Lauren Woolstencroft

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Paralympic skier, BC Hydro engineer

After winning five gold medals at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games at Whistler, para alpine skier Lauren Woolstencroft earned the honour of bearing the Canadian flag for the closing ceremony.

“It was a big surprise, I’m humbled,” said the BC Hydro electrical engineer, whose unprecedented gold medal run at the Games made her Canada’s Golden Girl. “The team is so strong and there are lots of amazing athletes on it.”

After winning five medals in two previous Paralympic Winter Games (Salt Lake City in 2002, Torino in 2006), there were high hopes for Lauren at the Games. But she exceeded just about everyone’s expectations by winning all five events she entered – slalom, giant slalom, downhill, super-G, and super combined – by margins ranging from four to more than nine seconds.

Downhill runnerup Solene Jambaque of France helped put Woolstencroft's exploits in perspective after the Canadian had won the downhill event in convincing fashion.

"On one hand, she’s got the advantage of skiing in Whistler, on her home turf,” Jambaque told a Canwest reporter. “On the other, she has all this pressure on her. But I guess, when you’re among friends, it gives you wings.”

The road to gold

Like most Paralympic athletes, Lauren did not have the luxury of lucrative contracts and sponsorships to support her in pursuit of Olympic gold. It has taken great dedication and passion to pursue both a career as an electrical engineer and as a world-class athlete.

Born missing both legs below the knee and her left arm below the elbow, the Calgary native joined BC Hydro as an electrical engineer after graduating from the University of Victoria, and had her worries about juggling a career in engineering as well as preparing for the Olympics.

But, as BC Hydro is a huge believer in work-life balance, and a keen supporter of the Paralympics and Olympics, Lauren was given the time she needed to fulfill her dream, including a leave of absence to train and compete.

As a member of Team Power Smart, Lauren uses her athletic star status to help convince British Columbians to join the team and commit to a 10% electricity reduction goal. 

More on Lauren:

 Vancouver Sun all-Lauren slideshow of photos from the Games

Lauren Q & A, prior to the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games

Congrats, Lauren on winning five golds at the Games

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