olympic Excellence series) for summer sports in November.

The club hosted a very successful NorAm in December. I did not have involvement with the event, except I worked with the club to build a better sprint course. The tracks and the event were well received.

The club and the Red Mountain Academy are joining forces to create an educational component to our Nordic Program. Al Fisher (Racing Program Director) and I initiated this in the spring and over the summer when we hammered out the details. At the end it has been Wannes Luppens (Club President), Al Fisher and I that are spearheading this initiative.

Now we are into the racing season and going full blast. Life in Rossland right now is being very good to Coach Dave Wood!

I hear you’re announcing a new high school aged skiing program at one of the best training and skiing locales in North America – tell us more about the Red Mountain Academy and its new educational component for your Nordic Program.
DW: The Red Mountain Academy (RMA) has been in operation for many years. It began as an academy program with the Red Mountain Racers (Alpine racing) and over time has expanded. The cooperation with the Black Jack Cross Country ski club was initiated this spring and we finalized the association this past fall with a three pronged program. Read more about the Academy here: www.redskiacademy.com

With the Home Stay Plan athletes that are not local in Rossland are placed with families in Rossland. We also have service providers such as physiotherapy, mental training, etc.

The home stay is organized and delivered through the administration end of the academy program. The athletes stay with families in the area. There is an education for the home stay families with respect to the nutritional needs of the athlete. The cost for this is $750/month, which includes some of the travelling needs. With their application to academy the process for home stay is initiated.

Another component of this program is transportation to and from the training venue to the school. In Rossland you can walk from “home” to school

The Educational Component of the Academy is delivered at Rossland Senior Secondary school. This will provide the athletes with a flexible academic schedule that allows time for proper training and competition programs. Read more about RMA here: www.rss.sd20.bc.ca

The third component of the program is the Training and Competition Program that is managed and delivered by myself. I have several coaches and experts who are assisting me in the Black Jack Racing team. We provide an intensive, individualized training and preparation programs.

Athletes in the academy program will train alongside the athletes training with the Club Program. Currently we have athletes from Rossland, Nelson, and Trail that work with the Black Jack Racing Team.

General program for 2011/12
– May 1 is the training year start
– Will plan for a spring snow camp where it can happen, likely Vernon, however we can do it here in some years
– June is dryland, going into the local mountain trails as the snow melts
– July will have a week at the Haig glacier
– August will have two weeks in the Bow Valley with two trips to the Haig glacier
– Fall camp with altitude. Most likely the Bow Valley if the stored snow works out
– December NorAms
– World Junior trials
– National Champs
– Other racing as is available

In Rossland we enjoy the perfect natural environment for developing Cross Country Ski Racers. We have an extensive network of trails and paths that are ideal for running and ski simulation on foot. As well we have mountain trails that are up to 2200 meters in elevation.

This means we can train between 400 meters and 2200 meters, an ideal situation for altitude training and lower elevation for speed work. We have long continuous roller ski climbs, up to 25 km, or we can have gentle rolling terrain to roller ski on. A lot of this roller ski terrain has very limited traffic.

We have access to a rubber surface running track in Warfield (6km away), an aquatic center in Trail (10 km), gyms in Rossland, and the alpine area (Red Resort) is about 5km from town, a perfect distance for warm up for a hill session. This is as good as it gets for dry land training!

We have three areas where we can ski. The Black Jack Club (www.skiblackjack.ca) is about a 10 min drive from anywhere in Rossland. The club has about 30 km of trails that are groomed daily by one of the two Pisten Bulleys the club owns. The normal season at Black Jack would be December to April. There is a biathlon facility up the highway from Black Jack. There is a 5km loop with the shorter tracks inside the 5 km track. The biathlon facility is about 300 meters higher than Black Jack, and gets earlier snow (2 to 3 weeks) and the snow lasts much longer in the spring. Finally the Castlegar ski club operates a trail system at the Paulson Summit. This is about a 30 min drive from Rossland, and it is also higher (about 1500 meters) so it is another option for early skiing

We can offer a training environment that is very high quality and lets the athletes maximize their training time do to the proximity of all training venues.

