Bronwyn Williams, a nordic skier for the Carleton Ravens varsity team, was selected last month by Nordiq Canada to compete in the 2022 World Junior and U23 World Ski Championship in Lynga, Norway from Feb. 22 to 27.
Williams’ selection came not long after the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games, scheduled for December 2021, was cancelled due to the spread of the Omicron variant. Williams and her older sister Zoë, a Carleton alumna, were named to the Team Canada cross-country skiing roster before the games were cancelled.
“[The cancellation] was disappointing,” Williams said. “We were super excited. We had planned for this and … when [the games] was cancelled, it was definitely a huge disappointment because it would have been, for both of us, our first time racing in Europe.”
Williams said her training will largely stay the same as the Norway championship approaches.
“At this point, with only a month away, changing something drastically would probably be a big upset,” Williams said.
Anneke Winegarden, head coach of the Carleton nordic skiing team, described Williams as talented and motivated.
“Bronwyn has been a skier for pretty much her entire life,” Winegarden said. “She is extremely hardworking but also just really excited and always happy to be out skiing whenever she can get out.”
According to Winegarden, the fact that Carleton’s ski program is sending representatives to big competitions around the world shows the strength of the Ottawa and Gatineau ski community.
“Bronwyn has been skiing in the region ever since she was small,” Winegarden said. “To be able to take someone from a jackrabbit learn-to-ski program all the way up to a world championship level shows the strength of our ski community.”
With the competitions taking place in less than a month, Williams said she is excited for the opportunity.
“Because of school and everything like that, I haven’t been thinking a whole lot about it,” Williams said. “I’m just excited I qualified and I think the opportunity will be really good.”
Featured image provided by Bronwyn Williams.
