Congratulations to Madeleine Williams, the winner of the 2008 Ski to School Scholarship.  Madeleine is a member of Edmonton Nordic Ski Club and was a Junior National Team member for three years and a Senior National Team member for three more. She has now been an independent athlete for over a year and she continues to pursue skiing at the elite level while pursuing her education. Madeleine will be completing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Athabasca University this spring and will be a full time student for the fall semester. She intends to begin work on a Masters in Criminology or Forensic Psychology shortly thereafter. 

Her recent results include the following:

·         Represented Canada on the World Cup in Europe in February 2008

·         Placed 32^nd at the Canmore World Cup, 10km skate (0.3 of a second from top-30) in Jan.2008

·         7-time medalist on the Haywood Noram Circuit, 2007-08

·         Overall Haywood Noram Canada Cup Champion, 2006-07

·         Represented Canada at the World U-23 Championships in Slovenia, 2005-06

·         Placed 4^th in the Marcialonga World loppet in Italy in 2004-05

Madeleine has been combining excellence in skiing with excellence at school since she first began racing at age 13. As a National Junior Team member, she commuted between Canmore and Calgary to attend classes at the University of Calgary. After completing half of her degree, she transferred to Athabasca University to be better able to focus her energy on training and racing. The flexibility in her new schedule also allowed her to be involved with the young athletes at her home club of Edmonton Nordic, volunteering her time to coach and mentor young racers.

Madeleine’s passion for academic success, proven world class results and her ability and willingness to serve as a role model made her an excellent candidate for the Ski to School scholarship. Congratulations Madeleine and good luck with your 2008-09 ski season and academic year!