JMSB student competes in Turin
Arly Fogarty is competing in the Turin Paralympics.
When the opening ceremonies take place to mark the start of the ninth Winter Paralympic Games on March 10, Concordia will be represented by Arly Fogarty, a student in the John Molson School of Business (JMSB).
A member of the Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team, she will compete for her nation in four events over the 10 days of competition, which takes place in Turin, Italy.
“It’s so exciting,” Fogarty said while working at the YMCA in NDG before she left for Europe. “The idea of being there – competing aside – knowing that I will be representing Canada in this big bubble of elite athletes. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Fogarty was born with Holt-Oram Syndrome, which causes upper limb deformities. She has been registered with the Canadian Association for Dis-abled Skiing since age five.
Her progress as one of the best in the world at her sport – highlighted by a recent fourth place finish at a World Cup event in Korea – has been quick. The 22-year-old only moved up from the Canadian development squad to the senior national team last year.
Training and competing with the national team has been quite the experience for Fogarty. “It really feels like your second family, because you spend so much time with them,. You’re with them 24 hours a day,” she said.
“There’s a strong vibe through the whole team ˜ we get along so well and it’s just so much fun to be with everyone.”
Part of Fogarty’s trail to the Paralympics ran through Concordia. Two years ago, Fogarty trained with the Concordia Ski Team because they offered her the opportunity to train in the evenings when she had class during the day.
“It was fun; I had a lot of good times. They set up good training camps and good races,” Fogarty said, noting that some of her first coaches were former Concordia racers.
“It was very different training with able-bodied athletes. For me, skiing is almost a career, and for them, it’s not. I enjoyed the competitiveness of all the racers there, but I also enjoyed, for myself, that it was a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere.”
Fogarty will continue to work towards finishing her program at JMSB in the summer since her schedule with the national team doesn’t allow for her to study in the fall and winter.
The Paralympic alpine skiing competition kicks off March 11 with the women’s standing downhill event. Fogarty, who skis without poles, competes against all other standing skiers. Some of her competitors may have a leg amputated, for example.
A top-10 finish is what Fogarty hopes for from her first Paralympics, although she is working toward being on the podium for the 2010 Games in Vancouver. More than anything though, Fogarty looks forward to representing Canada on her sport’s biggest stage.
“I feel really proud,” she said. “Anyone can walk around with a Canada hat, and you’re supporting the athletes of your country, but being one of those athletes is such a huge feeling.”
The downhill, Fogarty’s first event, begins at 5 a.m. EST (11 a.m. in Turin) on Saturday. The super-G is on March 13, while the giant slalom – Fogarty’s best event – is on March 16. The slalom wraps things up on March 18.
Results will be available on the Paralympic Games website, and the Games are also being broadcast at www.paralympicsport.tv