There was a time when the Canadian National Cross-Country Ski Team was the North American team to watch. As skiers like Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins found their footing, Becky Scott, Chandra Crawford, and Sara Renner were medaling at the Olympics. Alex Harvey and Kershaw won team sprint gold at the 2011 World Championships. And Harvey continued to romp – winning the 2017 World Championship gold in the 50k. Along the way, like many programs, Canada has enjoyed roster and coaching continuity. Conversely, the program has also suffered high rates of coaching turnover and insufficient funding.
As Canada looks for a new National Team Coach, in this episode Kershaw explores his relationship with the national team. He explains that some years it was plug and play. Other years, it was about finding normalcy with a new coach, a new set of norms, and a positive direction to remain motivated.
Thanks for listening.
