April 11, 2013 (Truckee, CA) – Liz Stephen won a landslide victory in the women’s 30km CL event, besting teammmate and World Cup Sprint Champion Kikkan Randall, to earn herself the title at 2013 U.S. Distance National Championships in Lake Tahoe following the USSA SuperTour Finals. In this video, Martha Bellisle recaps the race and catches up with Stephen and Randall for their thoughts on how it all unfolded – full report and results HERE.

March 01, 2013 (Park City, UT) – Women’s ski jumping will be featured on NBC’s “Rock Center with Brian Williams” on Friday, March 1 at 10 p.m/9 central. The segment, “Flight Delay”, shares the story of Lindsey Van and her teammates as they train to compete and make their Olympic debut in Sochi 2014.

“Rock Center” Correspondent Kate Snow interviewed and spent time with Van, Jessica Jerome, Sarah Hendrickson, Abby Hughes, Alissa Johnson, and Deedee Corradini, Women’s Ski Jumping USA president, in Park City and in Germany during World Cup competition.

“I’ve watched Olympic ski jumping since I was a kid, but I simply never realized there was a reason I was watching only MEN do the jumping,” said Snow. “When I heard about the fight these women have waged, I wanted to meet them.”

The Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team is ranked No. 1 in the world going into the final two World Cup competitions of the season. The team is led by 18-year-old Hendrickson, who recently won gold at the World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

“The next year is going to be both exciting and critical for our U.S. women ski jumpers and we’re thrilled that Kate Snow and NBC’s ‘Rock Center’ chose to tell their inspiring story in prime time,” Corradini said.

February 28, 2013 (Val di Fiemme, Italy) – The powerhouse Norwegian squad led by Marit Bjoergen charged to victory today in the women’s 4x5km CL + FR at the 2013 FIS Nordic World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, while Team USA’s Sadie Bjornsen, Kikkan Randall , Liz Stephen and Jessie Diggins, scored a best-ever fourth place. The Canadian women did not finish.

Leg #1 of the race kicked off with the classic mass start as Canada’s Dasha Gaiazova skied strong near the front of a pack that included Norway, Finland, and Russia. The USA’s Bjornsen was also positioned in the top 10. During the second lap, Norway’s Heidi Weng chose the inside track vs the slicker centre lanes to take the lead.

Chasing Finnish skier, Anne Kyllönen crashed and got caught up in the fencing to lose 15s. Weng attacked on the climb gained her a massive 20s gap, which second place, France’s Aurore Jean, and third place, Russia’s Julia Ivanova, fought to earn back. Meanwhile, American Bjornsen had moved into sixth spot, while Gaiazova appeared to run out of steam and fell back through the pack. At the end of the first leg, Weng tagged off to her teammate Therese Johaug with a healthy 20s lead, followed by Finland and Russia in second and third, USA sixth, and Canada 11th.

Leg #2 saw Norway way ahead, while the scrap for silver and bronze continued with Russia moving into second spot and Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk jumping up to third, while USA’s Kikkan Randall maintained her sixth place spot. Farther into the leg, the Polish ringer threw down a gutsy attack to assume second place and gain time on Norway’s Johaug.

Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen also put in a big dig to bring her crew back into contention, moving up to third. Meanwhile, Kowalczyk heroically caught and passed Norway’s Johaug, leaving Sweden and Finland behind to fight over the bronze medal position. Still in sixth, Randall tagged off to teammate Stephen, with Canada’s Perianne Jones coming through in 12th to tag Emily Nishikawa.

The start of Leg #3 saw Norway’s Kristin Stoermer Stiera quickly pass Poland’s Paulina Maciuszek for the lead, while the battle for bronze heated up, with Finland’s Riitta Liisa Roponen fighting Sweden’s Anna Haag tooth and nail in a back-and-forth nailbiter. Their efforts allowed them to overtake the flagging Polish skier, as they trailed Norway by a massive 35s.

Farther back, USA’s Stephen looked strong and smooth as she cruised up the field to take over fourth place. Back in the medal fight, Haag delivered a big attack the final time up the Zorzi climb to put a gap into Roponen, while Stephen continued to gain time with Russia’s Mariya Guschina in tow.

At the end of the leg, Stiera tagged off to Marit Bjoergen maintaining a 25s lead over Sweden, with Finland crossing in third at 30s. Stephen delivered a 4th place hand-off to US anchor Diggins at 55s in arrears with Russia fifth at 1:03. Nishikawa handed off to Brittany Webster at 3:27 behind.

With such a large advantage going into the final leg, Bjoergen proved unstoppable on her uncontested charge to win the gold medal by 26s over Poland. Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla quickly dropped Finland’s Riikka Sarasoja-Lilja for second spot, while Diggins battled fiercely with Russia’s Yulia Tchekaleva.

The bronze medal was far from sewn up as Sarasoja was obviously struggling. Tchekaleva overtook Diggins and then caught Sarasoja to assume third, while Diggins continued to advance. In the end, the Russian skier was too quick for Diggins, but the young American hunted down the fading Finn to claim fourth for Team USA at 1:12 – the team’s best ever result in that event. It was a tough day for the Canadians as their anchor Webster did not finish.

Full results HERE.
Full results detail HERE.

February 27, 2013 (Val di Fiemme, Italy) – The USA’s Elizabeth Stephen raced to the best result of her career, finishing in 5th place, only 8.5 seconds off Russian bronze medalist, Yulia Tchekaleva, in women’s 10km FR Individual Start on Tuesday at the 2013 FIS Nordic World Championships in Val di Fiemme.

Taking the win was the diminutive Norwegian, Therese Johaug, who charged with her characteristic quick tempo to best her teammate Marit Bjoergen for the gold by 10.2 seconds. The win marks Johaug’s third career gold as super-star Bjoergen started to falter with fatigue in the latter stages of the race. Biathlete Miriam Goessner of Germany had an incredible day, missing the podium by only a half a second.

“I’d never skied the course as a skate course before. We always do it as a classic on the Tour de Ski, so I was psyched to be able to skate up those hills and just kept channeling the Tour de Ski energy and vibes,” said Stephen post-race. “Heck, it’s World Championships, there’s pretty good vibes here with Kikkan [Randall] and Jessie [Diggins] getting the win the other day. The mood of the team is outstanding right now – lots of energy kicking around.”

Teammate Jessie Diggins who placed 23rd, voiced her excitement to SkiTrax: “I am first and foremost super pumped for Liz! Nobody deserves it more and I’m so proud of her and excited to cheer for her at the awards ceremony tonight. As for my race, I definitely could have used an extra recovery day beforehand. The racing and emotion of the last two days has definitely left me without that extra gear, but I know I’ll be recovered in time for the relay.”

Kikkan Randall was disappointed with her 30th place, but expressed excitement over her teammate’s success. “Today was a tough one for me personally,” said Randall. “I felt like I was missing the power and capacity I had in my distance skating earlier this season. I was probably a little fatigued from the team sprint two days ago and since I haven’t done very much distance skate racing since the Tour, my aerobic system may have been a little asleep.”

“It was still, however, a spectacular day as my teammate Liz Stephen was fifth in the world, just eight seconds off the podium! I’ve been training alongside Liz for a few years now and have witnessed how hard she works. She has been reaching new levels this season, including skiing the second fastest time up the Alpe Cermis on the Tour’s final day, and she is so deserving of this amazing result. Her finish today is the best ever US women’s distance finish in a major championship. The whole team came out to the awards this evening to cheer her on.”

Coach Matt Whitcomb is pleased with Stephen’s success and after the gold medal performance by Randall and Diggins in the Team Sprint, and the team is moving ahead with excitement and confidence. “Today was just a perfect day for Liz, and one that makes pretty good sense given how our team works. Our athletes really get behind each other’s successes – they feed off of each other. And so with the gold medal from Kikkan and Jessie the other day you could feel the energy building. Liz skied an aggressive race under a lot of pressure to perform and she rose to the occasion.”

As for the Canucks, the top finish was Daria Gaiazova in 40th. “I really don’t have much to say today,” said Gaiazova. “It was not great, but I guess it was a good preparation for the relay, which I am really excited to do.”

Other North Americans included: Holly Brooks 27th, Kikkan Randall 30th, Daria Gaiazova 40th, Emily Nishikawa 57th, and Brittany Webster 68th.

The relay is up next for the women on Thursday. The Americans look to be positioned favorably. The foursome of Brooks, Diggins, Randall, and Stephen had already climbed on to the World Cup podium early in the season in Gaellivare, and they hope to carry that momentum towards World Championship gold.

February 04, 2013 (Sapporo, Japan) – Park City’s Sarah Hendrickson was 3rd and 7th in a pair of tough and windy competitions in Sapporo this weekend, boosting her to second place overall on the World Cup.

Hours before Sunday’s event, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake rattled the northern Japanese island of Hakkaido, the epicenter of which was about 120 miles east of Sapporo. There were no reports of damage, though it made for an interesting start to Sunday’s competition.

Hendrickson endured multiple gate change delays to finish on the podium in 3rd place with jumps of 93.5 and 87.5 meters. U.S. teammates Lindsey Van clinched 8th with jumps of 91 and 87 meters, Jessica Jerome was a strong 15th with jumps of 87 and 90.5 meters, and Abby Hughes was 29th with jumps of 80 and 78 meters. Austria’s Jacqueline Seifriedsberger claimed her first World Cup victory and Norway’s Anette Sagen had a huge leap of 99 meters in her second round to take 2nd.

“It was typical weather for this area and made the comp very difficult,” said Van. “You never know what kind of wind you are going to get, so it is like a lotto game. I enjoy the randomness most of the time, though. It is an outdoor sport and is always fun.”

Saturday’s event ended after the first round of jumping due to high and irregular winds, leaving Hendrickson in 7th, Jerome in 10th, Van 28th and Hughes 34th. France’s Coline Mattel was 1st over Seifriedsberger and Sagen.

Home country favorite and current World Cup leader Sara Takanashi, 16, finished 12th on Saturday and 5th on Sunday.

World Cup competition continues Feb. 9-10 in Zao, Japan.

