While the ski hill in Kimberley is just getting ready to open this weekend, a local athlete is already tearing up powder across the pond.
India Sherret, a 21-year-old ski cross athlete who is a member of Team Canada, raced at the first FIS Ski Cross World Cup event of the 2018 season today and came through with a solid performance.
Participating at a competition held at the Val Thorens ski resort in the French alps, Sherret placed first in the qualification round on her way to an eighth-place finish overall.
The result was the best of her young World Cup career and according to a post on her public Facebook page, it was a very exciting accomplishment.
“I am so happy with how I skied today and can’t wait for more races,” she wrote. “So proud to be part of such an amazing team that helped me get to where I’m at.”
Canadian teammate Kelsey Serwa won a bronze medal in Val Thorens and Sherret was one of four athletes on her team to place in the top 10 of the women’s competition.
Sherret kicked off the season in Pitztal, Austria at the Europa Cup on November 11, where she placed 13th in a Europa Cup event.
The FIS World Cup continues with ski cross events on Monday in Arosa, Switzerland and Wednesday in Montafon, Austria. In an interview with the Townsman last year, Sherret said that she was hoping to be participating at the World Cup full time in 2018 and making “consistent top eight finishes.”
This year’s start bodes well for the future for Sherret, the former 2015 FIS Freestyle Junior World Champion, as she also stated that her long term goals were to participate, and place well, at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and the 2019 World Championships.