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Viviane Forest Retires at National Championships
SUN PEAKS, B.C. (MARCH 29, 2013) — Kelsey Verboom ALPINE CANADA ALPIN The Alpine Canada Alpin Release.
Para-alpine skier Viviane Forest – the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal in both the Summer and Winter Games – capped off a shining ski racing career on Friday with a ceremonial final run led by skiing legend Nancy Greene Raine.
Forest announced her retirement Friday at the Sport Chek Para-Alpine Canadian Championships in Sun Peaks, B.C., and took a celebratory run down the giant slalom course as a farewell to competitive ski racing.
The 33-year-old skier from Edmonton, Alta., is hanging up her skis as one of the most successful female athletes from the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team. She is a three-time Paralympic gold medallist – once in downhill skiing and twice in goalball – and won five medals at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics. She was the overall International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Cup champion in 2009, and has earned 17 World Cup and eight world championship podiums.
“I’m very happy with my career. I couldn’t hope for anything better,” Forest said. “I went through some amazing moments, and I was the best in the world in some disciplines, and then I hurt myself (in 2010). I didn’t want to finish my career with an injury. I know it happens a lot in sport, but I hoped that I would have the opportunity to prove to myself that I could still do it and not be afraid to ski fast again. I wanted to finish on a good note.”
Viviane Forest Retires from Alpine Skiing with a Final Celebration Run with Ski Legend Senator Nancy Greene
Viviane Forest announced her retirement from Alpine Ski racing at the National Championshps held in Sun Peaks, BC March 27-31, 2013. Viviane is skiing GS and Slalom at this tournament. She is having a great time saying good bye to old friends and making new ones. She met Senator Nancy Greene on the hill and they hit it off (of course). Alpine Canada released a video of Viviane's honorary run with Nany Green. One champ with another!
ALPINE CANADA APLIN March 29, 2013: Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team member Viviane Forest skis a farewell run with Nancy Greene Raine after announcing her retirement from para-alpine ski racing. The Youtube link to the Nancy Green run can be found here http://youtu.be/gUM9_Y5GyS4
Le retour miraculeux de Viviane Forest
19 mars — La Brossardoise Viviane Forest avait gagné deux médailles d’or en goalball aux Jeux paralympiques de Sydney en 2000 et d’Athènes en 2004. Fatiguée des commotions cérébrales à répétition, elle a pris une pause d’un an, avant de se lancer dans le ski para-alpin en 2006, dans l’Ouest du pays. Ça signifiait descendre les pistes à plus de 100 km/h avec 4% de vision, derrière un guide voyant, lui indiquant le tracé. Pour lire la suite de l'article de Pierre Loiselle dans le Brossard Éclaire.
Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games Downhill Race Footage
IPC released a video of the fastest and most dangerous of alpine ski races, the downhill, from the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games. Viviane Forest won Gold which made her the first Canadian female to win Gold in both Summer and Winter Games. But, she also crashed horribly after the finish line. Its taken her 2 years to get back to the World Championship slopes. Here is the nail biting competition from March 2010. YouTube video http://youtu.be/xOZ4ZC13Mpg
Viviane Forest Back on the Slopes!
By: Nathalie Chartrand, Sport en Vue (Montreal, QC) During the Paralympic Games in London in September, Viviane Forest went back on the alpine ski slopes in Nevado Valley which is at 12,000 feet altitude in Chile. This was one of her first training camp since the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. With her new guide Chloe Lauzon-Gauthier of Gatineau, they flew down the slopes but she was a little scared, she told me.
Because if you remember in 2010, Viviane crashed into barriers after the downhill race that she won gold in. In addition to a severe concussion she had to have surgery on her right wrist for severely damaged ligaments in October 2010. Since then her wrist still hurts and it still has not managed to find all its amplitude at that joint.
"I'm always afraid of falling and hurting myself again. The last 2 years I suffered physically and a few times I wondered if all the medals and crystal globes were worth it".
Passion is stronger than fear!
Viviane Featured on AMI TV Sports Access
AMI's Sports Access program is a panel of guests and feature stories. Viviane was featured on Episode 7 airing December 8, 2012. This is a YouTube link to the 3 minute interview for the program. The show airs Saturday & Sunday repeatedly. The AMI Program Guide and regional Station Listing can help you find Sports Access in your area. The YouTube link is here for the interview with Viviane at the Alberta Sports Development Center.
Radio Canada Editorial Complements Viviane Forest Comparing Her to Lindsey Vonn
The national para-alpine ski team continues chasing snow with a training camp in Lake Louise. Viviane is an intense competitor and without a doubt needs mention when talking about inspirational Paralympians.
Viviane Forest Starts Summer Training Regime
Off the injured list, Viviane Forest commences her summer training regime with the national team. GlobalTV in Calgary caught up with Canadian Para-Alpine members at the cycling track. The YouTube link to the Global TV story will load automatically if you cannot control the below video player.
Paralympian Transforms into a Super Hero
Brian Swane delves into Viviane Forest's transformation. --
The video opens by panning the head of Viviane Forest. Goggles sit perched on her helmet, which is equipped with an audio receiver at her ear and microphone extending toward her mouth, evoking images a fighter pilot ready for battle.
“She is known as The Falcon...”
Forest, "the people who know me say it fits quite well, it's who I am,” says Forest. “They did a lot of analyzing of what they feel makes me a champion, and I think it’s a good fit.” Read the full Examiner Article
Canada’s Forest Prepares for Her Comeback
Viviane is featured on the International Para;ympic Committee (IPC) news site. --
there will be one notable absence: Canada’s visually impaired five-time Paralympic gold medalist Viviane Forest, who is still recovering from an injury.Whilst her rivals like USA’s Danelle Umstead, Slovakia’s Henrieta Farkasova, and Russia’s Alexandra Frantseva thrash it out on the snow, Forest will have to follow the events from her computer.
“I follow everything that I can. It’s always interesting to see the new athletes coming out and to see how the more experienced athletes are doing,” she said, admitting that it breaks her heart not to compete. Read the full IPC feature
BrighterNights Community Spotlight – An interview with Viviane Forest
"I discovered Viviane while surfing around the Internet, researching my own eye condition. Then I discovered one of her YouTube videos…and knew this is someone I had to contact for Brighter Nights. Saying to myself, “It doesn’t hurt to try”, I sent her an interview request via her website. Needless to say, I was excited to come home the other day to find a reply in my inbox. Yes, she was gracious enough to agree! However, before we get to that ...." Read The Complete Article. The BrighterNights website is designed to profile the ability of people with vision loss. And it is building a community of inspiring individuals. Great job Jay!
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- Viviane Forest named to 2011 team along with new guide Chloe Lauzon-Gauthier
- Albertans Salute Viviane Forest along with other 2010 Athletes
- No Guts No Glory Viviane Forest Inspires JungleJim
- Viviane Forest, Congratulations on Being Chosen as a Global Woman of Vision!
- Retour glorieux pour Viviane Forest
- PM congratulates Viviane Forest on winning gold at 2010 Paralympic Winter Games
- The Weather Network Congratulates Viviane Forest
- PM congratulates Viviane Forest on Winning Bronze