Results at www.fisskijumping.com

February 01, 2013 (Sochi, Russia) – USA’s Kikkan Randall dominated the FIS World Cup women’s 1.3km free sprints today in Sochi, making her mark at the venue as the top contender for the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympic. The American team had a strong day overall, with five U.S. skiers qualifying for the heats. Read more here.

Randall started her day with a second place finish in the qualifier and then went onto win each of her heats, leading the final from start to finish for an undisputed victory over second place, Aurore Jean (FRA) who passed Norway’s Celine Brun-Lie near the finish to take the silver.

“I’ve been working really hard in my training to make every sprint course a good course for me so it was cool to get out there and see how it felt,” said Randall. “The course is deceptively tough and there’s not much rest out there outside of maybe 10 or 15 seconds on one downhill but you’re preparing for a turn so I think the weather conditions are really going to play in how the race goes but I think it’s a good course for me and I’m a strong finisher and it’s a really long stadium, so I like that. This is definitely a confidence boost for next year!”

Ida Sargent was the next-best American finisher with a personal best sixth after finishing second in her quarterfinal and then sneaking through in her semifinal as lucky loser to contest in her first ever “A” final.

“I like the course here,” Sargent told Trax. “It’s short but hard and technical and there isn’t much recovery out there so you’re working a lot. We had very fast skis today and I was 17th in the skate qualification which was a PB. In the rounds I tried to ski at or near the front and was very happy to make the final!  I was pretty tired by the time the final heat came around but it was still an awesome day for me.”

Jessie Diggins (USA) charged to third in her heat with Holly Brooks (USA) placing fourth in hers. Sadie Bjornsen (USA) was eliminated after her fifth-place quarterfinal. In the end, they ranked 15th, 16th, and 21st, respectively.

“I was disappointed to end the day after the quarterfinal, but considering that it was my best qualifier and my best sprint final place to date, I’m really happy,” said Brooks in a post-race email exchange with Trax. “It’s awesome to have a good experience at the Olympic venue, on the Olympic course … and be able to leave here with a great vibe. Kikkan [Randall] took the win easily which points towards success one year from now and Ida [Sargent] had her first appearance in the A-final!”f

Dasha Gaiazova was the top finisher of the two Canadian qualifiers, finishing 12th after she placed second in her heat and sixth in the semis. Perianne Jones (CAN) finished in 18th spot.

Elizabeth Stephen (USA) and Chandra Crawford (CAN) did not qualify, and finished 42nd and 51st, respectively.

Qualifications HERE.
Final results HERE.

January 30, 2013 (Montebello, QC) – Fast and Female is inviting female cross country ski enthusiasts ages 7 to 19 to attend an afternoon activity of inspiration on February 9 led by 2010 Olympian Madeleine Williams as part of the Canadian Ski Marathon.

Williams, an accomplished cross country skier and runner as well as a current Law student at McGill university will join the girls for an inspirational presentation followed by a personal development exercise on attitude as well as fun dance and yoga sessions. The event will take place at Château Montebello – one of the largest log-built hotels in the world – from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm on Saturday, February 9.

“I’m very excited to be leading the Fast and Female event at the Canadian Ski Marathon because this event is one of our country’s premiere ski events,” said Williams. “This is a great opportunity to reach an audience of racers and recreational skiers alike. Inspiring girls to stay in sport is important to me because sport teaches so many vital life lessons and encourages lifelong health,” concluded the retired World Cup cross country racer who still competes in cross country running.

As a two-day event, the CSM features 160 kilometres of skiing divided into 5 sections each day, with an average of 16 km per section. Skiers of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate and can do so safely. There are checkpoints at the end of each section providing food, first, aid an other services, as well as shuttle buses that run between accommodation and checkpoints throughout each day. The CSM alternates its direction each year, from East to West one year and then West to East the next – between Gatineau and Lachute.

Unlike most ski events, there are no winners or losers in the Canadian Ski Marathon. Each skier can select his/her own level of challenge and try to achieve it. One can ski as little as 12 km or up to the maximum of 160 km over the weekend.

“Chandra Crawford, Madeline Williams and the Fast and Female team have brought an inspiring energy to the 2013 Canadian Ski Marathon,” said Bill Syrros, CSM President “We recognize and respect the level of empowerment and encouragement they’re offering to CSM youth; to ski and to be the best that they can be.”

Fast and Female is a non-profit organization launched in seven years ago by Chandra Crawford – 2006 Olympic gold medalist and honorary president for this year’s edition of the Canadian Ski Marathon. The organization’s mission is to support, encourage and motivate girls to stay in sports. It is believed that girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys by the time they reach 14 years old.

“I’m super pumped that we are able to bring the Fast and Female message of joy for sport to the girls taking part in the Canadian Ski Marathon,” said Crawford who is in Europe for the remainder of the World Cup season. “The CSM is a tremendous event for participants of all ages and abilities to push their limits in a fun and supportive environment. This is extremely in line with Fast and Female’s values of inspiring all girls to follow their passions for sport and continuously challenge themselves to improve as athletes and as human beings. I’m sure all the girls attending the Fast and Female activity will learn a lot from Madeleine’s presence and her lessons on perseverance and determination.”

The February 9 Fast and Female activity in Montebello is open to female youth Canadian Ski Marathon participants as well as non participants from the area.

The cost for the events is $25 for youth and includes a Fast & Female t-shirt, a healthy snack, a magazine subscription (Pedal or SkiTrax) and an autographed poster. Online registration is open until February 8 at lunch time HERE or at www.fastandfemale.com.

As a complement to the event, Fast and Female and the Canadian Ski Marathon are also partnering to run a Marathon Girl Contest. As part of the contest, girls ages 7 to 19 registered in the Canadian Ski Marathon are invited to submit a short paragraph on what makes them exemplary Fast and Female Marathon Girls. Ten young women will be selected as part of this contest and will be rewarded with a free Fast and Female Buff. Entries in the contest can be sent to info@fastandfemale.com.

For more information about the Canadian Ski Marathon and to register, click HERE.

January 18, 2013 (Leavenworth, WA) – For the 11th year, Leavenworth Winter Sports Club is producing a women’s only winter event to promote breast cancer awareness and raise funds for The Wellness Place in Wenatchee. LWSC typically raises about $3,000 at this event. Women are welcome to cross-country ski or snowshoe on the 8-kilometer trail on Sunday, February 3rd. The Leavenworth Fish Hatchery hosts the start of the event while the participants use the back part of the Icicle River Trail. Those registered by Jan. 23rd receive a free event shirt and avoid the late fee. Registration is $16-$26. Day of event registration starts at 8 a.m. and the “race” starts at 9:30 a.m. Timing is optional per participant’s choice. A prize will be given to “Best Dressed Chick.” Refreshments will be provided along with many raffle prizes.

LWSC is proud to announce that our own local skier, Siri Healy, will be our official race starter. Siri Healy has been a resident of Leavenworth since 2001. In 2011, at the age of 34, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma. She is a survivor and a true inspiration.

Please see the attached document for links to Siri’s blog, 2012 event photos and more. Thanks!

More about Chicks on Sticks 2013 HERE.

Read Siri Healy’s Blog HERE.

January 17, 2013 (Park City, UT) – Women’s Ski Jumping USA has named Robbie Beck as the foundation’s Executive Director and Jenny Holden as Athletic Program Director. Beck and Holden, both of Park City, Utah, will support the top-ranked VISA Women’s Ski Jumping Team as they prepare for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games and beyond.

Beck will provide overall leadership to WSJ-USA with a focus on marketing, fundraising, and strategic planning.

“Robbie’s Olympic experience is immeasurable and Jenny’s team leadership has been a game changer for us,” said WSJ-USA President Deedee Corradini. “We’re thrilled about this new leadership team as they help this foundation continue to grow and support these great women ski jumpers.”

Beck served as the Summit County Olympic Coordinator leading up to, and during, the Salt Lake 2002 Games. She consulted for the Utah Olympic Park (UOP) on general fundraising and marketing efforts as well as Bobsled & Skeleton World Cup events. Beck’s most recent role has been as the Business Development Director for the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation.

“This is an exhilarating time and I’m proud to work with Jenny and the coaching staff to help these women excel and reach their Olympic dreams,” Beck said. “This team truly is a product of Utah’s 2002 Olympic Winter Games Legacy.”

Holden filled both the Executive Director and Team Director roles for WSJ-USA for more than two years as the foundation evolved into a world-class program producing the 2012 World Cup champion (Sarah Hendrickson) and 2012 Overall Nations Cup title. Corradini said Holden now will be able to focus solely on team and development programs, strategic planning, and helping to maintain the high level of performance of current athletes and assist aspiring female ski jumpers across the country.

“We have received incredible support from individuals, families, and businesses,” Holden said. “That generosity has allowed us to develop one of the strongest teams in the world. Robbie and I are excited to build on this momentum to become even stronger.”

Women ski jumpers will make their Olympic debut at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

December 27, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Want to make a difference in the lives of girls in sports? Fast and Female is seeking an Executive Director. The Executive Director is responsible for the efficient and effective management and oversight of the organization’s global operations, including finances, budgeting, programming, marketing, communications, merchandising, fundraising, and staffing. The Executive Director shall ensure that all operations are consistent with the standards set by the Board.

ABOUT FAST AND FEMALE
Fast and Female is a not-for-profit society started in 2005 by Chandra Crawford, 2006 Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing. The organization’s mission is to ensure that girls remain supported, motivated, inspired, empowered to stick to sports and the healthy lifestyle. Fast and Female fulfills its mission of “Empowerment Through Sport” by hosting fun-filled, non-competitive initiatives all across North-America aimed at exposing young female athletes to inspiring female Olympians and elite level athletes. The young girls who attend Fast and Female events today will lead in the future, may it be as athletes, coaches, volunteers, parents, and community leaders. For more information about Fast and Female, visit www.fastandfemale.com

ROLE
Executive Director (reports to President and Chairman of the Board)

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategy/High level planning
– Oversee the short and longer term planning of Fast and Female programming (events, web-based programming, target groups ¡V youth, coaches, parents, ambassadors).
– Interfaces with Fast and Female Founder and Board to map out a short-term and long term strategies.
–  Plans out strategic initiatives and ensures optimal alignment with the interests of all Fast and Female stakeholders (participants, sponsors, donors).
– Develops strategic relations with key NSOs for the development and execution of programming.

