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RACE SEASON
The Master Skier
The Master Skier
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Beckie Scott grew up in Vermilion, Alberta and began cross-country skiing at the tender age of five, with the encouragement of her parents Walter and Jan. Soon afterward, her mother helped to organize the local chapter of the Jackrabbit Ski League, which provided Beckie the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of skiing while having fun with her friends.
Beckie began her competitive sporting career as a swimmer, but gradually gravitated to cross-country skiing as her primary interest. She entered her first competition at age seven.
Today, Beckie is in her tenth year on the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team. During that 10-year period, through a rare combination of talent, hard work and determination, Beckie has re-written the Canadian record books and firmly established herself as one of the world’s best cross-country ski racers.
The road to the top was long and gradual, and others might have questioned whether Beckie’s goal of Olympic success was realistic, as there were no precedents to turn to for reassurance. But Beckie’s belief and resolve were unshakeable.
In 1998, at the Nagano Winter Olympics, Beckie’s best placing was 45th. Four short years later, in the pursuit race at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Beckie became the first Canadian and the first North American woman to win an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing and it was gold.
She also placed in the top ten in each of her other three Olympic events. In addition to these achievements, she has won seven World Cup medals in sprint, individual and relay events and has been consistently in the top ten throughout the last five ski seasons.
Beckie had won four World Cup medals in as many races.
Beyond her athletic prowess, Beckie is involved with numerous charitable organizations and brings an active social conscience to her life. In 2001, Scott spearheaded an athletes’ petition requesting the establishment of an independent drug-testing body for all International Ski Federation World Cup and Olympic competitions, and she is currently Canada’s representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Athlete Committee.
Beckie has also recently been named Canada’s nominated IOC representative for the 2006 designations. In addition to these activities, Beckie has been recognized for her charitable endeavors. She was named a UNICEF Canada Special Representative for organizing a fundraising campaign for Afghanistan relief in 2001, and travelled with UNICEF to West Africa in 2003 as a member of their ‘Girl’s Education’ advocacy campaign.
She is also involved with and an active ambassador for the children’s organizations, ‘Right to Play’ and ‘Sport for Life’.
Beckie resides in both Bend, Oregon and Panorama, B.C. with her husband Justin Wadsworth, a retired member of the U.S. Ski Team. She spends her free time reading, socializing with friends and family, and taking her golden retriever pup, Henna, to obediance classes.
Beckie is excited for the 2005-06 season – a year which she will focus on defending her Olympic gold in Torino.
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