For my International Women’s Day episode, I chose Marion Thénault—a Canadian who flies like an eagle on the global stage. 

After realizing that gymnastics wouldn’t take her to the Olympics, Marion felt lost. On a promise to her Mom, she went to RBC Training Ground, where her trampoline skills caught the attention of a scout. She was asked if she had ever tried those flips on skis. As it turned out, she had only been on skis a handful of times.

Marion leaped into Freestyle Aerial Skiing, and in short order became a World Cup champion and Olympic Medallist. Her biggest accomplishment is something only a handful of female athletes have done— executing three backflips with multiple twists while reaching heights of over 12 meters (40 feet) in the air.

A serious injury when trying that jump nearly ended her career, but Marion found the courage and determination to return. In a stunning comeback, she landed the same triple that had caused her crash, proving her resilience and grit.

Jacquie Ryan, the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation and another Canadian woman of international stature, joins the show to talk about Marion's accomplishments and how RBC Training Ground is helping Canada’s next generation of Olympians soar like eagles.

 

To learn more about Marion,  https://freestylecanada.ski/team/marion-thenault/

To learn more about RBC Training Ground, https://rbctrainingground.ca