April 2008 — VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4
First Nations inspiration
Part of being a world-class athlete is inspiring younger generations to create and reach their own goals through hard work and dedication. Last month the First Nations Snowboard Team got some inspiration of their own with world renowned First Nations athlete Ross Anderson, the fastest speed skier in North America.
Anderson, whose top speed is 247.93 km/h, was the first minority to stand atop the podium of a world professional event in an alpine sport as second in the World Championships. Anderson was at Sun Peaks for the 2008 Subaru Velocity Challenge when he was approached to present to the team of snowboarders during their year-end event held at the Hearthstone Lodge on Mar. 8.
Lindsay Hubley, the recreation program manager for the First Nations Snowboard Team, says Anderson discussed all factors of his journey to becoming a professional athlete and that it really hit home for the team.
"Many of our youth aspire to be World Cup athletes and having Anderson speak from experience as a World Cup athlete and medalist was a great inspiration to the team," she says. "Not only is he North America's fastest speed skier but he's also aboriginal which really hit home for our athletes-many of our youth found it easy to relate to where he was coming from."
Anderson says his accomplishments haven't really impacted him yet, and he draws his own inspiration from young athletes like the snowboard team he presented to.
"I guess I don't see myself as an inspiration, I think they inspire me more by doing what they're doing in their way of accomplishing, whether in knowledge or athletics," he says. "It still hasn't impacted me yet to realize how much I've really accomplished during this whole 16 years of my career."
Anderson is currently residing in New Mexico, U.S. but travels the world for speed skiing events. He placed fifth in the first World Cup event during the 2008 Subaru Velocity Challenge at Sun Peaks, and says his need for speed came out of motivation to see a minority on the podium at a World Cup event.
"Speed skiing is very customized, definitely out of the ordinary compared to any other World Cup event," he says. "My main focus when I first started was to get somebody or myself, as a minority or person of colour, to be at the World Cup level and not only that, but letting other generations realize there are no boundaries."
For more information on Anderson visit RossAnderson.org.
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