By Derek Cornet

Olympian visiting northern schools this week to inspire youth

Apr 16, 2018 | 2:00 PM

Four-time Olympian Sharon Firth is visiting several northern communities this week to inspire young people to follow their dreams.    

Firth, along with her former ski coach Anders Lenes, are at the Lac La Ronge Indian Band’s Senator Myles Venne School today speaking with students about Firth’s 52-year cross-country skiing career. A member of the Gwichan Nation in the Northwest Territories, Firth said she and her late twin sister, Shirley, were at the right place at the right time when a ski coach noticed their abilities when they were 12 years old.

“He seen that Shirley and I were a little bit different than the other kids,” she said. “We were light on our feet and we had a rhythm going already. The coach at the time said, if we joined the team, we would travel and that was my goal in life.”

While she hadn’t heard of the Winter Olympics at the time, the Firth sisters went on to compete in the world-class event in 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1984. Between 1968-1985, they also won a total of 79 national championship medals, and Sharon Firth was awarded several honours such as the Order of Canada and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. Both sisters were also recognized by Canada Post earlier this year when their photos were printed on postage stamps.

Having grown up on the trapline with her parents who lived off the land traditionally, Firth said she was raised to know how to survive. She noted cross-country skiing was foreign to her at first because she grew up using snowshoes and dog sleds. But, after friends of the family encouraged her to try it out, she did and she’s been skiing ever since.

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“I applied what I learned from living off the land to surviving in the New World because we walk in two worlds,” Firth said. “We have the traditional and the modern.”

In the coming days, Firth will also travel to Grandmother’s Bay, Stanley Mission and Sucker River to speak with students. She wants young people to realize if she was able to realize her dreams, they’re capable of it too.

“My message would be to follow your dreams or goals,” Firth said. “Set small goals for yourself and try to work at them. Find out what you’re good at and pursue it.” 

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno