After a breakthrough season that included her first World Cup win, Whistler’s Britt Janyk has been named one of Alpine Canada’s Athletes of the Year, the ski body announced Friday (Sept. 5).
Janyk, who was named female athlete of the year, joined Jan Hudec of Calgary, winner of the award as the male athlete of the year, and Lauren Woolstencroft of North Vancouver, who was named Para-Alpine Athlete of the Year.
Janyk fulfilled one of her alpine skiing dreams last December in winning a World Cup downhill race in Aspen, Colo. She went on to finish third in World Cup women’s downhill standings and 12th overall among female racers, last season’s best results for the Canadian Alpine Ski Team.
“Last season was the best season of my career,” Janyk wrote in an email to The Question from Chile, where she’s training with the Canadian team. “I am extremely happy with how it went and can look back and be satisfied with it. Obviously I am tough on myself as well and can always find areas where I can improve!
“But, in general I am very happy with my last season.”
Janyk said she’s grateful for the recognition from Alpine Canada, especially since the Canadian team had such a great season.
“I think it’s really special to be named the Alpine Canada Athlete of the Year and I am definitely honoured to have the title. To me, it means that my hard work and dedication to my training is paying off and the results are showing it,” Janyk wrote.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, Janyk is hungry for more podium finishes.
“My goals for the upcoming season are to continue to get podium finishes in downhill and Super G and to try to get that top spot in downhill. It isn’t going to be easy, but I feel that I am ready for that challenge,” she wrote.
Janyk said she’s grateful for all the support she’s received from the Whistler community.
“I don’t get to spend much time around the valley but when I am on the road, I am always thinking of home and it’s great to know that people are watching the results,” she wrote.
In a summer full of training, Janyk and her teammates spent some time working in Whistler in April and May before training in New Zealand for three weeks and then Chile for two. The team has also worked with the Canadian and U.S. men’s teams and other women’s teams.
“I have been working hard in my giant slalom in order to have a strong technical base in my skiing,” Janyk wrote. “All the training has been excellent and I am getting excited about the race season.”