Dave, I think that wraps it up for any young teenage skier it doesn’t get any better. Sort of a home away from home feeling with the Home Stay Program and one of the best facilities and training centered programs you could want to be involved with – how do I sign up?
DW: Contact Kristi Calder at kristi@redskiacademy.com for information on the overall program. I can be contacted at davidwood53@gmail.com or 250-521-0223 for specifics on all aspects of the programs

Interview with Dave Wood – New Nordic Academy Launched

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February 25, 2011 (Rossland, BC) – Dave Wood was Canada’s most successful National Team cross-country ski coach, with career highlights including Beckie Scott’s legendary Olympic pursuit gold in 2002, Sara Renner’s sprint bronze at the Nordic World Championships in 2005, Chandra Crawford’s sprint gold in 2006 in Torino, and nine top-10’s at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Wood spent 18 years with Cross Country Canada (CCC) and lead the program for 12 of those years. He resigned in May 2010 and  is still very much involved with skiing, currently coaching the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, B.C. He talked with SkiTrax’s Marty Hall about his new New Nordic Academy program.

It’s been 9 months since your departure from the Canadian National Team, what’s been happening with you and your career – bring us up to speed?
Dave Wood: In the spring I began working with the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, BC. The program here has younger skiers ages 13 to 17, all in high school. We have an ideal natural environment for Cross country skiers in Rossland.

Most of the training can be completed “out the door”. We have to travel for Roller skiing to find different terrain, but we have everything from flatter gentle terrain to long continuous uphills (10 to 25 km). The trails are superb and with the Red Mountain alpine area only 15 minutes running from town we can do as much ski simulation on foot as one can stand!

The program had a couple of training camps in the summer, the Haig Glacier, and a dryland camp in the Bow Valley. This is an opportunity to begin to introduce these skiers to training at altitude. We began skiing in Early November up at the Paulson trails (local). There are 3 areas for Cross Country here, and the Paulson trails (maintained by the Castlegar club) have snow a little earlier than Black Jack.

I went to Boston in September for a NENSA seminar. I made a presentation and sat in on the rest of seminar. Always good to get into other areas. As well I went to a COC function (Olympic Excellence series) for summer sports in November.

The club hosted a very successful NorAm in December. I did not have involvement with the event, except I worked with the club to build a better sprint course. The tracks and the event were well received.

The club and the Red Mountain Academy are joining forces to create an educational component to our Nordic Program. Al Fisher (Racing Program Director) and I initiated this in the spring and over the summer when we hammered out the details. At the end it has been Wannes Luppens (Club President), Al Fisher and I that are spearheading this initiative.

Now we are into the racing season and going full blast. Life in Rossland right now is being very good to Coach Dave Wood!

I hear you’re announcing a new high school aged skiing program at one of the best training and skiing locales in North America – tell us more about the Red Mountain Academy and its new educational component for your Nordic Program.
DW: The Red Mountain Academy (RMA) has been in operation for many years. It began as an academy program with the Red Mountain Racers (Alpine racing) and over time has expanded. The cooperation with the Black Jack Cross Country ski club was initiated this spring and we finalized the association this past fall with a three pronged program. Read more about the Academy here: www.redskiacademy.com

With the Home Stay Plan athletes that are not local in Rossland are placed with families in Rossland. We also have service providers such as physiotherapy, mental training, etc.

The home stay is organized and delivered through the administration end of the academy program. The athletes stay with families in the area. There is an education for the home stay families with respect to the nutritional needs of the athlete. The cost for this is $750/month, which includes some of the travelling needs. With their application to academy the process for home stay is initiated.

Another component of this program is transportation to and from the training venue to the school. In Rossland you can walk from “home” to school

The Educational Component of the Academy is delivered at Rossland Senior Secondary school. This will provide the athletes with a flexible academic schedule that allows time for proper training and competition programs. Read more about RMA here: www.rss.sd20.bc.ca

The third component of the program is the Training and Competition Program that is managed and delivered by myself. I have several coaches and experts who are assisting me in the Black Jack Racing team. We provide an intensive, individualized training and preparation programs.

Athletes in the academy program will train alongside the athletes training with the Club Program. Currently we have athletes from Rossland, Nelson, and Trail that work with the Black Jack Racing Team.

General program for 2011/12
– May 1 is the training year start
– Will plan for a spring snow camp where it can happen, likely Vernon, however we can do it here in some years
– June is dryland, going into the local mountain trails as the snow melts
– July will have a week at the Haig glacier
– August will have two weeks in the Bow Valley with two trips to the Haig glacier
– Fall camp with altitude. Most likely the Bow Valley if the stored snow works out
– December NorAms
– World Junior trials
– National Champs
– Other racing as is available

In Rossland we enjoy the perfect natural environment for developing Cross Country Ski Racers. We have an extensive network of trails and paths that are ideal for running and ski simulation on foot. As well we have mountain trails that are up to 2200 meters in elevation.

