聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Team Canada's Brooke Apshkrum is competing for Canada in the women's luge competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, 麻豆视频 Korea. The 18-year-old athlete's exceptional performances have catapulted her to Team Canada in under a decade - and friends and fans from this corner of Saskatchewan will cheer her on, knowing she has a connection to Carlyle.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brooke spent a few of her formative years in Saskatchewan and when her family moved to Calgary, attended the National Sport School at Calgary's Canada Olympic Park, where she was an honours student. Her father, Mark Apshkrum grew up in Carlyle and says that the entire Apshkrum family is excited and touched by the interest in Brooke's athletic career from people from his hometown.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪he is in Latvia right now and the luge team will travel to Seoul from there on February 4, so by the time this is in the paper, she'll already be there,鈥� says Mark. 鈥淗er mom (Sandy Apshkrum) was talking to her and told her we'd be talking to the newspaper in Carlyle. (Brooke) was thrilled about it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪he loved coming to Carlyle when my mom was still alive and she still remembers the playground there.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although her playground days are in the past, Mark says his daughter had an affinity for the sport of luge from a young age.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n 2010 she tried it,鈥� says Mark. 鈥淎nd from day one we knew that that was what she was going to do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎s parents, you're still kind of outsiders looking in,鈥� says Mark. 鈥淚nitially, we helped her financially, but we never had to tell her to get up and go - whether it was dry land training in the summer or during the season in the winter. I never had to be that 'pushy dad.' 鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪he enjoyed it and she had a talent for it from the outset, so we've always just supported her in what she wants to do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brooke's talent and work ethic has transformed that 10-year-old into an Olympian in an unusually short time. After joining the Calgary Luge Club's development squad, Brooke quickly progressed through Canada's Junior and Senior National teams, joining the latter at the age of 17,聽 which is considered a young age to do so.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ur top luger - the one who has the most medals in Canada for luge - also started at that age,鈥� says Mark. 鈥淏ut usually, they're at least 20-years-old before they're on the national team here in Canada.鈥� Gough is now 30 and another of Brooke's Olympic team mates, Kimberly McRae is 25, so the 18-year-old is going into the Games in Pyeongchang as a young - but not inexperienced -聽 competitor.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In 2016, Brooke took top place at the podium when she captured the gold medal in the women's singles luge at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, clocking a top speed of 114.7 kmh (71.2 mph) with a time of just over 52 seconds. The 12-corner track was the site of luge competition at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. One European commentator described Brooke's run as 鈥渇lawless.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Her parents Mark and Sandy were there to witness their daughter's win over Germany's former world champion Jessica Tiebel (who took home a silver medal) and bronze medallist Madeleine Egle of Austria. Brooke's medal was her first international gold and was considered to be a surprise win by some because she came up from second place after the first run of the competition to win - only six years after she first took up luge.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was quite something to be there in Lillehammer when she did that,鈥� says Mark. 鈥淎nd Sandy and I have also been to the World Junior Championships in Austria to watch her there.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat was a little different,鈥� he laughs. 鈥渂ecause we travelled all the way there to watch her crash on her second run, but that's the sport.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲herever and whenever we can, we watch her train and compete.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brooke's family - her parents and her sister Layne (a University of Calgary student) - will travel to 麻豆视频 Korea to share in Brooke's Olympic experience.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e arrive in Seoul on February 6,鈥� says Mark. 鈥淥n the day of the opening ceremonies, we'll be at Canada House. Brooke starts sliding pretty early, so she'll be finished competing by the 12th.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪he'll be there for both the opening and closing ceremonies.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽 Brooke has said that because her 2010 start in luge coincided with the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, her passion for her chosen sport was intensified and her dream of becoming an Olympic competitor began.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Now with that goal coming to fruition, her dad says simply: 鈥淲e wouldn't miss it.鈥�
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