Canadian Alpine Ski Team: Geneviève Simard

Geneviève Simard’s competitive fires were fuelled at an early age. Geneviève started skiing at the age of five, often trekking to a little ski hill in Montréal, Que., with her twin brother.

"I'm really competitive in everything that I do and I like a lot of sports,” says Geneviève. I started racing when I was nine. I had a lot of success so I got to like it pretty quickly. In 1992, I watched the Olympics in Albertville, France, and that's when I decided that I really wanted to compete in the Olympics one day — in time it became my dream."

Though that little ski hill is now closed, the door to success has burst open for Geneviève. She won the prestigious "Winstar of the Race" award three times in the 2001-2002 ski season. The award is given to a skier who starts with a place higher than 45 and finishes in the top 15.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg (or mountain, in this case): Geneviève was also named Rookie of the Year on the World Cup circuit in 2002. She qualified for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Games for the Combined, Slalom, Super-G and Giant Slalom where she came out of nowhere to place seventh in the Combined and 18th in the Super-G.

In 1999, Geneviève’s drive and determination were tested when she suffered a career-threatening knee injury after a crash during training, which tore some ligaments.

"I had to stay really courageous and upbeat and work really hard with the trainer and with my rehab, working on my mobility and from there, getting my strength back,” says Geneviève. “It was a huge challenge for me but I never really doubted that I wouldn't get back on my skis. It was really an opportunity for me to come back stronger than ever."

In 2004, Geneviève raced to her first career World Cup victory with a Super-G gold in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

However, the win was no surprise to Geneviève. She has prepared for this day ever since she watched the 1992 Olympics in Albertville and imagined how the Olympic dream could one day be hers. For Geneviève, every race, every experience, every finish brings her one step closer to achieving World Cup and Olympic gold.

"Skiing is my passion,” she says. “I love everything about it — the challenge, the competition, the adrenalin rush... nothing else compares."

By posting her first World Cup podium victory in 2004 and finishing the 2005-2006 season with three podium finishes , Geneviève shows that her rise to the top has only just begun.