Governance
– Plan out annual calendar of meetings.
– Prepare board meeting agendas and compile minutes.
– Prepare board meeting documents (management review, financials).

Finances
– Develops and maintains annual organizational budget as well as event-based budgets.
– Tracks and monitors all income and expenses on a daily basis.
– Issue cheques for invoices due.
– Interfaces with accountant to produce quarterly financial statements for internal purposes with the Board.
– Maintain appropriate relations with third party financial services (Moneris, PayPal, Eventbrite) for the collection of funds.

Programming
– Manage annual programming calendar.
– Establishes key contacts with local event hosting stakeholders.
– Effectively lead the planning, execution and debrief of Fast and Female events.
– Oversee the work of contractors involved in event planning, execution and debrief in other jurisdictions. (USA, Australia, Eastern Canada…) to ensure programming quality and consistency.

www.fastandfemale.com
– Develop, deliver and maintain web-based programming (Fast and Female TV, Fast and Female Facebook page, Fast and Female Power Hour, Fast and Female e-Newsletter, Fast and Female Amazing Tips Seminars for Parents and Coaches, Fast and Female Ambassador program).
– Track programming impact assessment (survey monkey, testimonials…).

Communications, Marketing and Media Relations
– Maintain communications and marketing strategy for the organization as a whole and for the specific programming components (events, Fast and Female TV, Fast and Female Facebook page, Fast and Female Power Hour, Fast and Female e-Newsletter, Fast and Female Amazing Tips Seminars for Parents and Coaches, Fast and Female Ambassador program).
– Manage and optimize communications channels (website, Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube Channel).
– Ensure consistent usage of the Fast and Female brand guidelines.
– Develop and produce all marketing collateral (posters, logos, cards…).
– Develop and broadcast press releases relating to the organization and its programming.
– Develop and execute a strategy to ensure optimal media exposure for the organization and its supporters.

Fundraising
– Develop a strategy and oversee the successful execution of the retail merchandise program (online and event sales, inventory management, product replenishing, supplier relations, pricing strategies…).
– Develop a strategy and oversee the successful execution of the sponsor-raising and sponsor-retention program (maintain and update sponsor pitch documents, lead pitching initiatives, maintain relations with sponsors, identify prospective sponsors, ensure all contractual agreements with sponsors are fulfilled).
– Develop a strategy and oversee the successful execution of the donor-raising and donor-retention program (maintain and update donor pitch documents, lead pitching initiatives, maintain relations with donors, identify prospective donors, produce reporting documents to meet donors¡¦ needs and expectations).
– Develop a strategy and oversee the successful execution of in-king supplier contributors.
– Develop a strategy and oversee the successful execution of event-based fundraising initiatives (Sports Day in Canada, VIP cocktails, silent auctions…).
– Develop a strategy and oversee the successful application on grants.

Office and Operations
– Interface with third party to secure office space.
– Oversee resource management for contractors when necessary (computers…).
– Interface with key stakeholders for ensuring that the organization maintains appropriate insurance for events, retail program, and other.
– Ensures appropriate insurance coverage is in place for the organization’s activities.
– Keeps abreast of legal and other liability issues that concern the organization.

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
– 3-5 years of progressive management experience
– Academic background in sports management/ communications/marketing/business/special events
– Strong events planning and hosting experience
– Strong sport background (either as an athlete, coach, or as an event planner)
– Strong comprehension of the sports system
– Strong computer skills (Internet, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, website content management, social media platforms)
– Strong interpersonal/people skills
– Strong communication skills (ability to speak in public in front of large crowds)
– Knowledge of legal and liability issues as they relate to event and brand management
– Basic accounting
– French/English bilingualism a strong asset
– Must be willing to travel
– Must be will to work on weekends and week nights

DESIRED WORK STYLE
– Extremely passionate about girls and sports
– Strong ability to work independently
– Self-directed
– Team Player
– Attention to details
– Can-do attitude
– Flexible mindset
– Highly flexible time commitment
– Honest
– Dependable
– Visionary
– Positive attitude
– Engaging leader

COMPENSATION
– Contract position
– 4 days of work per week (32 hours per week)
– 2 weeks paid vacation
– Salary $40,000 per year (paid out on the 15th and last day of each month = $3,333 per month / $1,666 paid out every second week)

WORK LOCATION
Ideally Canmore, Alberta but open to other locations.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Please submit your resume and cover letter in complete confidence to board@fastandfemale.com prior to January 7, 2012 at midnight.

Salary Range: 40,000 per year

Full job description HERE (PDF).

December 20, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – The Board of Directors of Fast and Female announces the departure of Marie-Hélène (M&H) Thibeault following more than four years of dedication to the program as Executive Director.

M&H, alumni of the Canadian alpine ski team, started with the organization in 2009. At that time, Fast and Female’s program consisted of a single event in cross country skiing reaching 150 young women.

“It is with mixed emotions that I’m stepping down from my role of Executive Director,” said M&H. “The last four years have been extremely enriching for me and definitively surpassed all my expectations with regards to where this fantastic program could go! Much of this awesomeness was achieved thanks to the amazing ambassadors, colleagues, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and supporters who have all contributed in different ways to helping us empower girls through inspiring programming. I’m extremely proud of where the program is presently and I know it’s in a fantastic position to continue growing and reaching more young women.”

In 2012, Fast and Female hosted more than 25 events in Canada, the US and Australia in a broad variety of sports and impacted more than 1,500 young women and their families. In addition to expanding its signature events for young women ages 9 to 19, Fast and Female’s programming has also grown to feature online content such as Fast and Female TV on You Tube and the Fast and Female Facebook page – all of which are intended to support the retention of young women in sports. A new programming element was recently launched called the Fast and Female Power Hour, which hopes to encourage local clubs to host their own small Fast and Female activities to help support the athletic and personal development of their young female members.

“M&H’s work has been impressive on all fronts, but Kikkan and I feel that her rock-solid prioritization of making a difference in the lives of our participants has been amazing,” said Fast and Female President and Founder, Chandra Crawford. “Her passion for empowering young women through sport has brought our programming to thousands of young women. She brought so many great ambassadors and sponsors on board and grew our community. Her deep caring has always kept us in line with the values that matter most,” added the 2006 Olympic gold medalist in cross country ski racing who launched Fast and Female in 2005 out of a need to see more girls stick to sports.

As an MBA graduate, M&H hopes to return to the corporate world in the Calgary region to apply her skills in marketing, communications, brand and culture development, as well as program management. She also hopes to take advantage of the next months to spend time with her family which includes two young children – Thomas (age 4) and Zoe (age 1).

The Fast and Female Board has launched a global search for a new Executive Director and hopes to have a new person in position by mid to late January.

“As the Board of Directors looks ahead, we are looking to bring on board a new Executive Director who can harness Fast and Female’s inspiring message and empower another generation of girls committed to the healthy lifestyle,” said Ted Kalil, Fast and Female Board member and lead on the recruitment process.

The complete job description can be found HERE. The deadline to submit a résumé and cover letter is January 7, 2013.

“While M&H leaves some highly energetic, well-qualified boots to fill, we are excited about the hiring phase and have a lot of support from our Board of Directors as we search for a new force to keep blazing the Fast and Female trail,” concluded Chandra.

M&H will remain in part-time position until a new Executive Director is in place in January.

December 14, 2012 (Pokljuka, Slovenia) – Canada’s Rosanna Crawford leaped up the field in the women’s 7.5k Sprint at the IBU World Cup in Slovenia today, cutting her PB result earned last weekend in half finishing a stellar 12th with a perfect shooting record to trail winner Gabriela Soukalova (CZE) by only 52.1s.

“Yep new PB!! I am really excited about todays results. It’s always nice to shoot clean, but to also place a personal best in the top 12 is fantastic! Shooting has always been my strong point. I am also pretty fast in the range, shooting time and getting in and out. I feel like this makes up a little bit for not being as fast on the skis,” Crawford told Trax.

“I didn’t feel very good in my warm up this morning so I didn’t go as hard as I normally would in my warm up. My first loop was pretty slow and I got faster as the race went on and had my best loop my last loop. The opposite to last weekend where it was really hard to get to the finish line!

“The snow was tricky, the track was much slower than it had been in training days, but it was pretty even for the whole field. The range was also pretty calm which was nice. Defiantly the shooting made my race for me. It’s hard to be in the mix for top 15 with missed targets,” she added.

Soukalova also earned a big PB – her career-first World Cup victory. She out-gunned second place, Miriam Goessner (GER), who faced two penalties in the second round of shooting, to win by 2.1s. Nadezhda Skardino (BLR) scored the bronze, accumulating zero penalties and trailing by 30.1s.

Susan Dunklee (USA) was the top U.S. finisher, placing 14th and 53.2s back. Teammate Annelies Cook was 40th. Canadians Megan Heinike and Megan Imrie finished 45th and 90th, respectively.

“Today was a great day for me and for the team.  We had three women not only qualify for tomorrow’s pursuit but also score World Cup points. After years training together and putting in lots of hard work, it is nice to see that pay off. There was heavy snow falling during the race making the skiing a little tough.  I didn’t quite have my highest gear, but I don’t think
most of the field did,” Dunklee told us.

“Hitting 90% of my targets was awesome.  I been struggling a lot on the range the last couple weeks but had a few really good training days earlier this week that helped me regain confidence.  Tomorrow is another day to practice what we do everyday- skiing and shooting.  I’m looking forward to it and we’ll see what happens,” she concluded.

For tomorrow’s Pursuit Crawford is optimistic but realistic… “For the pursuit tomorrow I am just going to take it one shot at a time! It’s supposed to snow 40cm over night which could make things even tougher tomorrow,” offered Crawford.

