Megan Evans, Ravens nordic skier, was named Carleton’s female athlete of the year, which comes as no surprise after wining three Ontario University Athletics (OUA) medals in 2016.
Evans, a second-year neuroscience and mental health student, said her accomplishments came despite her being unsure whether if she could even return to the slopes last year.
She said she suffered a back injury in the 10th grade that made it incredibly difficult to walk, let alone compete at a high level in Nordic Skiing.
“I didn’t set any goals from a results stand point because I had to see if I could actually ski and then see if I could compete at a high-level,” Evans said.
After years of resilience and patience in regaining strength and ability, along with help from Carleton’s athletic therapy team, Evans said she was able to get back to racing by February 2016.
Her achievements during the 2016 season are what resulted in her earning the 2015-16 Ruth Coe Female Athlete of the Year Award on March 31.
Evans’ participation at the OUA Championships on Feb. 19-21 led to the success of the Ravens women’s Nordic Skiing team, who ended up upsetting a dominant Lakehead team to claim the OUA banner.
Evans finished the championship weekend with silver medals in the 7.5-kilometre Interval Free Race, the 3×2.7-kilometre Team Relay Classic, and the 10-kilometre Mass Start.
“When the final race was done, I just realized that I had gone through the entire week with very little back pain and I was just so happy,” Evans said after her successful weekend.
To cap off the season, Evans competed in the Canadian College and University Nordic Championships in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, winning a bronze medal and two silver medals.
Graham Perry, a member of the men’s Nordic team, said Evans is extremely dedicated to her recovery and to the team.
“I was personally shocked and super proud of her because she came a long way,” he said. “[Evans] really utilized the Carleton program to jump right back to where she was when she stopped, which was inspiring to say the least.”
As she enters her third year of study, Evans said she looks to continue her success, both on and off the trails.
“I will try and ski for as long as possible.” Evans said. “It’s a great sport because you can compete without a team and always ski by yourself. I will try and keep it as big a part of my life as I can.”
