2007 Manarin Award Winners
Lt – Rt: Raphael Couturier (Skibec Nordique), Chandra Crawford (Sofie’s teammate), Janelle Greer (Whitehorse Ski Club)
For Immediate Release
April 20, 2007
Recipients of 2007 Sofie Manarin Award Named at Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships recently completed at Mont Ste Anne, QC
Canmore, AB – The 2007 Sofie Manarin Award winners were announced on Sunday, March 25 at the Closing Ceremonies of the 2007 Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships in Quebec City. Raphaël Couturier of St-Jean-Chrysostome (Skibec Nordique) and Janelle Greer of the Whitehorse Ski Club were named recipients of the Manarin Award after winning the Juvenile Aggregate crown.
“ Raphaël is a natural leader among his age group piers,” stated Godefroy Bilodeau, Skibec’s Head Coach. “His positive attitude, natural physical ability and his enjoyment of training and racing makes my job as coach very easy. He challenges himself and his teammates and is a positive influence on everyone he comes in contact with,” continued his coach.
This is the second year running that one of the National Juvenile Champions has come from the Skibec program. “Our racing program continues to mature each season. We have been fortunate to have great parent volunteers to help with everything from race organization to track setting. In fact, Raphael’s parents are both involved, his mom is a ski patroller at the local club while his dad spends time maintaining the trails for the same ski area,” noted Bilodeau.
The female recipient of the Sofie Manarin Award is Janelle Greer of Whitehorse. "Janelle has demonstrated a great amount of potential since she started skiing as a young Jackrabbit with the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club. She has always been a few steps ahead of the competition both at regional and at National events. Janelle won her first National Championships medal in the Juvenile category when she was a first year midget skier in 2005. In each of the two Arctic Winter Games in which she competed, she dominated her age group. Janelle has the potential to become one of the best skier’s ever produced in the Yukon if she chooses to do so. It will be exciting to follow her progress in the next five years, stated Alain Masson, head coach for the Whitehorse Ski Club."
The Sofie Manarin Award was established in 2004 in memory of Sofie Manarin, a member of the 2000-01 Junior National Ski Team. Manarin passed away as a result of a traffic accident in 2001 in Sudbury while training for the upcoming season. As a member of the Laurentian Nordic Ski Club, Sofie had won 13 Junior Championship medals in her short career and was the top North American women at the 2001 World Junior Championships at the age of 16, just prior to her training accident.
The Award is presented annually to the top male and female juvenile skier (age 15 or under) at the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships. Previous Manarin Award winners include National Junior Team members Alex Harvey of Mont Ste Anne, Haakon Lenes and Evan Bruce both of the Banff Ski Runners. Harvey, the son of Canadian skiing legion Pierre Harvey, earned a bronze and 4th place finish at the 2007 World Junior Championships this past season. He still has one year remaining as a Junior Man and most recently had two second place finishes at the US National Championships against a strong field of World Cup savvy competitors.
Each recipient receives a bursary to help offset training and competition costs as well as two pairs of Madshus Hypersonic racing skis, donated by Madshus / K2 Canada, one of Sofie’s sponsors. A permanent trophy in addition to a small memento is also presented to each of the young athletes.
“Sofie always found it was difficult to find corporate support in her early training years, commented John Manarin, Sofie’s father. With this award our plan was to recognize young skiing talents in Canada and encourage them to pursue their dreams in the sport. The family congratulates and wishes Raphael and Janelle well in the future.”
Highlights of Sofie’s short ski career included:
2001 – Top North American and 28th at World Junior Championships
2000 – Selected to the Canadian National Junior Team
2000 – Junior Women Aggregate Winner – Canadian National Championships
1999 – Junior Girl Aggregate Winner – Canadian National Championship
1996 – Youngest girl to win a medal at Canadian National Junior Championships
1996-2001 – 13 individual Canadian Championship medals
Sofie Manarin Award Winners 2004-2006:
2006: Evan Bruce – Banff S. R., Laurianne Ouellet – Skibec; 2005 : Evan Bruce – Banff S.R.
Virginia Lehoux-Gagnon – Skiélite; 2004: Alex Harvey – CNMSA, Natasha Kullis – Porcupine S.R. & Haakon Lenes – Banff S.R.
For more information contact:
Dave Dyer
Director Marketing and Event Management
Cross Country Canada
613 297-9504
