Canadian women's freestyle skiing inspires young B.C. athletes as sport soars to new heights

Athletes from all over Canada have triumphed in the 2022 Winter Olympics, winning 24 medals and counting for the country. 

But if there's one sport that's looking stronger than ever, it's women's freestyle skiing.

Danika Mazur, a ski coach with B.C. Freestyle, says the sport has soared to a new level of skill at this year's Winter Games. 

This has meant a great deal for other women and young girls in freestyle skiing, she said, since the funding and support needed to build the sport have also increased drastically in recent years.

"When we see a part of ourselves in these athletes or a part of our own stories within their story, it really shows us that we have that potential too," Mazur told CBC. 

Mazur is also a lead coordinator for Girlstylerz in Whistler, B.C., a program that focuses on building and empowering young female athletes in the sport. She says the program is seeing a lot of amazing athletes coming out of it, more than ever before.

"Giving them that space where they do feel included and part of the team and well-supported with their coaches and their teammates really helps them to develop those skills that they need," she said.

For 12-year-old Zoë Henderson, the sport means more to her than just showing off her 360's in competitions. It also gives her a sense of community and connects her with other young athletes with similar goals, she said.

Zoë, who trains with Girlstylerz in moguls, slopestyle and big air, says watching the Olympics has encouraged her in her own competitions and training.

"It's super cool to watch them compete and especially seeing some of their back stories or if they've recovered from an injury … It inspires me a lot."

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