Ski Together, Grow Strong Together

When this family contacted me to do a painting for their girls, I was very excited for the opportunity.  I have seen them on the ski hill many times, and it is clear that this is a family powerhouse.  These girls are a mountain of resilience with a desire to achieve greatness.  They have grown up skiing with the Fernie Alpine Ski Team.  All three are moving on to new and different levels of competition. The oldest sister is to train with the International Ski Federation (FIS), middle sister in U16 FAST and little sis with the Adaptive Ski Program in Fernie or Kimberley. 

I love seeing girls achieve greatness in sports, and this family has demonstrated that already.  Although this painting is a reminder of a strong sisterhood, if you read between the brush strokes, you will also see that it is a reminder of the family commitment and dedication that happens behind the scenes.  The many practices, the competitions, the days on the hill as a gate keeper, building race courses, volunteering, and providing opportunities for growth and success in so many different ways.  The energy and resources required to enable your kids, particularly in adaptive skiing where programs can be more difficult to come by, is paramount.  So when we applaud these girls in their next race finishes, we are also cheering for the commitment to the 5 am wake-ups, the early morning drives, the weekends dedicated to training, and the words of encouragement, focus and love, that are the backbone of this kind of success.

I have a profound appreciation for this family, as they have raised girls to be a team who strive to be community role models.  Keep your eye out for them -if you don’t catch them on the snow (which you likely won't be able to), you might see them on the trails in and around Fernie, lending a helping hand with the trail building in the area, or having a great time successfully racing down them.

One thing is for certain, these sisters, who have skied together, will continue to grow strong together, and I hope I can catch a glimpse!