Aleisha Cline

Motto:

"The harder you train, the luckier you'll get"

The Rundown:

D.O.B.: September 10, 1970
Place of birth: Calgary, AB.
Where you grew up: Kelowna, BC
Current hometown: Squamish, BC
Where you train: Whistler and hopefully Cypress
Website/Blog: www.aleishacline.com

EQUIPMENT

Skis: Rossignol
Boots: Rossignol
Poles: Gabel
Helmet: Uvex
Goggles: Uvex

Current international standing and recent results:

2009 World Cup Point Ranking: 7th
2009 FIS Point Standings: 6th
2009 Winner of World Cup Olympic Test Event

2009

5th - World Cup Finals, La Plagne, FRA
7th - World Cup, Meiringen, SUI
6th - World Cup, Grinewald, SUI
11th - World Cup, Branaes, SWE
19th - World Cup, Myrkdalen-Voss, NOR
1st - World Cup, Cypress Mt. CAN
2nd - Nor-Am, Copper Mt. USA
1st - Nor-Am, Copper Mt. USA
13th - World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
35th - World Cup, Flaine, FRA
23rd - World Cup, Les Contamines, FRA
37th - World Cup, St. Johann, AUT

2008

1st in the Continental cup, AUS

One On One With...

What are your goals for 2010?
Bring a big gold medal home for my kids to look at!

How did you get into your sport (i.e. other Olympians in family?)
The first time I ever saw a skier cross course was at Winter X 1999 in Crested Butte CO.
My now husband, boyfriend at the time, was designing and building the Biker X course, I was there for a good time! After seeing the course and asking what it was, I asked if I could enter the race! Naive Canadian girl! They laughed and replied that this was an "invite only" event. I smiled and said, "well, if someone gets hurt will you invite me to take their spot?" Someone did get hurt, unfortunate for them but a great opportunity for me! I had the day of the race to try the course twice, also known as training. Qualifiers, which I won, followed then by the heats. I made it to the bottom before anyone else and I have never looked back, literally! True story!

Describe a bit about your hometown, about how you got started there in your sport.
I live in Squamish now, truly the outdoor capital of Canada. I have all the opportunities here to play as hard as I like at almost any sport I wish. Don't mind the rain!

How were you supported by your community growing up there?
I grew up in Kelowna skiing at Big White and racing for the club team, my mom was, and still is, a huge supporter even though she harped on me for years to go back to school she can see now that there has been and is a future in skiing for me!

What is it about your hometown that inspired you in your sport?
I spent 10 or so years at Sun Peaks in Kamloops skiing and snowboarding.
There I tried speed skiing for the first time, which lead me to compete in France for 3 or 4 years attaining a speed of 215 km/hr, not all that fast these days. The crew at Sun Peaks became very close to me and their support in all my crazy events was more than anyone could ask for! I still want to make them proud even though I haven't seen many of them for years!

How were you impacted by where you grew up?
I spent lots of time outside in Kelowna. Riding my bike and running up and down Knox Mountain. We lived right near the lake so we were always playing in the water, wind surfing, sailing and waterskiing. I have always been given the opportunity to challenge myself if I that was what I chose, and I usually did. In everything I tried!!

How would you describe yourself?
Focused and driven, some would say to the point of being unsocial but I'd say I'm here to get the job done; there will be plenty of time to be social later!

What is one of the biggest challenges you've faced in reaching your goals in this sport?
Keeping my body together having always pushed myself really hard, there is only so much a body can take, and mine has taken A LOT!

What do you consider of one of your biggest accomplishments to date?
Ready for the cliché ... my kids!! Have beautiful and talented children!

What other interests do you have outside your sport?
Everything but there is not enough time to do it all! We are a Mountain biking family, my husband Shaums March is 2 time Masters World DH Champion, but I want to kite board, telemark ski (which I did for years) generally play as much as I can!

Perhaps a quote from a mentor about their chances in 2010 or a description of what they're like as people.
A quote...hmmmm? If you know what it is you want then you need to do everything you can to get it...and enjoy the journey!

Links

http://www.aleishacline.com/Site/Blog/Blog.html
http://www.jackchristie.com/2009/02/
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/team-canada/athletes/athlete=3466/index.html
http://www.aleishacline.com/Site/Video,_History_%26_Interviews.html
http://actionsportsblips.dailyradar.com/story/aleisha-cline-is-the-fastest-mom-on-skis/