Ashley Campbell, a member of Huntsville’s Muskoka Ski Club, a grade 10 student at Huntsville High School, and a resident of Dwight, is a dedicated Alpine skier who has set her focus high. As a result of her success, she has been selected as one of 40 Alpine ski racers to represent Team Ontario in the 2018 Sport Chek U16 National Championships. The competition will be held in Collingwood from March 6 to 10 and will include three events: Super G, Giant Slalom, and Slalom.
Campbell has been training with the Georgian Peaks Club as it offers provincial-level racing opportunities. She has been committed wholeheartedly to her skiing along with her academics. Campbell works with her parents, Bruce and Keely Campbell, and HHS teachers to organize her academics around her race schedule. “The high school is amazing as they support high-performance athletes as long as the students keep up their end of the bargain,” said Campbell’s dad, Bruce.
During training, Campbell has set times which are dedicated to her schooling and stays in touch with her teachers online on a daily basis no matter where she is. Additional support is given from the ski coaches as they allow for tutors to work with the thriving athletes.
Campbell trains year round, but the competitive cycle ends in April so Ashley is able to rest, attend school with her peers and to work a summer job. By the end of the summer, Campbell will be back on the snow for a summer training camp before race season begins. She attended a summer ski camp in Mount Hood, Oregon as well as a ski camp in Hintertux, Austria this past fall.
A highlight of Campbell’s career was when she was selected by Alpine Canada as one of the new generation of alpine skiers to attend the 2017 Rising Stars Program pre-season camp in British Columbia at Panorama Mountain Resort in December. She was chosen based on her results and dedication over the past season. There were only 30 U16 ski racers from across Canada that were invited to practice their skills on and off the hill with highly trained coaches. The program offers additional training in ski racing techniques, skills and attitude to prepare the athletes to for success.
In 2018, Campbell has achieved “impressive results,” says her dad. Since the beginning of January, she has competed in 11 races winning first place in eight of them and second in two races. She fell in one race.
It’s a full-time job and she is well balanced in both her passion for the sport of racing along with her studies. Campbell has been a recipient of Dara’s Fund (formerly Dara’s Women Into Sport Fund) for the last two years, which was established by Olympic freestyle skier, Dara Howell, to provide funding for Muskoka’s female athletes.
Campbell has always wanted to ski for Team Ontario. “I’m really excited to just come out and compete my hardest every day on my home hills. I’m also really excited to see all of my friends from across the country again in a competitive racing environment. I will come out and compete my hardest and try for a win. If that happens, amazing, if not, we move on and go from there.” Campbell’s future goal is to progress to the Canadian Alpine Ski Team.
Live streaming of the U16 Nationals is available here: u16ski.ca/live-streaming.
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Andrew Bulloch says
The Future is bright for this young lady! Go Ashley… and beat the boys while you’re at it.
Sharon Stahls says
Congrats Ashley on a successful season so far. Glad to see that your passion towards your sport and work ethic are producing you great results. It appears that you have a great support system and I’m so happy that you are keeping up your academics as well which can’t be easy. Congrats my Friend!
♥️ Retired Proud Principal
Mrs. Stahls