This means we can train between 400 meters and 2200 meters, an ideal situation for altitude training and lower elevation for speed work. We have long continuous roller ski climbs, up to 25 km, or we can have gentle rolling terrain to roller ski on. A lot of this roller ski terrain has very limited traffic.

We have access to a rubber surface running track in Warfield (6km away), an aquatic center in Trail (10 km), gyms in Rossland, and the alpine area (Red Resort) is about 5km from town, a perfect distance for warm up for a hill session. This is as good as it gets for dry land training!

We have three areas where we can ski. The Black Jack Club (www.skiblackjack.ca) is about a 10 min drive from anywhere in Rossland. The club has about 30 km of trails that are groomed daily by one of the two Pisten Bulleys the club owns. The normal season at Black Jack would be December to April. There is a biathlon facility up the highway from Black Jack. There is a 5km loop with the shorter tracks inside the 5 km track. The biathlon facility is about 300 meters higher than Black Jack, and gets earlier snow (2 to 3 weeks) and the snow lasts much longer in the spring. Finally the Castlegar ski club operates a trail system at the Paulson Summit. This is about a 30 min drive from Rossland, and it is also higher (about 1500 meters) so it is another option for early skiing

We can offer a training environment that is very high quality and lets the athletes maximize their training time do to the proximity of all training venues.

Dave, I think that wraps it up for any young teenage skier it doesn’t get any better. Sort of a home away from home feeling with the Home Stay Program and one of the best facilities and training centered programs you could want to be involved with – how do I sign up?
DW:

Fast and Female 2011 Canmore X-Country SkiFest – Mar. 11-19

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February 03, 2011 (Calgary, Alberta) – Fast and Female will be hosting its sixth Annual X-Country SkiFest in Canada on Sunday March 13, 2011 at the Canmore Nordic Centre in Alberta. The highly anticipated event will take place in conjunction with the 2011 National Cross-Country Ski Championships – set for March 11 to 19, also at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

The 2011 Fast and Female Annual X-Country SkiFest will host more than 150 female cross-country skiers and biathletes from all over Canada between the ages of 9 to 19 years old as well as their parents and coaches for a day of inspiration both on and off snow.

The youth segment of the Fast and Female 2011 Annual X-Country SkiFest will feature ski drills, yoga and dancing led by outstanding female Olympians, current members from the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team and other elite athletes.

Among the illustrious ambassadors present that day will be Sara Renner, who claimed a silver medal with Beckie Scott in the team sprint at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Renner, who recently retired from competitive ski racing after taking part in the 2010 Winter Games, also won bronze at the 2005 World Championships in the individual sprint.

The parent and coach segment of the Fast and Female day will feature three seminars in the morning on topics of particular importance to female athletes. More specifically, parents and coaches will have the opportunity to listen to informational presentations by sports psychologist Jan Derpak, nutritionist Samantha Perris from Nu-Roots and sports physiotherapist Erin Sturch from Active Motion Physiotherapy. In the afternoon, adult participants will have the opportunity to ski.

All youth and adult event participants will convene for lunch to attend a keynote presentation by Ellie Greenwood, winner of the 2010 Ultramarathon World Championships (100km). As a Banff resident, Greenwood will share her experiences in the ranks of the world’s best ultra long-distance runners. For more information concerning Ellie, please click HERE.

The registration fee for the youth event is $15 and includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, a Buff, a lunch, and access to all activities. The registration fee for the parent and coach activity is also $15 and includes the seminars, lunch and afternoon skiing. Financial assistance is available for participants in need. Please contact info@fastandfemale.com to inquire.

Registration for the highly anticipated event is now officially open and participants can secure a spot by clicking HERE.

Those interested in volunteering for the event can also offer their help by signing up to the event and selecting the volunteer ticket option.

The deadline to register is March 10, 2011. Athletes competing in the 2011 National Championships on that day may choose to join the Fast and Female event for the lunch and afternoon activities only for the same registration fee.

Fast and Female is able to host the 2011 Annual X-Country SkiFest thanks to the generous financial and in-kind contributions of sponsors including Best Buy Canada, Lululemon Athletica, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, Cold-FX, Clarins Canada, Cross-Country Canada, Sport Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the In Motion Network (Go Girl program), and the Canmore Nordic Centre. For a complete list of Fast and Female national program supporters and sponsors, please visit www.fastandfemale.com.