Results
1. Gabriela Soukalova (CZE) 22:09.8
2. Miriam Goessner (GER) 2.1
3. Nadezhda Skardino (BLR) 30.1

12. Rosanna Crawford (CAN) 52.1
14. Susan Dunklee (USA) 53.2
40. Annelies Cook (USA) 1:45.2
45. Megan Heinike (CAN) 1:57.9
90. Megan Imrie (CAN) 4:17.9

Full results HERE.

November 30, 2012 (Kuusamo, Finland) – USST’s Ida Sargent turned heads as the top North American with a breakthrough 9th in the women’s 1.4km CL sprint in Kuusamo today with impressive, smart skiing. The Dartmouth skier, on the Craftsbury Green Team, was also the fastest NA qualifier in 13th. Norway’s Marit Bjoergen was the undisputed winner claiming the second round of the FIS XC WCup after qualifying fourth and squeaking through to the final as a lucky loser.

Evgenia Shapovalova (RUS) stormed to second, followed by teammate Anastasia Dotsenko in third. Top qualifier Justyna Kowalczyk (POL), was a surprise non-finalist as she was eliminated in the semis and finished up in seventh.

The USA’s Kikkan Randall, who qualified 16th, had an auspicious start storming to second in her quarterfinal behind Kowalcyzk. Randall made her move on the final climb surging into first place but settled for second in the finishing straight. In her semi she started strong, but apeared to lose power on the hill as she used the same strategy fading to fifth to finish 10th on the day.

Dasha Gaiazova (CAN) was the top Canadian qualifier in 18th and looked very strong in her quarterfinal as set the pace taking the lead. As the group hit the climb she did not have the same kick and did not advance to the semis.

Her teammate Perianne Jones, qualifying 20th, had a strong 2nd place finish in her quarterfinal advancing to the semis. She was looking good until she was thrown off pace by a minor stumble and ended up last in her heat finishing the day in 12th, matching her career-best individual World Cup result.

The final was an exciting one, with Kowalczyk out and Bjoergen sneaking in. Katja Visnar (SLO) and Krista Lahteenmaki (FIN) both went down mid-race, while Bjoergen stormed away off the front.

Other North American results include Jessie Diggins (USA) 33rd, Chandra Crawford (CAN) 37th, Alysson Marshall (CAN) 38th, Holly Brooks (USA) 40th, and Liz Stephen 68th.

Women’s Qualifications HERE.
Women’s results HERE.

November 28, 2012 – Wow, that sure was an awesome way to start off the World Cup season!!! Not that I expect every weekend to be as wildly exciting with multiple historical US podium results, but geez that was cool. Our Women’s 4x5km relay placed 3rd, which was the first time ever in US History that we’ve had a podium relay finish! Here are two YouTube videos of the race:

http://youtu.be/aG8V001cMR4

I first want to say a big THANK YOU! to everyone for all the kind words, emails, tweets and more that have come flooding in, and a thanks to all those who have been supporting us US Women every step of the way. It sucks that the podium isn’t big enough to put everyone involved onto it, because there’s a whole lot more than four racers that made the day happen. The ENTIRE team includes the teammates cheering, coaches, wax techs, and friends and family and fans back home. So thanks to everyone!

Here’s the race story from the day!

I was super nervous beforehand because with the results from the previous day, it was clear that the team was in shape and ready to rock, and there are only 3 relays this year, so this was our only shot for a while at making our goal of having a team on the podium.

Then, as I was warming up, I saw the racers go by and turned to Matt, a full-blown panic attack seconds away. I’d just seen Liz in second and was like “OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!” I was hyperventilating. Even though I was trying to convince myself that this was going to be just another 5km skate race, I couldn’t ignore the fact that our team was higher up than we’d ever been and the extremely hard work of my teammates was about to be put into my hands.

In the tag zone, I looked over at Marit and said “No big deal… no pressure… aaaaaagh!” and she gave me a little smile that basically said “Good luck, sweetheart”.

So when Liz tagged me, I might have gone out a little hot. And by might have, I mean that I definitely did. I had so much adrenaline pumping that I didn’t feel anything till the top of the first hill, and then it hit me. I just kept trying to stay within sight of Marit, and I was so focused on keeping every second I could that I wasn’t even aware of team Sweden, Finland and Norway 2 coming in hot behind me.

When Kalla (Sweden) passed me, I tried to hang on but was going full throttle and didn’t want to hit the wall completely halfway through the race, so I had to let her go, which was tough. But when Kristoffersen (Norway 2) passed me, I did hang on, just barely, because I knew I usually have good kick at the end of a race and there was maybe a chance.

Liz and Ida and the rest of the team were screaming from the side of the course, but two things stood out to me. Ida was sprinting alongside me yelling like I’d never heard her yell before, and Liz frantically screamed “C’mon Jess, you have to believe you CAN DO THIS! BELIEVE IT!!!”

So when we got within .5km of the finish, I had this flashback to the last relay I raced, in Nove Mesto, where I waited too long to start sprinting and Kalla beat me to the line. I didn’t want to make the same mistake, and decided to make a move before the s-turn to the stadium, sliding ahead of Kristoffersen right before the first corner.

We rounded the stadium corner and started sprinting down the home stretch, and I saw Kristoffersen’s skis come into view, but the only thing I could think was No. Not. Happening. I can’t screw this up now! I think in those final hundred meters I dug deeper than I have in a long, long time.

I crossed the line only .5 seconds ahead, and made this half-yelling-half-screaming-mostely-I’m-in-so-much-pain-right-now noise, and collapsed. The next 2 minutes I was in a haze but I felt my teammates piled on top of me, and then it sunk in and we all realized what had just happened.

There were cameras going off everywhere, but we were huddled in this little circle, crying and laughing and going through this wild flood of emotions (and probably endorphins too, I’ll admit)!

The feeling we all got, standing on the podium having reached a major goal that we all set down on paper earlier this year, was incredible. For me at least, it makes me want to train hard and work even harder to keep these kinds of feelings coming – there’s two more steps on that podium to climb, after all!

I thought it was so cool that all these athletes from other teams were coming up to us and congratulating us on the day – they were psyched for us! Every one of them remembers what it felt like their first time on the podium so they knew what we were going through when we were all huddled together crying 🙂

That night I had such a hard time getting to sleep (gee, I wonder why?) I just kept replaying that final sprint in my mind and hearing Liz and Ida scream “BELIEVE!”. I think I’m going to be hearing that for a while.

November 20, 2012 – CAAWS announced today that it is offering twelve grants of $900 to active girls and women and/or organizations offering sport programs targeted to girls and women. For more details and information, please review the submission criteria, application process, deadlines, and frequently asked questions on our website HERE. You can also apply directly by completing the online application form!

Please note that applications will only be accepted between November 19, 2012 and December 7. 2012. Applications received before or after these dates will not be considered. The 2013 WISE Fund recipients will be announced in February 2013.

Stéphanie Parker, Marketing & Project Manager
Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and
Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS)
Tel: 613-562-5667
Direct Line: 613-562-5800 ext. 6044
Fax: 613-562-5668
E-mail: sparker@caaws.ca
Web: www.caaws.ca

November 06, 2012 (Salt Lake City, UT) – The documentary film Ready To Fly has been awarded “Best Feature-Length Mountain Film” at the prestigious Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival.

Ready To Fly, written and directed by William A. Kerig of Salt Lake City, Utah, follows 2009 World Ski Jumping Champion Lindsey Van and her ski jumping peers as they fight for inclusion in the Olympic Winter Games.

“This is the greatest honor of my filmmaking career and I’m in debt to the entire Ready To Fly team for helping make it happen,” said Kerig, who was in Banff, Alberta on Nov. 4 to receive the award. “We’re thrilled to be recognized among this excellent line-up of mountain films. We hope Lindsey’s story continues to resonate and inspire people around the world to never give up on their dreams.”

Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival started 37 years ago and showcases the world’s best films, books, and photographs on mountain subjects – climbing, culture, environment, wildlife, exploration and adventure, and sport. The 79 films chosen as finalists this year were selected from 370 films entered in competition from 34 countries.

“This was probably the hardest category to judge, but in the end, one film overwhelmed us with its superb storytelling, inspiring characters and – most importantly – had the judges cheering at the finish,” said Banff jury member, Kathryn Bonnici. “The filmmakers spent years following this story, the pacing was spot on, and the images simply beautiful.”

On Oct. 12, Ready To Fly also won “Best Documentary” at the popular Carmel Art & Film Festival. Ready To Fly was released in Salt Lake City in February and test-marketed as part of the 10th anniversary of 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games. It had its World Premiere at the MountainFilm Festival in Telluride, CO in May and has appeared in film festivals this fall throughout the U.S. including the Adventure Film Festival & Tour in Boulder, New Hampshire Film Festival, Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival, and Twin Cities Film Festival.

Ready To Fly will screen in two more film festivals this year:

X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival
1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8
Salt Lake City, UT
The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Tickets HERE.

Whistler Film Festival
12 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
More info HERE.

Film Website www.readytoflyfilm.com

October 19, 2012 – Here is your CAAWS Newsletter for the month of October. “CAAWS” stands for “Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity”. CAAWS provides leadership and education, and builds capacity to foster equitable support, diverse opportunities and positive experiences for girls and women in sport and physical activity.

1. CAAWS PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE
CAAWS would like to thank you! – As part of its strategic planning process, CAAWS invited key stakeholders to complete an online survey to ultimately ensure that our programs and services meet the needs of girls and women in sport and physical activity. CAAWS would like to thank all those who responded to the survey. The findings will be analyzed and presented to the CAAWS Board of Directors at their upcoming Board Meeting taking in place in Ottawa next month.

