By Jeff D'Andrea

Hudak wins World Cup title, surprised with all success so early in career

Mar 27, 2015 | 9:41 AM

Prince Albert’s Brittany Hudak won’t turn 22 until June and was only introduced to competitive skiing more than three years ago, but already has gathered a resume worthy of a wily veteran.

Hudak capped off her first full year competing at International Paralympic Committee (IPC) events with an overall IPC World Cup title. She finished the year with five medals: two gold, two silver and three bronze in standing events. Hudak also won two more, silver and bronze, in IPC World Cup biathlon events.

She’s also represented her country at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics and won gold medals in all three Canada Winter Games individual events she participated in. Hudak’s trophy case is also getting full of awards as well, including the Kinsmen Athlete of the Year award, the Terry Fox Award and the Sask Sport Inc. Athlete of the Month for February this year.

So much for getting her feet wet in the sport. To have all the success she’s had already in her career has surprised her and Robin McKeever, the Canadian national para-nordic head coach.

“It’s been an incredible year,” said Hudak. “To have the results I did this year wasn’t expected at all. I knew I was doing my training the best that I could. I knew that I was determined and putting the work in, but when you start seeing the results, it’s kind of spectacular.”

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Hudak credits all the training she did in offseason camps with the Canadian national team—including a camp in New Zealand.

“The athletes on the national team are already at such a high level, their skiing technique is good, their attitudes are good, the way that they train,” said Hudak. “For me to get to watch them and ski with them is also motivation and a great learning opportunity.”

In addition to Russia and New Zealand, Hudak has also competed around the globe, including meets in Japan, Finland, Norway and the United States.

But for now, Hudak will settle down a bit in Canada as the IPC season has come to a close.

“It’s kind of sad, I enjoy racing,” Hudak said of the offseason. “One of my favourite things about competition is the racing—you never know what’s going to happen. It will be good to kind of relax at home and do what I can for training.”

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea

by Jeff D'Andrea

Hudak wins World Cup title, surprised with all success so early in career

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