On February 19, Olympian Alysia Rissling presented to a group of BC Games Athlete at the Pomeroy Sport Centre in Fort St. John. She started her presentation off by explaining her favourite phrase of ‘challenge accepted’ and how it led her to bob sledding.
“It started off as a joke with my friends and then I started using it and applying it to my life in sport,” she said.
“In 2012 I turned on the TV to see the Opening Ceremonies at the London Olympic Games and the thing that resonated with me the most was the smile on their faces, they were so proud to be there and I wanted to feel like that.”
Alysia shared how she found the sport of bob sledding in her mid-twenties and how she had to work twice as hard as most to reach the Olympic level.
“The problem was, I sucked,” she said. “All the other athletes would show up for practice once or twice a week and I went all four days. I would get my butt kicked daily but I also got a lot more individual attention from the coaches.”
Alysia was determined to excel in her sport and that determination led to her being named to the national development team, becoming the overall champion of the North American Cup circuit. In 2015 she made history when she was the first ever pilot of an all-female four-man sled in an internationally sanctioned race.
PETRONAS Canada sponsored Alysia’s trip to Fort St. John, which also included a day spent at Bert Ambrose Elementary School as part of the Classroom Champions program. A program that pairs competitive athletes with elementary students for the development of their social, academic and emotional education.
“At PETRONAS Canada, we’re always looking to improve, to raise the bar on our personal best. It’s why the support we’ve given to this event is so meaningful to us,” says Liz Hannah, Vice-President, External Affairs & Communications, PETRONAS Canada. “We’re looking forward to celebrating the energy and dedication of the volunteers and the organizers of the Games, and to cheering on this amazing high-performing cohort of athletes who’ll be striving to beat their own personal bests.”