Whenever Ava Dunham straps on her skis to compete, there is one thing she always has with her: a headband.
If she鈥檚 not wearing it, the 麻豆社国产resident brings it along with her. This is not any old headband, though. Emblazoned across the front is the message 鈥淏elieve in Sarah Forever.鈥�
It is in honour of the late Sarah Burke, the freestyle skiing legend who pushed the sport to new levels. Burke, who had settled in Squamish, died in 2012 following an accident.
Unlike most young athletes starting out, Dunham was lucky enough to know her idol. The 14-year-old, who had skied freestyle for Whistler-Blackcomb, recalls times seeing Burke out for walks in town or spending time with the legend at ski camps at Whistler-Blackcomb.
Burke was a pioneer in freestyle when relatively few women were competing.听
鈥淪he used to be the only girl there for a while,鈥� Dunham said.
Her mom Heather agrees, saying that Burke opened up the sport for girls like her daughter to compete now, and Dunham pays tribute with the headband. She actually has two.
It seemed only appropriate that this month the young skier was awarded a prestigious $7,500 Up and Coming Scholarship Award from the Sarah Burke Foundation to help with her training and expenses. She was one of two athletes to receive the scholarship this time. The other is Maddie Mastro, a 15-year-old snowboarder from California.
For this round, 62 athletes applied for the scholarships, which are given to winter sport athletes under 18 years of age.听 鈥淭hey come in from all over the world, and they鈥檙e really amazing kids,鈥� said Sarah Burke鈥檚 mother Jan Phelan, who sits on the selection jury.
For Dunham, the loss of her idol hit home more closely than it would have for others across Canada because of the personal connection.听
As she wrote in her application, 鈥淚 was crushed, honestly, I remember crying all night long鈥�. Today, because something similar happened in my family, I feel that I have an even stronger connection to Sarah and her family.鈥�
The 鈥渟omething similar鈥� was the September 2014 death of her father Kevin, who had introduced her to skiing at a young age. He died as a result of complications from surgery required to fix his clavicle after he was hit by a snowboarder on the slopes in December 2013. 鈥淥ur life has changed dramatically in a number of ways since Kevin鈥檚 passing,鈥� said Dunham鈥檚 mother, Heather.
For Dunham鈥檚 application to the foundation, she spoke openly about the emotional impact of her father鈥檚 death, especially in not being able to ski with him ever again, and also about how her mother had been working hard to make up for the family having only half the income.
鈥淚t did take a long time to put all the information into it,鈥� she said.
Despite the painful loss, she has been able to compete and maintain an A average in school.听
The family credits the teachers at Coast Mountain Academy, the school Dunham attends, for their flexibility when it comes to helping educate her and other young competitors.
The fact that the school also places high value on community work worked in her favour when it came to the Sarah Burke Foundation application, as she has volunteered to help the local Community Cares Christmas program, has been a top fundraiser for the Terry Fox Foundation and mentors young skiers in the Spring Slayerz camp.
Her athletic ability was also a significant factor in being selected for a scholarship. She has taken part in Timber Tour and B.C. Winter Games competitions, qualified for junior nationals in 2015 and reached the podium at numerous competitions, including events in 2014 and 2015 at Apex, Silver Star, Mount Washington and Whistler-Blackcomb.
Dunham spent her earliest years on the slope with her family but also started competing for Whistler-Blackcomb team and coach Tami Bradley, whom she credits for getting her into freestyle.
In February, Dunham will be heading to the Canada Cup at Apex Mountain. Her ultimate goal is the Olympics, and to do that she is aiming to move up to the B.C. team and eventually the national team.听
Wherever she skis, it鈥檚 a good bet she will be wearing that headband, or at least have it tucked away in her pocket.
听
听As her mother puts it, 鈥淪he skis for Sarah鈥�. She will not go skiing without that headband.鈥�
