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Canadian Winter Athletes
The Olympic and Paralympic Games are the world’s greatest sport stages. These Games have the capacity to unify countries around the world in cheering for their native competitors. As Canadians we have experienced, time and again, great pride at seeing an athlete wear the maple leaf. These athletes from all walks of life spend their lives preparing for the Games, and they each have unique stories of dedication and determination that inspire us all.
Of the hundreds of Canadians who have competed for our country, some of their stories are featured in this section. Check back as we continue to build on this section of our site.
The Winnipeg Falcons won a hard-fought battle to represent Canada at the first Olympic hockey tournament in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920. Winning the tournament, the Winnipeg Falcons became hockey’s first world champions.
Vic Emery and Lamont Monty Gordon's passion for bobsledding motivated them to establish the Canadian Bobsledding Club in 1960 and build the organization so that the Canadian four-man bobsled team could compete for the first time and win gold at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.
Twin sisters Sharon and Shirley Firth, members of the Gwich'in First Nation and are part-Loucheaux-Métis, grew up in Aklavik, Northwest Territories. They were introduced to – cross country skiing in 1965, making skiing another expression of their intense physical connection with the land. The Firth sisters won 48 Canadian championships between them, and competed in four Olympic Winter Games (1972-1984).
Karolina Wisniewska was born with mild cerebral palsy that affects her lower body. Learning to alpine ski strengthened her leg muscles and improved her balance. With time, her skill on skis increased, and her skiing became more competitive than therapeutic. Karolina is now an inductee in the Canadian Sports Hall Fame for her record setting accomplishments at the Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002 Paralympic Winter Games.
