“I was very proud to be putting on the Canadian race suit”
One day you’re sitting in class, listening to your professor drone on about tips for studying for the next midterm. The next, you’re donning a ski racing suit adorned with the Canadian flag in Italy, competing in a Para Nordic World Cup cross-country race.
That’s the reality for U of O Nordiq women’s team captain Emma Archibald. Born with amniotic band syndrome and clubbed feet, Archibald is missing two fingers on each of her hands. She is unable to hold poles, and instead skis without them.
The third-year Gee competes with the school’s team in OUA Championships against able-bodied skiers, but shines when competing domestically — and now internationally — in the Para Nordic Standing category.
Archibald won two gold medals competing for Team Nova Scotia at the Canada Winter Games last February, and attended Nordiq Canada time trials in Canmore, AB this past fall, in search of a spot on Canada’s entry to World Cup competitions.
The Fall River, NS native had good races out west and improved upon her times from the previous year. Archibald talked about the elation she felt when she was told she had a spot on the team. “I was so happy that I smiled the whole bus ride back to the Calgary airport! It truly felt like all the hard work I had been putting in was paying off.”
Archibald has always been a versatile athlete, adapting to whatever sport she played. Growing up in Nova Scotia, that was track and field, soccer, flag football, basketball, and cross country. And she wasn’t just playing these sports — she was excelling against able-bodied competition.
The nursing student played for her high school’s basketball team and was also selected to Nova Scotia’s provincial flag football team. A strong runner, Archibald ran for the 100-meter relay team that broke the previous provincial record in Nova Scotia and finished in the top ten at cross-country running provincials in her final year at Lockview High.
In 2019, after attending a Paralympic search camp in Halifax, para-Nordic skiing won out as the path that Archibald would ultimately embark on. The then-teenager would train with Nova Scotia’s provincial cross-country ski team in 2020 and improved her technique well enough to be able to race with the Gee-Gees when she left for university.
“I’ve always had a love of sports and being a part of a team, so joining the [U of O] ski team — even though I was now considered a para-athlete — provided me with even more motivation and drive to attempt to keep up with my able body teammates. The sport is very welcoming and encouraging, which has helped get me to where I’m at today with my skiing endeavours.”
Archibald also talked about how much she enjoys training alongside fellow cross-country skiers with the Gee-Gees. “Having the opportunity to train with a large group of skiers is highly beneficial. Each workout is a source of constant motivation, and the camaraderie creates a super fun and supportive atmosphere!”
While Archibald was in Italy, the rest of the team was racing in Lake Placid, Sherbrooke, and some closer to home, at Nakkertok in Gatineau. But those races pale in comparison to the stage that their team captain was on in Northern Italy.
At the first event in Toblach, she placed sixth in the 10k pursuit classic; fifth in the 10k mass classic, and fourth in the skate sprint qualifier, finishing seventh overall. In Martell, she again made it to the sprint finals — this time, the classic version — and made it to the finals. “Those races, I was definitely testing my limits and going outside my comfort zones. It’s rewarding knowing I can keep pushing myself and seeing what I can achieve!”
Archibald would finish fifth overall in the sprint finals, in good Canadian company. The two placings ahead of her consisted of decorated Canadian Paralympians Brittany Hudak and Natalie Wilkie. The Gee-Gee was unsurprisingly thrilled to compete alongside the pair.
| Rank | Name | Year of Birth | Country | Class | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vilde Nilsen | 2001 | Norway | LW4 | 4:46.2 |
| 2 | Liudmyla Liashenko | 1993 | Ukraine | LW8 | 4:54.6 |
| 3 | Natalie Wilkie | 2001 | Canada | LW8 | 4:57.9 |
| 4 | Brittany Hudak | 1993 | Canada | LW8 | 4:59.7 |
| 5 | Emma Archibald | 2003 | Canada | LW5/7 | 5:18.5 |
| 6 | Danielle Aravich | 1996 | USA | LW8 | 5:38.3 |
“It was such a cool experience getting to ski alongside Natalie and Brittany, two people I have watched and followed along for a few years now. It was an amazing opportunity to see my teammates on the international podiums and motivating to hear first-hand about their journeys to their successes!”
Along with the opportunity to compete alongside Wilkie and Hudak, Archibald also listed the team’s coaches — namely, Canada’s most decorated Paralympian of all time, Brian McKeever — and wax team as another perk of competing for her country.
“I was very proud to be putting on the Canadian race suit knowing I was being supported by amazing wax techs and highly accomplished and knowledgeable Canadian coaches, such as [McKeever], who is obviously so highly admired on the international stage.”
Archibald and the Gee-Gees will travel to Thunder Bay at the end of the month for the OUA Championships, held at the Lappe Ski Center, and says she is excited to see what the team can achieve.
After the OUA championships, the 20-year-old will travel to Prince George, BC in mid-March for the Para Nordic World Cup Finals. The finals begin March 12 at Caledonia Ski Club and wrap up on March 17.
As for her studies? “My professors were nice enough to provide recorded lectures and give me extensions on some assignments.” I’m jealous, Emma. But then again, I’m not competing in international skiing competitions.
