Silver and Bronze

The epic weekend began with the acclaimed Ice Gala. Its second year in production, organizers Chantel Souliere and Lindsay Adams definitely took it to the next level this time around. Icy blues, silver, white and sparkling gems adorned the space. DJ's set the tone, enticing a growing crowd throughout the evening. Guests gambled their "Fernie" money, bet on prizes, purchased raffle tickets, and reveled in one of Fernie's only opportunities to dress in their swankiest outfits.

The generosity of Fernie's community shone nearly as bright as the diamonds of Chantel's necklace. The event sold out in under a week. Volunteers worked hard prior to and during to ensure the evening was one not easily forgotten. The Clubhouse donated bar proceeds, and their staff donated all tips. The East Kootenay Community Credit Union offered a generous $250 at the event. Overall, the Ice Gala raised an impressive $7664 for the Fernie Salvation Army's Family Services, $2664 over their goal of $5000. Great job Chantel, Lindsay and crew. I can't even imagine what's in store for next year, but I know it will be fabulous.

The following morning I put my sore feet, slight headache, and Gala memories aside and prepared for the next destination: Lake Louise. Emily Brydon had already won a silver the previous day, and was going for her second downhill in just hours. The goal was to meet the crew to celebrate that evening, and to watch her speed through the Super G the following morning.

Packed and ready to go, it hit me that I wouldn't get the results prior to arriving. Luckily a thoughtful friend sent me texts throughout the drive, each one more exciting than the previous. The realization that she was on to another victory was positively correlated to the speed of my car and the smile on my face. Bronze! Four hours passed effortlessly.

I literally arrived as the cork to Em's magnum of champagne popped. The smile on her face, and on the faces of her friends and family, had me fighting back tears. Everyone felt the same - she so deserved this weekend. We've all seen her work her @#% off, and fight through obstacle after obstacle, and we wanted nothing more than for her to succeed....for HERSELF. Shortly after I received an email from a friend watching the race at the Griz Bar, which said that the entire place was cheering her on. I relayed this to Emily and it registered with her as well. Everyone was celebrating because they wanted it for her!

Although there were no top ten finishes, the Super G was a great day for the women's Canadian alpine ski team as all racers finished under 30. It was amazing to see the vets' excitement as Larisa Yurkiw, Shona Rubens and Georgia Simmerling (her third world cup race ever) crossed the finish line under the 30 mark, counting for World Cup points. They are definitely a close team, rooting for one another with genuine enthusiasm.

Emily, Britt Janyk, and Kelly VanderBeek all met Alpine Canada's Olympic qualification at Lake Louise!

Back in the office and to reality it's hard to put the glitter of the weekend behind me...especially with the persevering nature of facebook. So for now I'll look forward to more holiday festivities, the powder that will inevitably fall, and the 2010 Olympics - 65 days and counting.