Seventeen-year-old Nakkertok skier Kate Mason exemplifies a “get it done” attitude. The athlete is part of Nakkertok’s ENRG training program. Like many junior skiers, Mason found herself wanting when it came to accessing information regarding post-secondary ski opportunities in Canada. In particular, Mason was interested in combining academics with her training and racing.
In the recent past, Canada presented an unclear path for athletes who wanted to compete and continue their education. The pathway for those opting for the full-time skier path seemed clear, the options for the student-athlete combo, not so much.
Back when high level skiing and college was marketed as incompatible, the list of options to balance school and skiing were few. As the landscape in Canada morphed, Mason decided to create a database of potential Canadian options for the scholar-athlete. The resource served her as she began applying to colleges as a high school senior.
“Basically, it started out with I was just sitting in my room thinking about what to do after high school,” said Mason. “I wanted to ski. I wanted to go to a good school. I was pretty unsure about everything. I had a little spreadsheet with a few options. And then I was talking to a coach about it, and they suggested I share it as other kids would use it. So I started adding to it.”
Little by little, coaches, athletes, Fast and Female, and Nordiq Canada began sharing the resource.
Initially, Mason didn’t think much of her info gathering. Although, she knew many in Canada desired a single resource explaining the new options for post-junior skiers in Canada. She realized the value of her work this past winter at Canadian Nationals which Nakkertokk hosted.
“Me and my friends had a day off and we were getting shawarma before heading into the Nordiq Canada athlete meeting,” Mason said. “We showed up at the meeting pretty stoked about our shawarma and we just hung out in the back, listening to all the older kids.”