CANMORE – Chandra Crawford is hall of fame bound for the rest of her life.
Canmore’s golden girl, winner of the cross-country ski sprint at the 2006 Olympics, headlines the 2019 Canadian Ski Fall of Fame induction class on April 4 at a ceremony in Collingwood, Ont.
It’s the third hall of fame nod in the past two years the Olympic champion has received.
“It’s been fun being retired and learning about the various halls of fame in Canada and this one being the ski hall of fame is a lovely honour because skiing is such a special sport that has given me so much magical outdoor enjoyment with family and friends all over the world,” Crawford wrote in an email.
“I feel very grateful to have had the many many glorious and gruelling ski days I had in my career and now that I’ve turned my attention to teaching my three kids under the age of four to ski (or be carried around while my husband Jared and I ski haha).”
According to the Canadian Ski Museum, which established the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame, it “strives to promote an understanding, appreciation and celebration of Canada's skiing/snowboarding traditions and accomplishments, and their significance to Canadian life and identity.”
Also being inducted into the 2019 Canadian Ski Fall of Fame are athletes Ashleigh McIvor (ski cross), Jennifer Heil (moguls), and Lauren Woolstencroft (Para alpine); builder and coach Malcolm Hunter; builders Mike Irwin, Réal Boulanger, and William B. Schreiber; and instructor Lorne McFagden.
Crawford competed in three Olympic Games (2006, ’10, ’14) and founded Fast and Female in 2005, a North American organization with a mission to inspire and empower girls and women to stay in sport. Crawford's work with Fast and Female was recognized at the International Olympic Committee Women and Sport.
Since retiring from competition in 2014, Crawford has been inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame (2018), and the Bow Valley Sports Hall of Fame (2019).
In 2017, the Chandra Crawford Hut, a warming hut at the Canmore Nordic Centre, was built in her honour.
“Big special thank you to my parents for giving me the gift of outdoor adventures that led me to love ski racing, and to all the many many people in the Bow Valley who shared the passion and encouraged me from the time I was in Jackrabbits,” Crawford wrote.
