Sara began skiing at age four when her parents decided she was old enough to ski the 28-kilometre trail into their backcountry ski lodge- Mount Assiniboine Lodge.  She was soon enrolled in the Canmore Jackrabbit Ski League and started racing seriously at 14.  Now entering her 13th year on the Canadian Senior Team, Sara has established herself as one of the elite talents on the international scene. She first reached her ultimate goal of stepping onto an international podium in 2005 when she sprinted to a bronze-medal finish at the World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany – the first Canadian to win a World Championship medal in cross-country skiing. This triumph laid the groundwork for a brilliant 2005-06 season in which she won four World Cup medals and captured Olympic silver with teammate Beckie Scott in the team sprint in Torino, Italy. The 2005-06 campaign also saw the culmination of a long-time dream shared by Sara and Beckie, when the World Cup tour touched down for two events on their home snow in Canada, including Sara’s hometown of Canmore, Alta.

When not training or competing, Sara may be found with her husband and former Canadian Alpine skier, Thomas Grandi. He is the first Canadian to win a technical event in the World Cup giant slalom. The couple welcomed their first child, Aria, in February of 2007 and Sara is now pursuing excellence in motherhood and on the snow. A consummate competitor, the new mother returned to the World Cup when the circuit made another stop in Canmore in January of 2008. The beginning of Sara’s quest back to the podium is well under way after posting numerous top-20 finishes in her comeback year. Her new sources of inspiration are Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison, a local Canmore couple who combine parenting with extreme adventures. 

Sara loves being a mother, honing her skills as an amateur barista, gardening and going for adventures in the backcountry.  When Sara has a moment, she works with the David Suzuki Foundation to develop a program called “Play it Cool” which encourages athletes to reduce their carbon emissions and go carbon neutral. For more information on this program go to http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/play_it_cool.asp

After her racing career, Sara hopes to pursue a career as a columnist for the Globe and Mail, continue her work for the environment or run a backcountry operation.  Whatever Sara ends up doing, her athletic career has taught her the importance of working hard and being a part of something she believes in.

Key Information:

·         Olympic silver medallist, team sprint (Torino 2006)

·         Three-time Olympian (Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002 and Torino 2006)

·         Five world cup medals

·         Canada’s first medal at the World Championships- 2005 Sprint Bronze in Oberstdorf, Germany

Olympic Results:

2002 – Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City, USA: 9 (sprint)

2002 – Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City, USA: 15 (10-km classic)

2002 – Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City, USA: 19 (pursuit)

2002 – Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City, USA: 8 (4x5  km relay)

2006 – Olympic Winter Games, Torino, Italy: 2 (team sprint)

2006 – Olympic Winter Games, Torino, Italy: 8 (10-km classic)

2006 – Olympic Winter Games, Torino, Italy: 10 (4 X 5 km relay)

2006 – Olympic Winter Games, Torino, Italy: 16 (sprint)

2006 – Olympic Winter Games, Torino, Italy: 16 (15-km pursuit)

Notable Results:

2008 – World Cup, Falun, SWE: 16 (pursuit)

2008 – World Cup, Canmore, AB: 16 (sprint)

2008 – World Cup, Canmore, AB: 14 (sprint)

2006 – Olympic Winter Games, Torino, Italy: 2 (team sprint)

2006 – World Cup, Davos, Switzerland: 2 (10-km classic)

2006 – World Cup, Borlaenge, Sweden: 3 (sprint)

2005 – World Cup, Canmore, Alta.: 2 (team sprint)

2005 – World Cup, Vernon, B.C.: 3 (sprint)

2005 - World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany: 3 (sprint)
2005 - World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany: 6 (team sprint)