“Flora is thrilled to be a part of the XCBC team as the head Nordic Ski Coach. She is but one of an incredible group of dedicated folks that are helping keep our young club alive and vibrant, and our greater Bragg community active in the great outdoors.
Flora’s club coaching experience includes: the Banff Ski Runners, Foothills Nordic Ski Club, Calgary Ski Club, Calgary Outdoor Centre Learn to Loppet and Learn to Birkie programs and XC Bragg Creek- hoot hoot!! Flora’s competitive team history was as a Banff Ski Runners, on the Alberta Ski Team, on the Canada Winter Games team and the University of New Mexico Ski Team. Flora is very approachable and thoroughly enjoys sharing her passion for the sport with all ages and abilities.
Jeff has been coaching mountain biking and skiing for a handful of years now, and is eager to pass on his love of the outdoors.
His competitive background is in sailing and adventure racing, but he has been skiing since the age of three, and claims to have one of the original mountain bikes from the late 70’s.
Along with other XCBC coaches, he has been upgrading his coaching credentials in order to provide the club with programming that your kids are sure to enjoy.
He feels that having fun is just as important as good technique, and that the two are often complimentary.
His competitive background is in sailing and adventure racing, but he has been skiing since the age of three, and claims to have one of the original mountain bikes from the late 70’s.
Along with other XCBC coaches, he has been upgrading his coaching credentials in order to provide the club with programming that your kids are sure to enjoy.
He feels that having fun is just as important as good technique, and that the two are often complimentary.
Nicole grew up recreationally skiing trails in the Bow Valley Corridor and her favourite Kananaskis routes. Commencing skiing at such an early age created a lifetime love of this fabulous winter sport. When the XCBC club first started in 2010, Nicole got involved with an admin position which lead into coaching jackrabbits and currently track attack.
I’ve been cross-country skiing for many years, always with enthusiasm but not necessarily with very good technique. Several years ago, when our two children starting skiing with XC Bragg Creek, I also decided to (re)learn how to ski. Our small club was growing fast and in need of coaches, so I offered to help with the youngest kids. Because I would be showing them what to do on skis, it was important to me to learn how to do it right.
Fast forward a few years and I’m now starting my third season as a coach with XCBC, having completed several NCCP coaching levels as well as CANSI level 1 certification. I’m still working on technique of course―that never ends!―but it’s a challenge I’m happy to embrace.
I’m also very happy that my children continue to love the sport. What a great opportunity for our whole family to spend time with friends and teammates, enjoying each other’s company as well as the beauty of winter in Alberta.
I’m really looking forward to spending more time with the club kids and coaches this season, getting to know them and watching them hone their skills and have fun. I love this sport because it’s as sociable or as challenging as you want to make it. Best of all, it’s a great excuse to get outside in winter.
See you on the trails!
Ann Sullivan
Tara is an active outdoor and mountain enthusiast, enjoying both XC and downhill skiing, hiking, rock climbing and mountain biking, but most of all leading an active lifestyle in beautiful Bragg Creek with her husband, Greg and two children. She is looking forward to her first year coaching jack rabbits this season and being part of such an amazing club!
Greg is a new coach with XCBC. He and his family moved to Bragg Creek in the summer of 2014. Greg is an active outdoor enthusiast, and has been cross country skiing for over 25 years. Greg has competed in long distance ski races (loppets), and participated in many back country ski trips and glacier traverses. Occasionally you may spot Greg on the trails at West Bragg Creek on one of his pairs of vintage wooden skis. He looks forward to introducing young skiers to the joy of skiing, and inspiring them to use skiing as a healthy means to explore Bragg Creek’s endless possibilities.
Hey everybody! My names Miliana!
I’m excited to begin my first year of ski coaching!
My Mother, Flora, first introduced me to skiing. (She’s the lady in charge, the head ski coach!) Which she has been doing for many many years before me. I started skiing when I was around 3 or 4, and have loved it the whole time Iv’e been doing it 🙂 Just in these past years I have partaken in many ski races such as the Alberta Youth Championships (Iv’e competed for all 4 years of it), many Built for speeds and the Alberta Winter Games. (Which I think was a great experience and I loved so much! I definitely recommend trying out for it 😉 )
Before I trained with XCBC I was part of Calgary ski club, and I started that when I was 6 years old. Iv’e been training with XCBC for over 5 years now and it’s been some of the most amazing years of my life. Iv’e made so many new friendships and met so many beautiful people and I hope you newcomers feel the same way of XCBC as I do. I think of XCBC as my second family on snow 🙂
I can’t wait to meet and teach all of you younger skiers and I’m excited for the years ahead!!
I’m excited to begin my first year of ski coaching!
My Mother, Flora, first introduced me to skiing. (She’s the lady in charge, the head ski coach!) Which she has been doing for many many years before me. I started skiing when I was around 3 or 4, and have loved it the whole time Iv’e been doing it 🙂 Just in these past years I have partaken in many ski races such as the Alberta Youth Championships (Iv’e competed for all 4 years of it), many Built for speeds and the Alberta Winter Games. (Which I think was a great experience and I loved so much! I definitely recommend trying out for it 😉 )
Before I trained with XCBC I was part of Calgary ski club, and I started that when I was 6 years old. Iv’e been training with XCBC for over 5 years now and it’s been some of the most amazing years of my life. Iv’e made so many new friendships and met so many beautiful people and I hope you newcomers feel the same way of XCBC as I do. I think of XCBC as my second family on snow 🙂
I can’t wait to meet and teach all of you younger skiers and I’m excited for the years ahead!!
When I was around 11 or 12 I pulled out my dad’s old wooden skis and went out into the prairies every now and then. It was pretty hard on that icy chinook snow but the spark to ski was already there? I never really did much more skiing until I was in university when I would go out backcountry skiing with my colleagues. I finally bought a set of backcountry/track combi skis when I was 27 and living in Hinton Alberta. I then started skiing regularly at the Athabasca Lookout Nordic Centre. I was mostly into backcountry skiing and telemark for a few years but slowly transitioned to classic track skiing. I even did the 32k birkie in my old combi skis in about 1997. I did this race again about 10 years ago, but mostly have been skiing for fun. I taught myself to skate ski about 12 years ago, and have since upgraded to better equipment I’ve now been at it for over 20 years, now skiing mostly with my family. This is my second year coaching.
Hi! My name is Linnaea! I have been skiing recreationally since a early age and I enjoy it to this day. I have been a part of XCBC from the clubs first year and have gone to the Alberta Youth Champs four times. This will be my first year of coaching and I can’t wait! We have an amazing team here and one of my favourite parts of XCBC is spending time with all the wonderful friends I have made!
My name is Xavier Champagne. I competed in biathlon and have cross country skied for many years, I have competed in biathlon for five years with the Calgary Biathlon Racers and I have a passion for the nordic sports. I have experience in both Biathlon and Cross-Country skiing and I am very excited to be coaching this year. This is the first time I will be coaching for XCBC and I can’t wait until the skiing season comes.