Local Nordic skier selected for European tour

Sophia Marshall knows well the sacrifices required to compete at an elite level.

The Nordic skier is seeing her hard work and sacrifices pay off with her invitation to join Alberta’s provincial ski team on a European tour.

Marshall has been cross-country skiing for as long as she can remember. “I started pretty much when I was born. We joke around and say I was ‘born’ on skis. My parents would pull me in the ski chariot and I had a pair of madshus snow pup skis that I could just strap my boots into and glide across the snow and I fell in love with the sport!”

She started competing when she was around five years old and has loved it ever since.

Marshall, who graduated with honours from Huntsville High School last spring, skied for several teams. The Arrowhead Nordic race team formed the backbone of her competitive skiing. She then raced for Highlands Trailblazers coached by Rick Dicky in Collingwood and the Huntsville High School Nordic team coached by John Cowan. During the early part of the pandemic, she was training at a distance with Big Thunder coached by Adam Kates.

Last spring, she moved to Canmore, Alberta to pursue her Nordic ski racing goals.

“I decided to move to Canmore to train to bring my skiing to the next level,” she says. “I was ready for a new challenge and to train in the mountains. Ideally, I could train in my own town close to family and friends, but I have been on snow since late October now and that has been a huge benefit to my training and racing. Sometimes it can be late December in Ontario before we get on snow.”

With that opportunity has come a different obstacle.

In addition to her living expenses—which she quickly discovered are quite high in the mountain resort town—Marshall’s equipment, coaching, racing, and travel costs ring in at more than $10,000 each year. For an elite athlete, the training never really stops and work—particularly during race season—is difficult. Marshall did take on a part-time job in a running store to help pay for her lodging, and she is grateful that local businesses have sponsored her for the past two years.

While she has encountered challenges during her training in Canmore—including low iron levels, lack of both transportation and teammates, and the loneliness that comes with intense focus on her sport—she has been offered an opportunity to train and race with the best in the world, a huge step in her racing career.

At the recent World Junior Trials in Canmore, 18-year-old Marshall raced in both the open and U-20 categories amidst athletes currently on the national team. Her best result was an 11th-place finish in the classic sprint qualifier. Due to her performance at those trials, she was approached by the Alberta provincial ski team coach and offered a spot on a European tour.

She will first head to Slovenia for the International Alpen Cup from Feb. 3-6, followed by the Scandinavian Cup from Feb. 11-13 in Tallin, Estonia. The races will include two skate ski sprints (1.3k), a 5km classic, 10km skate, 10km classic, and 20km classic race. 

Nordiq Alberta will offset the cost of the trip with $1,500. Marshall is required to raise the remaining $2,500 of her $4,000 travel costs herself. She’s set up a GoFundMe page where supporters can contribute.

Her long-term goals include qualifying for World Juniors next year, making the 2026 Olympic team, and qualifying for the world cup and national team.

“Cross-country skiing has brought me so much,” she says. “I love everything about the sport. It’s my passion! I have met so many people and developed so many friendships. I love the feeling of gliding fast across the snow and just enjoying nature. I also love pushing myself to the limits and cross-country definitely brings that challenge! Cross-country skiing is something that has taught me so many lessons in life from being responsible to just learning how to be disciplined and having resilience and perseverance to achieve my goals and is another reason that skiing is something I love.”

Many people have helped her get to where she is today.

“John Cowan (Nordic coach), Ally Myers (Nordic and swim coach), Pierre Mikhail (cross-country running coach), Rick Dickey my coach for six years at Highlands Nordic, and all of my high school coaches and teachers…inspired me and helped me balance sport and school during high school,” says Marshall. “I owe a lot of gratitude to Rick especially. His passion for coaching and all the support he gave me through his time coaching I am beyond grateful fo. Finally, my parents Tracy and Darren Marshall, and my sister Mya Marshall—they are always there for me and they support me every step of the way. Thank you, guys!”

Marshall, along with her sister Mya of “Team Marshall”, also thank their current sponsors for their continued support: Back in Balance, Brainworks, Dara’s Fund via Muskoka Community Foundation, Integrative Rehab, Leadership Intelligence, Muskoka Hypervision Signs, Powerplus Electric, The SportLab, Surge Physiotherapy, and Valley Feeds.

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