Calgary, AB (December 7, 2018) -Alpine Canada is proud to launch the National Development Ski Team / Young Guns fundraising campaign in support of Canada’s up and coming alpine ski team athletes. This year’s campaign has a goal of raising $200,000 before the end of the 2018-2019 ski season to boost the progression of five promising racers.

The athletes named to the National Development Team and supported by this campaign are: SIERRA SMITH (Club: Mont St-Marie Ski Club, PSO: Ski Quebec), JAMIE CASSELMAN (Club: Kimberley Alpine Team / Team Panorama, PSO: BC Alpine / Alberta Alpine), DECLAN MCCORMACK (Club: Osler Bluff Ski Club, PSO: Alpine Ontario Alpin), ASHER JORDAN (Club: Whistler Mountain Ski Club, PSO: BC Alpine) and LIAM WALLACE (Club: Sunshine Alpine Racers, PSO: Alberta Alpine).

“These athletes are the future of ski racing in Canada,” says Vania Grandi, President and CEO of Alpine Canada. “The National Development Team is a springboard for athletes to join the national team and it’s essential that we invest in developing this pipeline of future champions.”

The National Development Ski Team / Young Guns initiative targets promising U21 ski racers within the Canadian ski racing system and provides them with athletic and financial support to bolster their continued success. 

Selected athletes receive dedicated on-snow training programs, support for Nor-Am series and world junior races, and world-class dryland training programs (strength & conditioning, nutrition, sports medicine) centred in Calgary. Alpine Canada also accommodates those targeted athletes who have chosen to pursue post-secondary education and high-performance ski racing.

The group’s pre-season training program included eight weeks of strength and conditioning centralized out of Canadian Sport Institute, Calgary, and featured medical and bio-mechanical assessments, sport education (i.e. nutrition, sleep, physiotherapy), and on-snow camps in New Zealand, Canada and Europe.

With the start of the racing season, the National Development Team / Young Guns group has shifted its focus to competing on the Nor-Am and Europa Cup circuits as well as the Canadian National Championships in Quebec and the World Junior Championships in Italy. Throughout the season, athletes will continue to receive sports science support (physical, psychological, functional) from a traveling physiotherapist as well as the services of a dedicated ski technician.

The cost of The National Development Team / Young Guns Program is well in excess of $200,000. To ensure the program’s sustainability, Alpine Canada has joined forces with the athletes’ parents and fans to bridge the financial gap.

To support this initiative and help groom the champions of tomorrow, CLICK HERE.

General support for Alpine Canada can also be directed HERE .

Initiative Brochure

For more information about our philanthropic programs, contact:

Marie-Hélène Thibeault

Director, Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement

Alpine Canada

mthibeault@alpinecanada.org