Bonus Pod: Celebrating National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day

Canadian Skiing Podcast

In June we celebrate National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day. A time to recognize the rich history, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

To celebrate, we had the privilege of speaking with Sharon Firth. She graciously shared her journey, highlighting the significance of Indigenous representation in sport.

A member of the Gwich’in First Nation, Sharon Firth was born in Aklavik Northwest Territories in 1953. Sharon and her twin sister Shirley competed in four Olympic Games and three World Ski Championships. They won a combined 79 Nationals medals and were named to the National Ski Team for 17 consecutive years. Sharon was inducted into the order of Canada, Canada Sports Hall of Fame, Canadian Ski Hall of Fame, and was awarded the John Semmelink Memorial Award, the Commissioner’s Award from the government of the Northwest Territories, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.

In the interview we discuss growing up in Aklavic NWT, surviving residential schools, the Territorial Experimental Ski Training program, representing Canada and the Indigenous community, giving back, and life after competitive skiing.
Nordiq Canada is the governing body of Para nordic and cross-country skiing in Canada, which is the nation’s optimal sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually. Its 77,000 members include athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all ages and abilities. With the support of its valued corporate partners along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, and Own the Podium, Nordiq Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and world champions. For more information on Nordiq Canada, visit https://nordiqcanada.ca.