January 2008 — VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
Terwiel and Glowczynski heat up the slopes
Hard work and intensive training are paying off for locally raised competitive skiers, Elli Terwiel and Wictoria Glowczynski.
Terwiel, a member of the Women’s 2010 Acceleration Team—an elite team of young female athletes preparing for the 2010 Olympic Games—is now receiving sponsorship from Sun Peaks Resort Corporation (SPRC), announced last month by Darcy Alexander, general manager and vice president of SPRC.
“The sponsorship agreement between Sun Peaks and Elli is an acknowledgement of her achievements in ski racing and to also lend support as she works towards her Olympic goals,” says Alexander. “We wish Elli well as she continues to develop her skiing career.”
Terwiel notes the sponsorship will help her to achieve her goals and alleviate her parents, George and Anne Terwiel of some of the financial weight they shoulder while supporting her career.
“It really takes a lot of financial strain off of my parents which is great,” she says, adding knowing the resort is behind her and supporting her is empowering.
A good summer of training and being named to the Acceleration Team has boosted Terwiel into the fast lane. She’s already achieved some excellent results this winter season at the Pontiac GMC Cup in Norqway, Alta. winning a second place standing in the slalom races. Terwiel is off to Quebec next to race in the NorAm circuit and then in mid-January she will be heading overseas to race in Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
Of her season so far she says it’s been a good build up and a good year for learning how to be aggressive and to ski with confidence.
Meanwhile Glowczynski’s presence has also been felt on the ski racing circuit this season, after being off snow due to a knee injury for 10 months. She puts her renewed force on the slopes down to hard training all summer long.
“Summer physical training pays off even more since your performance depends mainly on your fitness,” she says. “I wouldn’t be where I am right now with my skiing if it wasn’t for the 40 to 50 days of training this summer.”
Although she wasn’t able to complete her first two starts earlier in December due to a rolled ankle, the BC team has decided to give her an extension until the end of the season before makinga decision on whether or not to accept her as a member. But her injured ankle didn’t stop her outstanding performance last month at Panorama Mountain Resort when she placed first in a BC Cup women’s slalom, coming in three seconds faster than her competitors.
This month Glowczynski will be heading off to Quebec for a couple of technical series races, before going to Maine, U.S. to race. And just to add to her hectic schedule, she will be heating up the steeps at Apex Ski Resort for a speed series following the other competitions.
Getting off to a good start this winter could mean both girls will enjoy a record season and continue to make Sun Peaks and the local community proud as they compete against the best in the world. Both are adamant the support they receive from their home hill spurs them on.
“Sun Peaks is like an extended family for me, I’ve grown up there, and I know everyone,” says Terwiel. “It’s more than just the resort—it’s the whole community that has always given me so much support.”
Site designed and maintained by: PeaksMedia.com