Ashleigh McIvor

Ashleigh McIvor was one of the iconic faces of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, when she became the first-ever female skier to be awarded an Olympic gold medal in the sport of ski cross.

Ashleigh’s path to success began with her entry into competitive ski racing at the age of 10 and progressed through the transition from alpine skiing to ski cross in 2003, at the age of 20, just as the sport was gaining momentum as this new, wild format for head-to-head competition.

Ashleigh won her first world championship in 2009 at Inawashiro, Japan and competed in four Winter X-Games, with her best finish being a second place finish  in 2010. She also has 11 podium finishes on the World Cup circuit to her credit, including a second place finish at the Olympic test event at Cypress Mountain in 2009. Ashleigh finished third overall in the 2008-09 FIS World Cup season, and second overall in the 2009-2010 season, setting the stage for a dominant women’s ski cross program.

Her historic 2010 gold-medal moment at Cypress began when she clocked the second-fastest time and cruised through the preliminary rounds. In the finals, all of her hard work, talent and poise came together beautifully for the performance of a lifetime – right when it mattered the most – and the Whistler ski racer claimed the  gold medal. 

Throughout her career, Ashleigh battled back from many injuries to become a dominant force on the World Cup circuit and at the X Games. During the 2011 season, Ashleigh suffered her second catastrophic ACL injury during a practice run at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. After a long recovery, she made the difficult decision to retire from competitive skiing in the fall of 2012 – a choice that was deeply influenced by the tragic ski crashes of Canadian ski icon Sarah Burke, and Ashleigh’s close friend and teammate, Nik Zoricic, earlier that year.

Inspired by Ashleigh’s success and strategies, teammates Marielle Thompson and Kelsey Serwa went on to win Olympic gold and silver respectively in Sochi, Russia in 2014, and the winning streak for the Canadian team continued. Marielle continued to dominate the sport over the next decade. 

Ashleigh transitioned from sport into various opportunities, such as broadcasting, modelling and motivational speaking. Her personal favourite ‘job’ – continues to be skiing with clients all around the world.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 11 World Cup medals (28 starts) from 2005-2011.
• Gold medal, 2009 World Championships, Inashiro, Japan.
• Gold medal, 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, Cypress Mountain.
• Silver medal, Winter X Games, Aspen, Colorado.
• Named as one of the Most Beautiful Athletes on the Planet, by Sportsnet Magazine in 2012.

OTHER MEDIA

International Olympic Committee – Ashleigh McIvor

IMPACT Magazine – Ashleigh McIvor & Jay DeMerit 

Canadian Olympic Committee – Ashleigh McIvor

Note: The information gathered in this biography was compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments. Copyright © Canadian Ski Hall of Fame & Museum. For personal and/or educational use only. All rights reserved.