Indigenous ski jumper named co-winner of snow sport award

Ski jumper Ale Loutitt has been named the co-winner of a prestigious award honouring Canadian athletes in a snow sport.

Loutitt, who has roots with the Nihtat Gwich’in in Inuvik, captured a bronze medal in team ski jumping at last year’s Beijing Olympics.

Loutitt, 19, has also had some impressive individual results since then. This past March she captured the gold medal in her category at the Nordic world ski championships in Slovenia.

That performance was one of the main reasons Loutitt was named a co-winner of the 2023 John Semmelink Memorial Award.

The accolade is presented annually by the Canadian Snowsports Association to a snow sport athlete from the country who best represents the nation in international sport with integrity, conduct and ability.

“It fills me with great pride to be acknowledged, not only for my results, but also for my unwavering passion and the recognition of my true character,” Loutitt said.

Laurence St-Germain, an alpine skier, was also named the co-winner of the award.