Veteran Canadian skier Britt Janyk calls it quits

Raleigh Mcpherson May 18, 2011 0

Veteran Canadian skier Britt Janyk calls it quits

VANCOUVER: The 15-time Canadian champion skier Britt Janyk bid adieus to competitive ski racing career here Tuesday.

Britt Janyk. Courtesy: Reuters

Janyk, who will be helping to mentor kids at a B.C., has won World Cup and Olympics medals for the Canadian Alpine Ski Team during her 15-year-long career.

Janyk, 30, told a press conference here Tuesday, “The decision was a very difficult one to make because I still really love the sport and I love ski racing”.

Britt Janyk. Courtesy: Reuters

Janyk, who grew up skiing on Whistler Mountain and made her Olympic debut at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver-Whistler, told reporters, “There’s a part of me that would still like to continue. But at the same time, I just feel ready to move on”.

Britt Janyk carries a legacy of skiers as her grandfather Peter Vajda, an engineer by profession, was part of the team that installed Whistler’s first ski lifts. Her mom, Andree is an instructor of the sport while her brother Michael is also member of the Canadian Alpine Sky Team.

Britt Janyk. Courtesy: Getty Images

Britt Janyk started her career when she made into the national team in 1996 and since then she has been a consistent World Cup performer. Winning her first podium at Lake Louise in Alta in December 2007, Janyk went on to record her first career World Cup victory later that month in Aspen in Colorado.

Remembering her feats, Janyk said, “My World Cup win was definitely one of my career highlights. I was coming back from being off the team – in 2006, I had to pay my own way. I’ve enjoyed it every step of the way, even through the tough times. I have so many fantastic memories. I remember winning my first NorAm super G at Lake Louise on the World Cup course”.

Britt Janyk. Courtesy: AP PHOTO

She added, “I remember racing my first races over in Europe, winning my first giant slalom Europa Cup race. Winning my first World Cup race came exactly a week after I stepped onto the podium for the first time at Lake Louise. My parents were there at the finish. That was a really incredible feeling – to be able to get the result and get a hug from my mom and dad.”