Moving, Mentoring, Motivating Mothers – With funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, CAAWS will be offering a total of 15 incentive grants to groups and/or organizations interested in increasing physical activity and sport participation among Ontario mothers and their families. Through this opportunity, CAAWS is excited to announce the following recipients:
Project Amik Residents Committee (Toronto); West Nipissing Community Health Centre (Sturgeon Falls); Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (Tyendinaga Territory); Community Living Brant – Ontario Early Years Centre: Brant (Brantford); Ontario Early Years Centre: Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office (Toronto); Flemindgon Neighbourhood Services (Toronto); Odawa Native Friendship Centre (Ottawa); Township of Tyendinaga (Shannonville); Oil Heritage District Community Centre (Petrolia); Centre des services communautaires Vanier (Ottawa); Grandir Ensemble (Ottawa); Sioux Lookout Mothers in Motion (Sioux Lookout); Terrace Bay & Schreiber Mothers in Motion Committee (Terrace Bay); and, Moms in Motion (Toronto).

For more information on CAAWS’ Mothers in Motion project, visit the website HERE.

Keeping Girls in Motion – CAAWS Executive Director, Karin Lofstrom, had an opportunity to sit down with Saskatchewan in motion – re:activity host Lisa Peters and talk about getting and keeping girls active. To see what Karin had to say, click here. re:activity is a multi-media memo to parents regarding physical activity. And the message? Your kids aren’t as active as you think they are. But the good news is that it doesn’t take a super hero to make physical activity the easy choice. To see more stories, advice and practical tools to re:activate your family, click HERE.

2. CAAWS IS LOOKING FOR THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN 2012
CAAWS wants your help to identify powerful and influential women in sport and physical activity. Next month, CAAWS will be seeking your input for its Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity List for 2012.

Who is an influential woman? She is a powerful woman who is influencing sport or physical activity in 2012. She may be a podium athlete who has achieved national and/or international recognition, or has had to overcome challenges but lead by example. Perhaps she is a volunteer or a Mission Staff team member who’s donated countless hours to coaching or organizing. She may be making a significant impact in physical activity. Or she is an executive who has led an organization or team with a clear defined vision. It may even be someone in the print or broadcast media who influences coverage of girls and women at the Games.

Women previously named to the list may be nominated again. A panel established by CAAWS will review all nominations. They will develop the final list of the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity for 2012. See our past lists for info. CAAWS will be accepting nominations starting November 2012 – stay tuned for more details!

3. NEW CAAWS PROJECT – MAKING HEALTHY CONNECTIONS IN RACIALIZED COMMUNITIES: GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN’S EXPERIENCES WITH SPORT, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTHY LIVING
The Making Healthy Connections in Racialized Communities project is designed to enhance capacity at the community, regional and provincial levels to increase healthy living opportunities for girls and young women from ethnic communities. The project was funded through the Healthy Communities Fund of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and builds on On the Move, CAAWS’ national initiative to increase opportunities for inactive girls and young women ages (9-18) to participate in sport and physical activity.

Earlier this year, CAAWS hosted focus groups with ethnic girls and young women, and practitioners involved with sport and physical activity programs and services for this target group. The focus groups provided the foundation for a new report that discusses the sport and physical activity needs, interests and experiences of girls and young women from ethnic communities, shares successes and challenges from an organizational perspective, and provides recommendations to enhance program and service delivery. Available November 2012; email caaws@caaws.ca to request a copy.

In addition to the Report, the project also involves the training of 10 women as workshop facilitators, and the delivery of 20 workshops across the province. Workshops are half-day, interactive, issue-based sessions that provide an overview of the project, share focus group findings, discuss the complexities of race and multiculturalism in an increasingly diverse society as they apply to sport, physical activity and healthy living, and provide tips and recommendations to increase the participation of girls and young women from ethnic communities.

Applications to become a workshop facilitator and/or to host a workshop are now available on the CAAWS website – the deadline is November 30, 2012.

For more information about the project, click HERE.

To download the facilitator application form HERE (download PDF).
To download the workshop host application form HERE (download PDF).

4. ACTIVELY ENGAGING WOMEN AND GIRLS – CALL FOR SUCCESS STORIES
To support work to enhance the Canadian Sport and Physical Activity system and build on the Canadian Sport for Life movement, CAAWS is seeking success stories from national, provincial/territorial and community organizations that have increased opportunities for women and girls to participant and/or lead. These could include targeted Learn to Play programs, codes of conduct to make your team more inclusive, female-only coach certification opportunities, mentorship initiatives, and more. Send a description of your success story to Sydney Millar, CAAWS’ National Program Director, via snmillar@caaws.ca.

To download CAAWS’ CS4L resource, Actively Engaging Women and Girls: Addressing the Psycho-Social Factors and targeted supplements for NSOs, P/TSOs, Coaches, Program Leaders, Educators and Parents, click HERE.

5. ACTIVE LIVING AFTER SCHOOL RESOURCES NOW AVAILABLE!
PHE Canada has just launched its Active Living After School (ALAS) initiative as part of the Canadian Active After School Partnership (CAASP) funded by Public Health Agency of Canada. Developed to assist after school program administrators in delivering high quality programs that involve increased access and opportunity to engage in physical activity and healthy living, the ALAS initiative includes a How-to-Guide and an equipment Activity Kit to help administrators in support of their programs. PHE Canada has partnered with Canadian Tire Jumpstart to provide qualified after school programs with the ALAS resources at no cost. For more information on this initiative, click HERE.

Be sure to also check out CAAWS’ Active After School Programs for Girls and Young Women Resources which were developed to ensure after school programs are positive and inclusive environments for girls and young women: On the Move Top 10 Success Factors, Success Stories from Five Friendship Centres, and Policy and Recommendations. These resources were released by CAAWS as part of their involvement in CAASP. To view and/or download these resources, click HERE.

6. IAPESGW’s 17TH WORLD CONGRESS 2013
The International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women (IAPESGW) 17th World Congress 2013 will be held April 10-13, 2013 in Havana (Cuba). The conference will bring together interested scholars and practitioners from across the globe, who are working to improve the position of girls and women in the fields of physical education, sport, dance and physical activity. Sessions will include keynotes, symposia, workshops, oral and poster presentations aimed at facilitating the sharing of research and practice through exchange of knowledge, networking, discussing and creating new possibilities for the benefit of girls and women globally.

Deadline to submit an abstract is December 1, 2012. For more information, visit the conference website HERE.

7. NEW WEBSITE ON LGBT ISSUES IN SPORT
Sport, as an institution, has historically been behind the times when it comes to issues related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. But a growing push for social justice in sport has begun to transform cultural attitudes. A new website, LBGT Issues in Sport: Theory to Practice, was recently launched by Drexel University’s Goodwin College.

The website will provide public access to research focusing on LGBT issues in sport, with the goal of turning theory into practice in order to make sport more inclusive for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. The site will also serve as a resource for sharing research that has been vetted through peer-reviewed processes to facilitate a greater awareness of work being done in this field, and connect researchers and activities in order to impact public policy and education.

For more information, visit the website HERE.

8. UPCOMING EVENTS
While CAAWS is not hosting any workshops and/or presentations in the coming weeks, the following events may be of interest:

The 4th Conference on Recent Advances in the Prevention and Management of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity – Taking place Oct. 24-26 in Halifax NS, this conference brings together an interdisciplinary group of professionals and policy makers working in the field of childhood and adolescent obesity. Specifically, the conference will showcase examples of the best and promising practice across Canada, and across multiple settings. >From provincial level policies to school and community level interventions, and through practice-based management programs targeting multiple behaviours that are associated with obesity, the conference seeks to promote a solution-oriented approach to obesity prevention and management. For more information and program updates, click HERE.

Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Sportif – From November 8th to 10th, Canada’s sport elite will gather in Montreal, Quebec. The country’s top coaches and sport scientists will join senior leaders from our national sport organizations to analyze, discuss, network, and learn from each other in powerful sharing sessions. You will be educated, motivated and inspired. For more information or to register, click HERE.

9. CELEBRATIONS
Congratulations to Chantal Petitclerc on being named Canada’s chef de mission for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Active Healthy Kids Canada names Jennifer Cowie Bonne as Chief Executive Officer. Synchro Canada names Meng Chen as head coach to lead the senior national team in this new era leading to the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.

Marion Lay, CAAWS Founding Mother and former Chair, is being inducted into the Canadian Sport Hall of Fame in Calgary.

Congratulations to the following four women on being named Ontario Apprentice Coaches for the 2013 Canada Summer Games Coaching Apprentice Program: Jenny Trew (Cycling) and Helen Orton (Canoe Kayak) have been selected for the Women Apprentice program; Ohsweken Apprentice Coaches, Tiffany Van Every (Canoe Kayak) and Kathryn Hill (Softball) have been identified for the Aboriginal Apprentice program.

In the Loop celebrates women’s accomplishments in the sport and physical activity community. Send career notices, changes, awards and recognitions to CAAWS c/o sparker@caaws.ca to be included in the next issue.

Get Social!
Did you know you can connect with CAAWS to find out the latest news? Become a fan of CAAWS on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter for another way to stay “In the Loop.”

www.caaws.ca

October 09, 2012 – Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone! Ok, now the blog post can begin. The Fast and Female event in Park City was officially AWESOME. As per my usual, I got to lead the dancing/endurance station, where we keep moving the entire time and each girl gets to add a dance move of her own to the group dance. The dance gets longer and longer and by the last group of the day I’m always working so hard to try and remember which move comes next! But it’s so much fun. Anne Hart was my dance station partner and we had a blast although by the end we both had jelly legs and were wiped out.

For me the coolest thing is seeing each girls face light up as the entire group does the dance move SHE got to add. It’s fun to make each girl be the star for 10 seconds!

And now… the National Nordic Foundation’s Drive for 25.

I realize that there are a ton of fundraisers going on this fall. And my personal fundraiser, the Chilkoot Cafe dinner in Stillwater, is going on this fall as well, on November 10th. But, I’m putting this up because the National Nordic Foundation directly helps me as well as many other junior, senior and U23 athletes looking to take the next step in international racing. NNF lowers trip costs for World Juniors/U23′s, and help pay for World Cup expenses. NNF also helped the US Women’s team travel to Sweden to train with some of the best in the world and improve.

So!

If you cannot come to Stillwater, MN on November 10th but are a friend of mine and/or Nordic Skiing and want to help out, this fundraiser is the best way to do it. I’ve linked my fundraising page below, and my goal is to get 20 people to donate $25. All the fundraiser information is on the link – even if you do not want to donate, please check out the NNF and their mission – the stories, pictures and race blogs are well worth looking at. Thanks for your time!

