Profiles & Features

July 9, 2009

Q & A: Lauren Woolstencroft, Paralympian and BC Hydro engineer

Rob Klovance
bchydro.com

Canada's Lauren Woolstencroft will be one of the favourites to win multiple 2010 Paralympic Winter Games medals at Whistler next year. And she's a champion who trains and improves while holding down a full-time job as an engineer at BC Hydro.

A competitor in alpine skiing's five Paralympic events – slalom, giant slalom, super giant slalom, super-combined and downhill – the Calgary native was born missing both legs below the knee and her left arm below the elbow. She first strapped into skis at age four and joined the national team at 16.

After studying engineering at the University of Victoria, Woolstencroft found a job with BC Hydro, which has made it possible for her to pursue development as an engineer and as a world-class athlete simultaneously. Last month, she sat down with bchydro.com editor Rob Klovance for the following Q & A about how that balance works for her.

Rob Klovance: People work hard at BC Hydro, but the company's very well-known for offering work-life balance. Did this reputation factor in your decision to join BC Hydro as an engineer-in-training (EIT)?

Lauren Woolstencroft: When I first joined BC Hydro as an EIT I was unsure if I would continue with my skiing career or retire. After some discussions with my managers, they were supportive of me continuing and we committed to make it work.

RK: As a medal-winning para-alpine skier, you travel extensively to train and compete. How extensive is that travel, and how does it fit into your work schedule at Hydro?

LW: The travel is fairly intensive, mostly in the winter months, but also for summer training (on and off snow). During the winter I'm usually travelling two to three weeks of every month.

RK: How customized is your work schedule? Do you use vacation time to cover your training/competition needs, or do also use leaves of absence for extended periods on the road? Among your fellow athletes, are there many others who can accommodate training and full-time work?

LW: All my time off is vacation or unpaid leave. There are one or two others that work full time in addition to being on the ski team.

RK: Given how much time you spend on the road and competing, how rested and ready do you feel for your job as a BC Hydro engineer? Does your training impact the types of work you're assigned?

LW: My training and competing probably does impact the type of work I have. Fortunately I'm still a junior engineer and have other engineers to pick up the slack when I'm out of the office. It's not a long term workable solution, however.

RK: You just enjoyed an amazing season that included finishing atop the World Cup standings, winning four of five titles at the IPC World Championships in Korea, and helping Canada to a first ever Nations Cup team victory. How do you like your chances at Whistler in 2010, and given that this will be your third Paralympic Games, how much longer do you plan to train?

LW: I feel postive about Whistler – however there's still lots of work to do. I approach the season just as I do ever other season. Our training routine is similar to other seasons, what ramps up is all the "extras" that go with being part of the team – media, community events, etc.

RK: You're doing work specifically related to Games facilities and infrastructure. Can you describe what you're working on and what it has to do with 2010?

LW: I'm working on the design for the distribution infrastructure to be used to power the mountain venues – for example, underground feeders to venues, overhead pole lines to venues, temporary and permanent transformer instalations.

RK: How much did BC Hydro's conservation mandate factor into your decision to join the company?

LW: It's always great to work for a company with a stong conservation value and a strong vision for the future.

Rob Klovance is managing editor of bchydro.com. Lauren Woolstencroft also writes A Skier's Diary on bchydro.com.