Athlete Profile: Beckie Scott, Team 2006

	Date of Birth	August 1, 1974
	Place of Birth	Vegreville, AB
	Hometown	Vermilion, AB
	Club	Vermilion Ski Club
	Coach	Dave Wood, Torbjorn Karlsen
	Wax Technician	Yves Bilodeau
	Years on Senior Team	10
	Years on Junior Team	1
	Personal Sponsors	Haywood Securities Inc., Bell Mobility, GEDCO, Crawford Adjusters Inc., Lemoine Hyland Chartered Accountants, Madshus, Salomon, Lulu Lemon Athletica, Subaru Calgary, Rudy Project
	Equipment	Skis: Madshus
		Poles: SWIX
		Boots/Bindings: Salomon

Background:

Beckie Scott grew up in Vermilion, Alberta and began cross-country skiing at the tender age of five, with the encouragement of her parents Walter and Jan. Soon afterward, her mother helped to organize the local chapter of the Jackrabbit Ski League, which provided Beckie the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of skiing while having fun with her friends. 

Beckie began her competitive sporting career as a swimmer, but gradually gravitated to cross-country skiing as her primary interest. She entered her first competition at age seven, but her racing career began in earnest at age 13 when a new coach, Len Parsons, moved to Vermilion. Under Parson’s tutelage, Beckie learned to think big and to believe in herself. The success she achieved on her first trip to the Junior National Championships – in 100 Mile House in 1988 – gave her a sense of her potential, and a taste for high level competition. The dream was born – and it was an Olympic dream.

Today, Beckie is in her tenth year on the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team. During that 10-year period, through a rare combination of talent, hard work and determination, Beckie has re-written the Canadian record books and firmly established herself as one of the world’s best cross-country ski racers.

The road to the top was long and gradual, and others might have questioned whether Beckie’s goal of Olympic success was realistic, as there were no precedents to turn to for reassurance. But Beckie’s belief and resolve were unshakeable. In 1998, at the Nagano Winter Olympics, Beckie’s best placing was 45th. Four short years later, in the pursuit race at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Beckie became the first Canadian and the first North American woman to win an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing and it was gold. She also placed in the top-10 in each of her other three Olympic events. In addition to these achievements, she has won seven World Cup medals in sprint, individual and relay events and has been consistently in the top-10 throughout the last five ski seasons.

Beyond her athletic prowess, Beckie is involved with numerous charitable organizations and brings an active social conscience to her life.  In 2001, Scott spearheaded an athletes’ petition requesting the establishment of an independent drug-testing body for all International Ski Federation World Cup and Olympic competitions, and she is currently Canada’s representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Athlete Committee.  Beckie has also recently been named Canada’s nominated IOC representative for the 2006 designations. In addition to these activities, Beckie has been recognized for her charitable endeavors.  She was named a UNICEF Canada Special Representative for organizing a fundraising campaign for Afghanistan relief in 2001, and travelled with UNICEF to West Africa in 2003 as a member of their ‘Girl’s Education’ advocacy campaign.  She is also involved with and an active ambassador for the children’s organizations, ‘Right to Play’, and ‘Sport for Life’.

In recognition of her achievements both on and off the snow, Beckie has twice received the John Semmelink memorial award, the CBC’s Spirit of Sport award at the Canadian Sport Awards, the CAAWS Grace under Pressure award, the Govenor General’s Meritious Service award, and was also inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

Beckie resides in both Bend, Oregon and Panorama, B.C. with her husband Justin Wadsworth, a retired member of the U.S. ski team.  She spends her free time reading, socializing with friends and family, and taking her golden retriever pup, Henna, to obediance classes.

Beckie is excited for the 2005-06 season – a year which she will focus on defending her Olympic gold in Torino, and one which will see her compete in a World Cup in front of Canadian fans for the first time ever when Canmore and Vernon hosts the event in December.

Although undecided about post-ski career plans, Beckie is sure to retire with “fond memories, great friends and good experiences”.

Key Ski Information:

• Two-time Olympian (Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002)

• Olympic Gold Medallist (Salt Lake City 2002 – pursuit)

Notable Results:

2005 - World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany: 4 (double pursuit)
2005 - World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany: 6 (team sprint)
2005 - World Cup, Pragelato, Italy: 4 (team sprint)
2005 - World Cup, Nove Mesto, Czech Republic: 5 (sprint)
2005 - World Cup, Lahti, Finland: 5 (10 km)
2004 – World Cup, Pragelato, Italy: 2 (sprint)
2004 – World Cup, Lahti, Finland: 4 (sprint)
2004 – World Cup Overall Sprint Standings: 6th
2004 – Canadian Championships, Charlo, N.B.: 1 (10 km pursuit)
2004 – Canadian Championships, Charlo, N.B.: 1 (sprint)
2004 – Canadian Championships, Charlo, N.B.: 1 (30 km free technique)
2003 – World Championships, Val di Fiemme, Italy: 8 (10 km classic)
2003 – World Championships, Val di Fiemme, Italy: 6 (5 km/5 km skiathlon)
2003 – World Championships, Val di Fiemme, Italy: 4 (sprint)
2003 – World Championships, Val di Fiemme, Italy: 9 (30 km free technique)

Olympic Results:

2002 – Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City, USA: 1 (pursuit)
2002 – Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City, USA: 4 (10 km classic)
2002 – Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City, USA: 5 (sprint)
2002 – Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City, USA: 8 (4x5 km relay)
1998 – Olympic Winter Games, Nagano, Japan: 45 (overall pursuit)
1998 – Olympic Winter Games, Nagano, Japan: 47 (5 km classic)
1998 – Olympic Winter Games, Nagano, Japan: 51 (30 km skate)

2004-05 Results:

2005 – World Cup, Falun, Sweden: 7 (double pursuit)
2005 - World Cup, Goteborg, Sweden: 7 (sprint)
2005 - World Cup, Drammen, Norway: 7 (sprint)
2005 - World Cup, Lahti, Finland: 5 (10 km)
2005 - World Cup, Lahti, Finland: 9 (sprint)
2005 - World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany: 16 (30 km)
2005 - World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany: 13 (sprint)
2005 - World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany: 6 (team sprint)
2005 - World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany: 4 (double pursuit)
2005 - World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany: 14 (10 km)
2005 - World Cup, Pragelato, Italy: 17 (double pursuit)
2005 - World Cup, Pragelato, Italy: 4 (team sprint)
2005 - World Cup, Nove Mesto, Czech Republic: 5 (sprint)
2005 - World Cup, Nove Mesto, Czech Republic: 15 (10 km)

Pursuit of Excellence: “When you take on a goal and put your heart and soul into doing everything it takes to accomplish that goal, that is excellence.”