Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Kerfoot to sit on sidelines this season

Local mogul skier Sylvia Kerfoot has reached a decision to miss the remainder of the 2008-09 freestyle season to continue to rehabilitate a knee injury she suffered last season, one week after winning her first career silver medal in Marienbad, Czech

Local mogul skier Sylvia Kerfoot has reached a decision to miss the remainder of the 2008-09 freestyle season to continue to rehabilitate a knee injury she suffered last season, one week after winning her first career silver medal in Marienbad, Czech Republic.
"With being injured and having surgery last spring, and looking towards the Olympics in 2010, I'm taking the season off," she said on Tuesday. "My coaches, my physiotherapist, my strength trainer - everybody was involved in the decision, and what would be the best path to take towards the Olympic Games next year."
She will miss out on several chances to qualify for a quota spot in 2010 over the course of this season, but thinks it was the right decision. Her plan is to focus on qualifying events next season.
"We do have a number of World Cups before the Games... before the final Olympic selection, and my job will be to take advantage of each opportunity," she said. "I'll do my best to come back where I left off, which is on the podium."
Kerfoot has been on her skis, sticking to the groomed runs mostly, and realized that it will take longer to get back to World Cup form.
"I'm enjoying skiing and getting back into it, but I do notice the fatigue (in my knee)," she said. "I want to be competitive on the World Cup circuit, and that's not where I am right now.
"I feel it's the right decision, particularly after getting back on my skis. I haven't been off skis this long in probably 15 years, if not longer."
Kerfoot will be splitting her time between Whistler and Vancouver, where she is getting work experience at RBC through their Olympians program. Some of that work includes speaking at schools and businesses about her experiences, which she is enjoying. It also gives her time to focus on training and rehabilitating her knee.
"It's a really excellent and unique program, and I'm really excited to be part of it this year," she said.