Jessie’s Drive for 25 page HERE.

May 10, 2012 – Here is the latest news from FIS, including information about elections, Ladies Seminar at the 2012 FIS Congress, FIS Congress travel information, and Swiss ski legend Karl Molitor’s upcoming biography.

FIS Council Elections
The 48th International Ski Congress will elect the sixteen members of the FIS Council for the next two-year period from 2012-2014. By the statutory deadline of 1st May 2012, the member National Ski Associations have proposed 19 candidates for membership in the FIS Council. Read more HERE.

FIS Congress 3rd Ladies Seminar
The 3rd FIS Ladies Seminar on the subject of “Women and Health” will take place on Monday, 28th May 2012 as part of the 2012 FIS Congress in Kangwonland and is open to all FIS Congress participants. The program will focus on Medical Issues in Female Sport. Read more HERE.

Travel Info for FIS Congress Participants
In just few weeks, some 800 participants will make their way to Korea for the 48th International Ski Congress from 27th May until 2nd June 2012. A welcome reception by the Korean Ski Association on Monday, 27th May, 19:00 at the Kangwonland Hotel will mark the official opening of the week which promises to be a fantastic occasion for the worldwide FIS family. Read more HERE.

Swiss Ski Legend Visits Oberhofen – Biography Out This Summer
The famous Swiss ski legend Karl Molitor (born 29th June 1920) recently visited the FIS Headquarters in Oberhofen to exchange views on his biography with FIS President Gian Franco Kasper. The biography will appear in print by the end of June 2012. Read more HERE.

April 18, 2012 – The Canada Games Council is pleased to announce the launch of the 2013 and 2015 Canada Games Aboriginal Apprentice Coach Program and Women in Coaching Program.

The Aboriginal Apprentice Coach Program (AACP) is a partnership between the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC), the Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies (PTASB), the Provincial/Territorial Coaching Representatives (PTCR), the Canada Games Council (CGC) and the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). The program provides the opportunity for each Province and Territory to send two coaches of aboriginal ancestry to the Canada Games in apprenticeship roles.

“The Aboriginal Apprentice Coach Program is a great opportunity for Aboriginal coaches in Canada who may not otherwise get a chance to participate in a high level games competition such as the Canada Games,” says Anthony Sauvé, Manager of Aboriginal Coach Development with the CAC. “The coaches who have flowed through this program have had the opportunity to be mentored under top level coaches in their respective sport discipline.”

The WiC program is a partnership between the PTCR, the CGC and the CAC. This program provides the opportunity for each Province and Territory to send two female coaches to the Canada Games in apprenticeship roles.

“The Women in Coaching Canada Games apprenticeship program is a tremendous sport partnership which enables aspiring women high performance coaches to get the necessary experience and training to advance their coaching education and skills,” says Sheilagh Croxon, WiC Program Consultant with the CAC. “To be involved in all aspects of training, receive support from an identified mentor coach, and to attend the Canada Games are all extremely valuable opportunities.”

The purpose of the Canada Games apprentice coach programs is to provide aboriginal and women coaches with a practical and integrated major national multi-sport games experience.

Selected coaches have direct involvement in preparation and competition and receive support from an identified mentor coach throughout the duration of the program.

Apprentice Programs – 2
“The introduction of the first Canada Games Apprentice Coach Program in 2005 has paved the way to increased participation of women and aboriginal coaches in the largest multi-sport event in Canada,” says Sue Hylland, President and CEO of the Canada Games Council. “We are proud to see so many coaches who have participated in the programs further their development and go on to coach at national and international competitions.”

The Canada Games have featured apprenticeship coach programs in every Games since the 2005 Canada Summer Games in Regina, Saskatchewan. The 2005 through 2011 Canada Games have featured the WiC program, while the AACP was introduced originally as a pilot project for the 2009 and 2011 Canada Games.

Peggy Falkenham-Boutilier values the role that the WiC Program has played in her development as a coach. “The program helped to model a way forward by helping define values, inspiring a vision, identifying opportunities, and fostering collaboration,” says Peggy, a Biathlon coach from Nova Scotia who participated in the 2011 WiC Program. “It cultured opportunities with other women in sport and those relationships are tremendously valuable. An opportunity like this kept me focused.”

Hailing from Saskatchewan, Jonathan Smith was an Apprentice Coach at the 2009 Canada Games in PEI in wrestling. “Overall it’s challenging to get coaching positions, but I’m in a much better position now,” Jonathan says. One of the pillars of the AACP states that ongoing professional development will play a crucial role in the overall success of the program.

Jonathan has embraced this component and utilized the experience he gained at the Games to go on to coach the Carlton High School Wrestling team in Prince Albert as well as the University of Regina Wrestling team.

Coaches interested in either the WiC Program or AACP at the 2013 and/or 2015 Canada Games should consult the program guidelines posted on the CGC website HERE.

March 23, 2012 (Park City, UT) – Ten-year-old Zia Terry is a star on YouTube simply because she showed the world her courage by soaring off a 40-meter ski jump. On Thursday, she got to meet some of her biggest fans – five members of the No. 1-ranked U.S. Women’s Ski Jumping Team.

The team and coaches surprised Zia at Utah Olympic Park where they named her an “Honorary Junior Team Member” and gave her a Women’s Ski Jumping USA certificate, team jacket, signed competition bib, Ready To Fly DVD, and signed posters.

“This is so cool. I love this. I love ski jumping,” said Zia after meeting the team.

Zia’s headcam video showing herself gaining the courage and determination to ski jump the 40-meter hill for the first time went viral on YouTube and has garnered 1.3 million views. Many have commented on the video and didn’t believe that girls could ski jump. Zia proved them wrong, and she now has the backing of the best women ski jumpers in the world.

“We just want to thank Zia for bringing worldwide attention to girls who ski jump,” said Jessica Jerome, an eight-time national champion and the ninth-ranked ski jumper in the world. “She has inspired us and obviously her video has touched so many people around the world.”

Zia told the crowd and media at Thursday’s event that she loves flight and especially ski jumping “because you can fly in the air without an engine.” The Park City fourth-grader also has aspirations to be an Olympian some day as either a ski jumper or ski racer – to which 2009 World Champion Lindsey Van said, “Ski jumping! That’s your sport.”

After a 10-year battle, women will finally be allowed to ski jump beginning in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Ski jumping had been the only discipline in the Winter Games that did not have an event for women. The ski jumpers’ story is told in the recently released feature film documentary, “Ready To Fly.”

Zia also got a little advice from 17-year-old Sarah Hendrickson, who just finished the World Cup season by capturing the overall title and bringing home the coveted crystal globe. “Keep working on ski jumping – it’s awesome. I was 13 years old when I tried the 90-meter jump. You can do it too – you’re just three years away,” Hendrickson said.

The presentation ended with a group hug with Zia in the middle surrounded by her mentors – and new “teammates”.

The Visa Women’s Ski Jumping team includes No. 1-ranked Sarah Hendrickson, 2009 World Champion Lindsey Van, 8-time U.S. National Champion Jessica Jerome, Abby Hughes, Alissa Johnson, Nita Englund, Nina Lussi and Emilee Anderson. The team coaches are Alan Alborn and Paolo Bernardi.

Watch Zia’s YouTube Video:

Watch CNN’s Jeanne Moos’ story on Zia’s video and Lindsey Van HERE.

March 08, 2012 (Ottawa, ON) – In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announces the publication of Actively Engaging Women and Girls: Addressing the Psycho-Social Factors, a new resource designed to increase opportunities for women and girls as both participants and leaders in the Canadian sport and physical activity system. The publication is a supplement to the Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) foundation document, and complements other Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) resources. A valuable resource for everyone involved in sport and physical activity, it will support and guide those working with women and girls so they engage in, and maintain, healthy and active lifestyles.

“Women and girls are still less active than men, are less visible in leadership roles, and tend to drop out of sport and physical activity earlier. Lower rates of participation have serious implications for the health of women and girls, and a lack of female leaders decreases the quality of the sport and physical activity system”, said CAAWS Executive Director Karin Lofstrom (Ottawa, Ontario). “The purpose of this resource is to increase awareness about the experiences of women and girls, and provide recommendations to address the psycho-social factors that influence female athlete development, leadership and life-long participation in sport and physical activity. International Women’s Day is the perfect time to reignite the dialogue and provide solutions, and CAAWS is proud to be offering this resource to all Canadians.”

Women and girls, who account for more than 50 percent of the population of Canada, continue to be underrepresented in the sport and physical activity system. Awareness about biomechanical and physiological considerations unique to women and girls has increased, providing a foundation to improve training methods and competition programs for athletes. However, large gaps persist in knowledge and practice relating to the psycho-social factors that influence women and girls as participants, athletes, coaches, officials, leaders or administrators.

Information in Actively Engaging Women and Girls: Addressing the Psycho-Social Factors will support national, provincial/territorial and community sport and physical activity organizations in enhancing their CS4L/LTAD implementation strategies. It will guide sport and physical activity leaders, coaches, educators and health promoters in developing and implementing quality programs and providing equitable support for women and girls as a priority. Parents and family members will find this resource helpful when making decisions about how to encourage and support the full and active participation of their daughters and female family members.

An advisory team of female leaders, representing different sport and physical activity sectors, contributed to the creation of the resource. Committee members were: Sylvie Béliveau (Canadian Soccer Association, LTPD Manager); Vicki Harber (PhD, Faculty of Physical Education & Recreation, University of Alberta); Louise Humbert, (PhD, Associate Dean, College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan); Penny Werthner (PhD, Director and Associate Dean, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa); Karin Lofstrom (Executive Director, Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity, CAAWS); Sydney Millar (National Program Director, Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity); Lori Johnstone (Project Manager).

