In Pictures: The Nancy Greene Race’s podium dreams
Editor’s Note:
Surprise, surprise… Rob Buchanan sent me a series of remarkable photos that he took during Sunday’s Nancy Greene Race at Revelstoke Mountain Resort and I am very pleased to share them with all of The Current’s readers. His images are breathtaking and I hope the captions do them justice. Not knowing who all of these boys, girls and adults are I chose to write almost free-form captions that I hope fit each image. Enough about that, here’s the good stuff:
Do you remember your first ski race? Perhaps it was here in Revelstoke or on a hill elsewhere in Canada or perhaps the US or Europe. The location doesn’t really matter but the sensation does… that sense of excitement that seemed to grip you body and soul as you waited for your moment on the slope. Last Sunday lots of kids went through that delicious moment during the Nancy Greene Race at RMR. Rob Buchanan photoHow badly did you want to win? Could you taste it? Rob Buchanan photoPerhaps you needed a kind word or some last-minute advice to bolster your spirit or steady your nerves. Rob Buchanan photoThat moment before you go when everything seems clear as a bell is almost as breathtaking as the view and you know that no matter how old you get you’ll never forget it. Rob Buchanan photoA last-minute check. Rob Buchanan photoThousands and thousands of Canadian kids have passed through Nancy Greene programs. The skills they acquire fuel countless dreams and while many of them may never mount a podium as adults they last a lifetime Rob Buchanan photoThe moment you’ve been waiting for is nigh… Rob Buchanan photoAre you ready? Rob Buchanan photoAnd you’re off down the slope! Rob Buchanan photoWho are your heroes? Old-timers like Steve Podborski and Ken Read? Or the young powerhouses of the Canadian National Ski Team like John Kucera or Eli Terwiel? Rob Buchanan photoWhoever you want to emulate be fast, be skillful, be honourable… be the best you can be. Rob Buchanan photoThere are no free rides. Everyone has to strive for excellence. Rob Buchanan photoYou can blaze trails for others to follow — siblings, friends, classmates, friendly rivals, Rob Buchanan photoHold that focus as you rocket down the slope. Rob Buchanan photoUse your skills and your determination. They’ll see you through the test. Rob Buchanan photoNever give up your dream. Rob Buchanan photoStay the course and you will prevail — even when you feel as though you can’t see the way. Rob Buchanan photoMembers of the oldest ski club in Canada, Revelstoke’s kids are the heirs of a grand tradition. And they show it in everything they do. Rob Buchanan photoThe race is over. It’s time to celebrate! Rob Buchanan photoNot everyone who races makes it to the podium. Getting there is worth celebrating but good sportsmanship matters. Rob Buchanan photoWill they be Olympians one day? Rob Buchanan photoYou never know who will go the furthest. But it’s the journey — not the medal — that’s important. Rob Buchanan photoAlways strive to be the best you can be at everything you do. Rob Buchanan photoWho knows? Someday that Olympic podium dream may come true for you. Rob Buchanan photo
