A big congratulations to two of our athletes, Ember Large and Matjaz Cigler, 22 and 19 respectively, who qualified to represent Canada and the University of Alberta at the 2019 Universiade, in their sport of cross-country skiing!
The trip costs to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russia, are significant; please consider supporting them with a financial contribution so that they can focus on studies & training!
https://makeachamp.com/matjazcigler
About our Athletes:
Ember, who in her spare time is a guide at a wilderness camp out in the Rocky Mountains, head coach of some young skiers with the Edmonton Nordic Ski Club, as well as avid rock climber and adventure bum, is striving to become a professional social worker in a wilderness therapy setting for at-risk youth. She has been ski-racing competitively for over 10 years and it has been her long-time dream to represent Canada at an international sporting event. This year, her dream came true when she succeeded at qualifying for the games based on her performance in the 2017-18 race season. She appreciates support in whatever form you are able, from donations to smiles and encouraging thoughts!
Matjaz, who is currently entering his second year of civil engineering co-op, can be seen at the gym, on the track, and on the trails in every spare waking moment. He enjoys mountain biking, wake surfing, and rock climbing in what free time he has. Making the move from Southern Ontario to Edmonton for his education, he has put endless time and effort into becoming the best skier he can be, and some of his friends wonder if he actually ever sleeps or studies, because he always seems to be training. He also qualified for the games based on his results from the previous race season, and hopes these games are just the first step to his international racing career.
The Universiade (FISU) Games:
11 days. 11 Different sports. Over 2500 participants from over 50 countries. This March these participants will come together in Russia to compete in the largest winter multi-sport event for student-athletes in the world. The 2019 Winter Universiade, is a games formatted not unlike the Olympic games, and will be held in the city of Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Over the two-week span that the athletes attend, they will participate in multiple competitions and events in their respective sports, representing their university and country and competing against the top university athletes from all around the globe. These games provide an opportunity unlike any other, fostering connections across international borders for student-athletes, and giving them the opportunity to compete at and observe first-hand the level of competition that exists internationally.