Keremeos resident Marnie Todd is a busy lady these days.
She’s preparing to head for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, on January 29, after being selected as a member of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Integrated Support Staff Medical Team.
It’s the second Olympics for Todd, who runs a massage therapist clinic in Keremeos. She also helped look after Canadian freestyle skiers during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
“I’ll be gone for most of February,” Todd said of her upcoming trip to Russia. “I was there with the support team last year - I think it’s a going to be a great venue for the Olympics.”
Todd just recently returned from Tignes, France, where Canadian freestylers competed in Olympic qualifying events in a pre-Olympics camp.
Todd is optimistic about Canadian skiers’ prospects for the 2014 Olympics.
“We’ve got a very strong team,” she said, noting that the official team roster won’t be named until the weekend of January 18 - 19.
International Olympic Committee rules limits the number of athletes that Canada can send to Sochi to 26, in all five freestyle disciplines. This year, because Canada’s freestyle team is so talented, there is the possibility that a top 10 ranked Canadian skier might not get a chance to compete at Sochi.
Although the very best Canadian freestyle athletes - Nikael Kingsbury and Alex Bilodeau, to name two - have essentially pre-qualified based on last season’s results, the remaining spots on the team will be up for grabs until the eleventh hour.
“It’s going to be a hard team to get on,” she added, “we could be fielding the best freestyle team in the world this year.”
Todd doesn’t have any favourites in terms of who to watch for, but there is a good chance that local skiers, 18 year old Andi Naude (Okanagan Falls) and halfpiper Matt Margetts (Penticton) will make the team.
Margetts finished third at the men’s halfpipe event held in Calgary on January 3, while Naude finished fourth at the Calgary course of the World Cup mogul circuit on January 4.
“It’s going to be exciting to watch,” Todd promised, “I would say watch for anyone, the team is so strong.”
With preparations for Sochi underway, Todd has had to put her massage therapy practise on hold, temporarily.
Todd’s kids are also heavily involved in skiing with the Apex Freestyle Ski Club, as they currently vie for qualification for the BC Winter Games. That too, has meant a lot of travel lately.
“I’ve been fortunate that my patients and my family have been so understanding,” she said, “I’m excited about going to Sochi. It’s pretty neat to be chosen to be part of the team again.
“But it has meant that we have been pretty much non-stop the past few months.
“We don’t rest a lot,” she laughed.