Loading articles...

Fort McMurray native to hit the slopes in South Korea

Last Updated Jan 11, 2018 at 4:08 pm MDT

BROOKE VOIGT/ FACEBOOK

Fort McMurray native, Brooke Voigt will be hitting the slopes in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

The 24-year-old was named alongside Mark McMorris of Saskatchewan, Tyler Nicholson of Ontario, Spencer O’Brien of British Columbia and Max Parrot, Sebastien Toutant, Laurie Blouin all of Quebec to make up Canada’s Slopestyle and Big Air Olympic snowboard team.

Voigt, who is currently training in Whistler, said snowboarding was just a hobby that turned into a career, which led to the chance at competing in the Olympics once her discipline was introduced.

“The magnitude of it is pretty big so it just means a lot to be going there and representing Canada.”

Selection for the team is based on scores through a qualification period of a year and a half. As last season went on, her results progressively got better, allowing her to feel more secure in her position with the team.

In December Voigt competed in the Dew Tour and is now at a training camp, which she says has been non-stop since a few days before the Olympic announcement.

Even though she’s been busy training, sporadic weather has allowed balance between training and down time. She says when the weather allows, she takes advantage of the time she has on the courses.

When asked how she was preparing for her first Olympics she said mindset can be just as important as training, so she’s heading to Switzerland for another World Cup.

Voigt says she wasn’t aware of her talent until she left Fort McMurray and started taking on bigger slopes.

Now 24-years-old, her parents had her on skis by the time she was 4-years-old and she switched to snowboarding by the time she was nine, spending every weekend at Vista Ridge.

“I think my best gift towards it all was just doing it for fun and because I enjoyed it and then turning it into what I wanted later down the road.”

She says unlike herself, her parents are ‘over the moon’ and since the team results are released so close to the event, her parents have already purchased their flights to South Korea.

“I’ve still got so much to do, so much riding, so much going on. I think once I get on the plane I’ll be like ‘okay, it’s happening’”

Every member of the Olympic team held a spot on the podium last year. The men’s side even had full podium sweeps, with Voigt calling them one of the strongest snowboard teams.

When asked if they were going to bring home a medal, she answered with a simple ‘yes’.

The team will be heading to Hawaii for six days before heading to South Korea to take time to relax, work with their trainers and get themselves in overall good health.

Snowboard Slopestyle which was introduced in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia will take place at the Phoenix Snow Park between Feb. 10 and 12.

Big Air is making its Olympic debut and will take place on a specially constructed ramp at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre, Feb. 19 to 24.