CS4L (www.canadiansportforlife.ca) is a movement to improve the quality of sport and physical activity in Canada. CS4L links the sport, physical activity, recreation, education and health systems, and aligns community, provincial/territorial and national programming. LTAD is a seven-stage training, competition, and recovery pathway that guides an individual’s experience in sport and physical activity from infancy through all phases of adulthood. CS4L, with LTAD, represents a paradigm shift in the delivery of sport and physical activity in Canada. CS4L and LTAD are intentionally organic movements — as the concepts evolve, so do the resources that describe and support them.

THE RESOURCE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE.

CAAWS acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Sport Canada).

February 28, 2012 (Mont-Ste-Anne, QC) – Fast and Female will be traveling East for its second Cross-Country Ski event of the season as it hosts an activity on March 18, 2012 as part of the 2012 Haywood Ski Nationals at Mont-Ste-Anne in Quebec.

Fast and Female, a program launched seven years ago by 2006 Olympic gold medallist Chandra Crawford – is inviting 125 girls ages 9 to 19 for an afternoon of skiing, dancing and inspiration running from 11:30am to 3:30pm at the Château Mont-Ste-Anne.

All activities will be led by National Team member Perianne Jones as well as Former Olympian Madeleine Williams. Jones and Williams will be joined by a group of inspiring women from the XC ski community including racers Julie Boisvert, Caroline Drolet, Stéphanie Drolet, Sara Hewitt, Kendra Hicks, Camille Pepin, Alexia Pichard-Jolicoeur and Heidi Widmer plus coach Pavlina Sudrich.

Feeling a bit run-down as she comes off of racing in Europe, Jones is getting excited about the energy that this event will bring her. “Hopefully it’ll carry me through the rest of the week,” said Jones. “I hope to inspire, but also be inspired,” added Jones who stepped on the podium for the first time of her young career this winter with teammate Crawford as they claimed the bronze in a World Cup cross-country skiing team sprint race in Milano, Italy.

Williams has been with Fast and Female since its inception and has never grown tired of seeing the bright faces of young girls enjoying sport and the positive empowering environment Fast and Female creates. “This event will be a fun-filled day to inspire and motivate every girl to live life to the fullest,” said Williams who retired from competitive racing after participating in the 2010 Olympics and is now a full-time Law student at McGill University.

In addition to the March 18 activity for girls, Fast and Female will be offering free educational sessions for parents to increase awareness of how to support their female athletes. Parent seminar speakers will include Stéphane Barrette, Director of Coaching and Athlete Development for Cross-Country Canada and professor Guylaine Demers, PhD, from the Department of Physical Education of Laval University. Demers was named one of Canada’s most influential women in sport in 2010 and will address the differences between coaching girls versus boys.

Earlier this season, Fast and Female hosted 95 girls for a XC Ski event held in Canmore, AB in conjunction with the Canadian Western Championships. That activity was led by ambassador and Olympic medalist Sara Renner. All Fast and Female events are intended to inspire and motivate girls to stick to sport.

Happening around this afternoon of Fast and Female fun are the Haywood Ski Nationals, a week-long championship taking place from the 17th to the 24th in la belle province. There will also be athletes racing for titles in the Cross Country University Championships (CCUNC) as well as race categories for Athletes with a Disability. These races will draw talent from around the country to compete against each other in what is sure to be fierce competition.

There is a $20 registration fee for the Fast and Female youth activities that includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, Buff and a healthy lunch. The parent seminar is free but requires online registration. Participants can secure a spot by signing up online before March 16 HERE.

Fast and Female would like to thank sponsors Cross-Country Canada, Best Buy Canada, 2012 Haywood Ski Nationals, Chateau Mont-Sainte-Anne, Buff Canada, Clarins Canada, Cold-FX, Sportchek, and Globo Shoes as well as Lululemon Athletica, LUNA Bars, LIT Glitter, SAUCE Headwear, and Champion System for making this event possible.

Note: Chandra Crawford and the rest of her teammates from the National Team will be back from Europe later in the week to compete at Nationals. The group will be welcoming female athletes for a Q&A session set for March 23 and hosted by Cross Country Canada’s Women’s Committee. For more information on this event, click HERE.

February 14, 2012 – US Best – Sunday’s relay effort by the US women has to be one of the top racing days in the history of Women’s Cross Country skiing in the US – if not the top day. It opened a huge gateway into the future. There were many reasons for this relay to be a bomb of the year rather than an effort that would have everyone over here cheering in their offices, breakfast nooks, cars, and where ever they were watching this effort on their computers.

For starters Kikkan Randall, the team’s best skier, sat out another race. On top of that the four ladies on the team had skied a very hard 15km CL WC the day before, Holly Brooks (the starter) is still wearing her wrist splint (now and then) and doesn’t have a bunch of races under her belt the last few weeks and didn’t finish the classic race the day before. Ida, the 4th lady in the pecking order, was replacing Kikkan the leader – BUT – on race day they came to the start line dressed in their striped USA red, white and blue socks over their uniforms and painted red and blue USA’s on their faces to lay down four of the best performances in their careers landing the best-ever USA relay result – 5th place.

Not only missing 4th place by a second, but being less then a minute behind Norway who won – that is something to talk about. QUESTION: What does the future hold – it’s exciting for everyone – and kudos to the coaches and the skiers for their dedication to having such an aggressive approach to building the relay team’s going forward – here we come Sochi! They now have quality and depth in taking this direction that they decided on in the summer months. Sounds like a plan!

Now North of The Border – You have just the opposite direction being taken by the Ladies program in Canada. As I wrote last week the women never made it to Rybinsk and now moving forward (or backward) from there only Perianne [Jones] was in Nove Mesto, while Chandra had to go home for a family emergency and Dasha, the lone member of the newly formed “senior team”, was in Seefeld with her boyfriend for training and an Austrian Alps holiday. It’s been two weeks and only one of the three ladies has raced once in that period – not an international scope in focus that I can see.

Here are some of the numbers that will show you the disparity between the US and the Candian women’s program when it comes to racing starts from the beginning of the season in Sjusjoen, Norway to Nove Mesto, CZE.

Canadian Ladies:
– Dasha – 15 races
– Perianne – 17
– Chandra – 17 (emergency trip home)

US Ladies:
– Jessie – 24
– Kikkan – 35
– Holly – 34 (broken wrist)
– Liz – 33
– Ida – 25
– Sadie – 19 (off the circuit a couple of weeks ago)

I don’t place the blame on the Canadian girls, but on the coaching staff, mainly [Justin] Wadsworth and [Eric] DeNys as they work with the ladies and chart the course for the year. But mainly it’s the coaches direction and expertise that is counted on here for going in the right direction. You say I’m not being fair, what about the Men’s program? They’ve been pounding the circuit since Sjusjoen in mid-November, so why not the Ladies? It’s a program that is not building towards Sochi.

I can remember watching Devon [Kershaw] fighting his way through season’s 5-6 years ago and getting beaten down but going back for more the next year… and look at him now.

The Canadian Ladies are racing about 1.4 races per week (mostly sprints) which is not enough to be in racing shape. This plan has way too many breaks – the training should have been done in the summer. I think this was the way of the 90s, the old North American way, not the new dedicated “we will be in Europe all winter way” adopted supposedly by both team this year. Sorry Canadian Ladies – you got the short straw this year.

Can any of the Canadian Ladies make it to Falun for the WCup finals…? Not likely – Chandra has a chance, but it is slipping away fast. Time for this program to change gears – real fast.

Talk To You Next Time,
Marty

January 13, 2012 (Nove Mesto, Czech Republic) – Olga Zaitseva (RUS) took the win in the women’s 7.5km sprint event at the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Nove Mesto on Friday with a time of 23:08.1 and a perfect shooting score, despite conditions that went from bright to stormy during the competition.

Tora Berger (NOR) finished second with two shooting penalties and +25.5 behind the winner, while Magdalena Neuner (GER) raced into third spot with three penalties and a deficit of +34.5.

Canada’s Zina Kocher (CAN) was the top North American finisher in 23rd spot. Teammate Megan Imrie (CAN) finished 44th, Susan Dunklee (USA) was 45th, Annalies Cook (USA) 51st, Sara Studebaker (USA) 54th, and Tracy Barnes (USA) 87th.

Full results HERE.

December 08, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – Cross Country Canada has named two of Canada’s best-ever female cross-country skiers, Beckie Scott and Milaine Theriault, as chairs of its Women’s Committee. The Committee has recently been given a fresh mandate that will improve the profile of the Committee as it facilitates opportunities for girls and women in all facets of cross-country skiing.

The Women’s Committee is an operational committee of Cross Country Canada (CCC) which exists to ensure equality of opportunity for girls and women as participants, competitors, coaches, officials and leaders in cross-country skiing in each of its five regions across the country (Atlantic; Quebec/Nunavut; Ontario; Manitoba/Saskatchewan/Alberta/ NWT; and British Columbia/Yukon).

Both Olympians, Theriault, of St. Quentin, N.B. and Scott, a two-time Olympic medalist from Vermilion, Alta., take over as co-chairs from Maureen Kershaw who has successfully chaired the Committee for several years now.

“Milaine and Beckie played a critical role in creating a competitive culture of excellence for our program in Canada during their careers which has inspired thousands of young Canadians to start cross-country skiing,” said Davin MacIntosh, executive director, Cross Country Canada. “These two Olympic heroes are role models on and off the snow to women and young girls across the country, are passionate about the sport and know what it takes to succeed.”

Theriault and Scott, along with Sara Renner, formed one of the strongest women’s cross-country ski teams in the history of the program. The Canadian women followed a steady progression throughout their career that saw them grow from participants who finished near the bottom of the results sheet at their Olympic debut in 1998 to medal winners in 2006 prior to their retirement.

“For some time I have been thinking of how to get involved and give back to the ski community in appreciation for all of the support I received as an athlete,” said Theriault. “Co-chairing an initiative that I’m very passionate about, with a great teammate and friend in Beckie is a perfect fit for me. I believe we can draw on our experiences to make a difference and I look forward to the challenge.”

The Committee’s focus is on educating women on the roles they have an opportunity to pursue in cross-country skiing and facilitating the participation of women in areas where affirmative action is required. “Creating new opportunities to get involved in cross-country skiing that will change the lives of women in every corner of this country, with the ultimate goal of developing more young girls into elite skiers” is what Scott says will drive her interest in the project.

