Pincher Creek`s Sarah Freeman makes her World Cup debut

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Sarah Freeman racing the Lake Louise Super G
Alpine Canada photo

     Pincher Creek's own Sarah Freeman, formerly a student at St. Michael's school,  has taken her passion for skiing, developed from years spent on the Castle Mountain slopes, to a new level.  Freeman joined the BC Ski Team in 2007. followed by three years as a member of the Fernie Alpine team, She finished first in Giant Slalom at a 2010 International Ski Federation (FIS) race at Norquay.  She came in second in the Ladies Downhill in the Nakiska GMC Canadian Championships. She was a forerunner in Lake Louise at the last two World Cups, and has competed in the Nor-Am Cup.  She took ninth place in downhill at the 2011 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in February, and placed second in downhill at the Canadian championships in Nakiska this past March.
     She's now a member of the Canadian Alpine prospects team.


The Canadian Alpine team faces a big task this season, and probably next, rebuilding after retirements and injuries robbed the team of many top athletes.  Coaches are taking the long view, hoping to make sure new team members get enough training to excel without undue injury.  While this poses some funding and medal issues, it creates a perfect opportunity for young skiers like Sarah to make their mark.  At 19 years of age, the possibilities are endless for her.

Freeman made her World Cup debut in the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup downhill races at Lake Louise this past weekend.

"I'm at the NorAm Series in Nakiska right now," she said via phone.  "then Panorama, then back to Nakiska, then home for Christmas for a week."  The schedule is gruelling.  "I'm basically racing from now until Christmas...then I'm probably off to Europe," she said.

"It was a great experience to race against the best in the world," she said of her weekend experience at Nakiska.

Freeman attended St. Michael's until grade 11, when she switched to, and graduated from,  the National Sports School in Calgary, which works around young athlete's schedules.

When asked about potential Olympic aspirations, she said "It's a long way to go til then."

Freeman said the snow was very good at Nakiska.   "There's so many volunteers up there helping to polish the course, it was amazing."

When asked if she had anything to say to the fans back home, she was a bit flustered, apparently unaware that some of the young skiers here are looking up to her with admiration and for inspiration.  "Definitely one of the biggest things for me was looking up to these girls, like (World Cup champ) Lindsey Vonn, and then you realise they're all just people like you."

"Castle Mountain is super proud of Sarah," said Castle Mountain Assistant GM Andrew Rusynyk. "It's always amazing to see a person who basically grew up on Castle Mountain up there on the world stage, competing in a downhill Super G race.  We think she did amazingly well for her first time at such demanding races."

Your hometown is proud of you Sarah.

Alpine Canada video of Sarah Freeman after her first World Cup training run:

World Cup training run interview