Racers Ready Athlete Profiles
There is so much athletic talent scattered across the escarpment and we are thrilled to present these short bio's as a way to celebrate some of these amazing young athletes. Whether competing at a Noram event or working your way up through the club ranks, each person has their own unique story and journey to share. Thanks to all the parents and athletes for helping us put this together!
Athlete Kiera Mihalic
What Race Team (Club) do you train with? Georgian Peaks Club
Who is your coach? Hugh Morrison and Jay Monette
What brand of skis and boots do you train & compete on? Skis Volkl – Boots - Atomic
How long have you been skiing competitively? Skiing since 3 years old – racing at years old
What disciplines do you compete in? GS and Slalom
What age category are you in? U12
Name words that best describe you as an athlete: Supportive of other racers, hard working, fighter, doesn’t give up.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? Keep my hands forward.
What would be your personal motto? Work hard, stay calm and ski fast
What is your best memory from the last year of skiing? Coming 1st on my first race of the year. Winner Club Championship and Best Girl 2023
What are your goals for 2023 season? Work hard and don’t give up
What is your Favourite subject in school and why? Math – I like solving problems.
What is your favourite food? Tacos and Curry
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Athlete Eniko Knezic
What Race Team (Club) do you train with? The Georgian Peaks.
Who is your coach? Heather Metzger and Matt Vorps.
What brand of skis and boots do you train & compete on? Blizzard Skis and Tecnica Boots.
How long have you been skiing competitively? Since I was 8 years old, I have been skiing ever since I was 4.
What disciplines do you compete in? All of them but my favorite is Super G.
What age category are you in? I’m a U16.
Name 3 words that best describe you as an athlete: Disciplined, Persevering and a Cheerleader.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? Your future self will thank you for the work you're putting in now.
What would be your personal motto? Don't complain, just do it and it'll probably be less icky than you think. You won’t have to worry about it any more and it will most likely be good for you in the long term.
What is your best memory from the last year of skiing? Finishing 3rd at the MSLM dual slalom.
What are your goals for the 2023 season? Top 10 finish, get to provincials and minimize crashing.
What is your Fave song in your playlist right now? Diet mountain dew by Lana Del Ray
What is your Favourite subject in school and why? Biology, I love understanding how the life forms around us live and work.
What is your favourite food? Movie theater popcorn!
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Athlete Milan Knezic
What Race Team (Club) do you train with? I train with georgian peaks
Who is your coach? My coach is Jay monnet
What brand of skis and boots do you train & compete on? Blizzard & Tecnica
How long have you been skiing &
competitively? SInce I was 6 years at Holimont in Ellicottville NY
What disciplines do you compete in? GS, Slalom and terrain park (this is also my last year of kombi)
What age category are you in? U12 2nd year
Name 3 words that best describe you as an athlete:Wheelin, Deelin, Highlight-reeling
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? It is better to ski the fast line slow than the slow line fast
What would be your personal motto? Early bird gets the worm
What is your best memory from the last year of skiing? The recent powder day with my dad this year
What are your goals for the 2023 season? My goals are to podium in the mastermind race and the muskoka rodeo
What is your Fave song in your playlist right now? Straight outta Compton by NWA
What is your Favourite subject in school and why? Batting practice because it is the subject that has the least amount of actual school work involved
What is your favourite food? I do not neccesarily have a favorite food but i really like the mcpeak from the georgian peaks cafeteria
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Athlete Lenke Knezic
What Race Team (Club) do you train with? Georgian Peaks “Dude-Skis’’
Who is your coach? The great Mark Parrish
What brand of skis and boots do you train & compete on? Blizzard and Tecnica
How long have you been skiing competitively? 2 years
What disciplines do you compete in? PSL and kombi
What age category are you in? U10 1st year
Name 3 words that best describe you as an athlete: fast, strong & cheerful
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? Don't look at the gate in front of you, but look 2 gates ahead of you
What would be your personal motto? Your not skiing if your not crashing
What is your best memory from the last year of skiing? Winning club champs at Georgian Peaks Canada and Holimont USA in the same week
What are your goals for the 2023 season? Win club champs again
What is your Fave song in your playlist right now? Made you look
What is your Favourite subject in school and why? Art because you get to express yourself
What is your favourite food? I like everything which is good
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Athlete Jasper William
What Race Team (Club) do you train with? Georgian Peaks Ski Team
Who are your coaches? Ryan Butler, Jurg Gfeller and Heather
Metzger
What brand of skis and boots do you train & compete on? Nordica skis and boots
How long have you been skiing competitively? Since I was 7.
What disciplines do you compete in? SG, GS, SL
What age category are you in? U16 O Cup
Name 3 words that best describe you as an athlete? Teammate, worker, focused
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? Try hard
What would be your personal motto?It’s what you do when no one is watching.
What is your best memory from the last year of skiing? Winning gold in all 5 races of the Mid Winters
What are your goals for 2023 season? Win a U16 National Championship and Canada Winter Games Gold
What is your Fave song in your playlist right now? Watch This by Lil Uzi Vert
What is your Favourite subject in school and why? French. It’s something that I will use.
What is your favourite food? Lasagna
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Athlete Tadas Valadka
What Race Team (Club) so you train with: Ontario Development Ski Team
Who is your coach: Thomas Trusler
What brand of skis and boots do you train & compete on: Rossignol
How long have you been skiing competitively: Skiing 15 years & competitively 9-10years.
What disciplines do you compete in: SL, GS, SG, DH* (no starts yet but planning on it)
What age category are you in: 1st Year FIS
Name words that best describe you as an athlete: Disciplined, Resilient & Dedicated.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received: You can only be mad or worried about a run for the time it takes to get back up the lift. After that, learn from it and don’t worry about it.
What would be your personal motto: Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life, but it ain’t about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forwards. How much you can take and keep moving forward” Rocky Balboa
What is your best memory from the last year of skiing: Summer trip to Saas Fee, Switzerland
What are your goals for the 2023 season: Qualify for the Ontario Ski Team
What is your favourite song in your playlist right now: Kickstart My Heart by Motley
Crew.
What is your favourite subject in school and why: Physics. I find it the most interesting.
What is your favourite food: Sushi
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Athlete Ali Manastersky
What Race Team (Club) do you train with? Osler Bluff Ski Club
Who is your coach? Ivey Norton and Mckenzie Lochran
What brand of skis and boots do you train & compete on? Atomic Boots and Skis
How long have you been skiing competitively? In my 5th year
What disciplines do you compete in? PSL, Kombi, Sl and GS
What age category are you in? Second year U12
Name words that best describe you as an athlete: Teammate, Passionate and Motivated
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? Be the best version of yourself
What would be your personal motto? Put in the work but most importantly have FUN!
What is your best memory from the last year of skiing? 4th @ Mastermind Invitational GS
(Devils Glen Ski Club)
What are your goals for 2023 season? Enjoy the season with my team (Dicso Downhillers) and maybe some top 10 finishes along the way.
What is your Fave song in your playlist right now? Riptide by Vance Joy
What is your Favourite subject in school and why? Math – enjoy the challenge.
What is your favourite food? Spaghetti