Reporting to Cross Country Canada’s executive director, Theriault and Scott will work collaboratively with management Committee Members during their two-year term. While the program will be more formally launched in the New Year, the two Co-Chairs will concentrate their short-term efforts on filling the Committee membership which will include the following positions: an athlete representative; executive director; a member of the Board; appropriate staff persons to support activities and programs;representatives from any of the five Regions that wish to participate.

www.cccski.com

November 21, 2011 – CAAWS announced today that it is offering twelve grants of $900 to active girls and women and/or organizations offering sport programs targeted to girls and women.

For more details and information, please review the submission criteria, application process, deadlines, and frequently asked questions on our website HERE. You can also apply directly by completing the online application form!

Please note that applications will only be accepted between November 21, 2011 and December 9, 2011. Applications received before or after these dates will not be considered. The 2012 WISE Fund recipients will be announced in February 2012.

November 17, 2011 (Ottawa, ON) – Women 55-70+ are a growing demographic group, warranting attention from Canada’s sport community. According to Statistics Canada, women 55-70+ will make up 20.4% of the entire Canadian female population by 2021. These `young seniors` do not want to slow down, in fact they want to do things they never had a chance to do, including sport and physical activity. This month’s Lunch and Learn will feature CAAWS’ successful Physical Activity and Sport for Women 55-70+ project, sharing the main challenges and solutions to participation for this age group, lessons learned through community-based pilot projects, and practical resources for sport and physical activity organizations. Shelley Callaghan, the project manager, will share stories and lead a discussion that will inspire you to take action on developing, enhancing or adapting services and programs for women 55-70+.

Please join CAAWS for this exciting professional development and networking gathering!

Thursday, December 1, 2011 12pm – 2pm *Lunch Included
Courtside B, RA Centre – 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa

Registration deadline: November 24, 2011

Due to high numbers of last minute cancellations and no shows, CAAWS has introduced a small fee for the popular Lunch and Learn events. Registration fees will help subsidize the overall cost of the event.

Workshop Cost: $15 (Includes Lunch)*
*Subsidies are available – please contact the CAAWS office for more information.

To register, please provide the info below to CAAWS by November 24, 2011
Mail: N202 – 801 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5
Email: caaws@caaws.ca Fax: 613.562.5668

* VISA * Mastercard * Cheque – payable to CAAWS; please mail or deliver to the CAAWS office.
Name on Credit Card:
Credit Card Number:
Expiry Date: Security Code:

Note: Payments are refundable until Thursday, November 24, 2011.
Do you require a receipt for payment? * NO * YES (receipt will be provided at the event)

For more information please contact Karras Hagglund at caaws@caaws.ca or 613.562.5667

www.caaws.ca

September 10, 2011 (Telemark, WI) – The Ski and Tea ladies, a year round training group based out of the Birkie Trail area and founded by Linda Cook and Juli Lynch, came to Telemark today! With a motto of “No Woman Left Behind” and focus on feeling successful and proud to be a Nordic Skier, and over 102 women on the mailing list, this training group is a force to be reckoned with!

The event was coached by myself, Caitlin Gregg, Carolyn Ocariz, Sara Hewitt and Jennie Bender. We started out with some introductions and organization, led by Caitlin.

Then Sara took us through a light jog and mobility warm up that was fun yet challenging.

I worked over some technique highlights before Carolyn explained the workout: 6×4-8 min ski walking up Telemark hill.

But I’m afraid we may have underestimated some of these ladies, because I’m quite positive that many of them went back for more and by the end of the workout had done up to 8 intervals! Impressive.

Then Jennie took everyone through some stretching and yoga, before we had tea in the Telemark Lodge.

It was inspiring and motivating for me to be able to work with ladies who are committed to improving technique and training during the summer. It was fun to meet new people and get to know the Hayward/Cable area better. I’m looking forward to being involved with more Ski and Tea clinics in the future!

May 16, 2011 (Montreal, QC / Canmore, AB) – La Belle Province will be getting its share of Fast and Female love on June 12, 2011 in Montreal when Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing and Fast and Female Founder – Chandra Crawford – sets to host a Fast and Female FitFest presented by Best Buy.

The event will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. (check in at 3:30 p.m.) at the Mont Royal (Lac Aux Castors) and feature a series of inspirational and motivational activities for female athletes between the ages of 9 to 19. More specifically, girls will do a light run, dance and listen to a presentation by Crawford who will have her Olympic medal on site for pictures with the participants.

“I’m super pumped to be going to Montreal for a fun activity with the female athletes from this dynamic area,” said Crawford who took home a silver medal this season in a World CupTeam Sprint with teammate Daria Gaiazova held in Germany. “I look forward to meeting them and sharing with them my passion for sports and excellence,” added the full-time athlete who now has her sight on the 2014 Olympics.

As a non-profit and national program started in 2005 Chandra Crawford, Fast and Female is intensely focused on delivering effective programming to keep girls in sports. It is said that girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys.

The registration fee for the youth activities is $15 per participant and includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, a Buff and access to the activities. The event is open to girls from all sports and will be held rain or shine.

Registration are being compiled online HERE.

The deadline to register online is June 10, 2011. On-site registrations will be at a rate of $20 per participant.

Please note that financial assistance is available for participants in need. Please contact info@fastandfemale.com to inquire.

This activity is made possible thanks to valuable local partners such as Ski de Fond Quebec and GLOBO Shoes. Fast and Female’s national sponsors – including Best Buy, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, Clarins and Cold-FX – are also providing key resources to make this event possible.

For a complete list of Fast and Female national program supporters and sponsors, please click HERE.

May 10, 2011 – Fourteen women had a most enjoyable ski on Mother’s Day May 8th, 2011. They all met at the Chalet, and then went for an 8Km on the Birches & Alf’s summit with unbelievably conditions that were close to excellent and all had fun. Back at the chalet, excitement was in the air, conversation was rampant and the ladies had quite an enjoyable social with lots of food and sweets. What!! Some were heard to say, they are looking forward to ski on May 24th.

April 16, 2011 (Norman Wells, NT) – Fast and Female hosted its second Northern Youth Empowerment Weekend in the Norman Wells, Northwest Territories on April 8, 9, and 10, 2011. A total of 46 female skiers between the ages of 9 to 19 from nine NT communities were joined by six ambassadors, three instructors, nine chaperones and 10 volunteers for this unique weekend aimed at inspiring and motivating aboriginal girls in cross-country skiing. This year’s event had a special focus on encouraging youth participation in the Sahtu region.

Throughout the weekend, participants had the opportunity to get first-hand instructions both on and off snow from former National Ski Team member and Northwest Territories athlete, Sarah Daitch, and 4-time Olympian, Sharon Firth. Biathlon expert Lindsey Bolivar and former NCAA athlete, Claire Rennie, were also on site with other elite instructors to share their wisdom with the girls.

On Friday, participants gathered for a welcome dinner, a team poster making session, and a leadership workshop for the teens. The younger participants enjoyed a gymnastic lesson compliment of NWT Gymnastics Association.

Saturday’s activities focused on technical cross-country skiing drills, followed by a Zumba dance lesson from Fit 2 the T, and a yoga class. The youth also had a presentation by Olympian Sharon Firth about her journey from the trails of Inuvik to the world stage in cross country skiing.

The weekend-long camp concluded on Sunday with a community ski day and a distance ski challenge to the Norman Wells Ski cabin.

“I learned so many things this weekend,” said Annah Hanthorn, 16 years old. “The camp reminded me how many people have supported me in my sport and helped me learn more on my ski technique. I also learned more yoga moves and even how to Zumba dance. The key ideas I am taking home with me are to encourage others in my sport, to spread the LOVE and to be reminded of the encouraging words I heard from the ambassadors,” she added.

Fast and Female’s programming is intensely focused on working with girls in sports and exposing them to inspiring female athletic role models. In doing so, Fast and Female hopes to increase the retention of girls in sports. As it currently stands, girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys. It is believed that this ratio increases when girls are living in remote communities and face smaller peer groups to support them in their athletic endeavors.

“There is a need for a critical mass of girls to keep the kids skiing together and having fun,” affirmed local event organizer Karen Johnson. “I remember wishing when my girls were in Jackrabbits that enough girls would stay skiing that the kids could flow together into the next level of ski programmingŠ Luckily for me and my girls, that wish has come true.”

“Boys get lots of opportunities to go out for events, but there is very little for girls in the community,” admitted Krista Kerr, a teacher from the Dene community Lutsel K’e. “This event does not require the numbers that team sports do, so it gives girls the chance to participate and travel”.

Jennifer Waterhouse, a teacher from Deline added: “Its always great when the youth in our community get the chance to visit other communities, meet other youth and get exposed to healthy activities. I know the Deline girls had a great time and this weekend has inspired me to build our ski program.”

Thanks to the support of many sponsors, participation to the event was free, including travel, accommodation and food. The small group of participants was selected on the basis of personal merit, motivation and athletic commitment.

In fact, the 2011 Fast and Female Northern Youth Empowerment Weekend was made possible thanks to valuable event-specific partners such as First Air, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Sahtu Divisional Education Council, the NWT Ski Division, the Colville Lake School Board, the Sport North Federation, the Norman Wells RCMP, the Jokabeca Foundation at The Calgary Foundation, Sorpotimist International, and the Ski North Program. Fast and Female’s national sponsors – including Best Buy, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, Clarins Canada, Cold-FX, and Cross-Country Canada – also provided valuable resources to make this event possible.

“I take great pride in the fact that there are no financial barriers for girls to take part in this event,” added Daitch. “This is especially important for girls from isolated communities. The sponsors who contributed to this event have changed lives and we are greatly thankful for their support.”

Subsequent to this most recent Fast and Female event, the growing organization concludes a busy winter season which saw nine events and a reach of 875 girls across Canada and the United States.

In the coming weeks, Fast and Female will be announcing its event schedule for the Spring and Summer.