On Jan. 25, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced that Erin’s Zoe Bergermann will join 13 other snowboarders representing Canada at the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“Canada excels in snowboarding and the exciting team we are nominating today is in a great position to carry on that tradition,” said Team Canada chef de mission Isabelle Charest in a press release.
“Congratulations to the athletes, I am looking forward to cheering you on as you challenge for the podium in PyeongChang.”
Bergermann, 23, will compete in snowboard cross, also known as boardercross, which features four to six snowboarders at a time racing down a course that includes jumps, berms, curves and more.
“I just can’t wait to take it all in,” said Bergermann in an interview with the Advertiser.
Bergermann has been skiing since she was very young. At nine years old she switched to snowboarding, spurred on by her brother’s teasing.
She hit the slopes at Caledon Ski club, around the corner from her home in rural Erin.
She tried many disciplines, including slope style and half pipe, before being encouraged to take up snowboard cross by an instructor.
“It was amazing. I fell in love with it instantly,” she said.
“That’s when I started racing, just provincial level races, and I had really good results … eventually I just kept moving up to the North American circuit and eventually the world cup (circuit).”
Bergermann set her sights on the Olympics when Canadian Maëlle Ricker grabbed gold in snowboard cross at the 2010 Winter Olympics, becoming the first Canadian female to win gold at the Vancouver Games.
“I was really early competing in boardercross then, but just seeing her win, and she’s just such a nice person and so genuine, I already looked up to her and then she just went out there and killed it,” said Bergermann. “I pretty much chased that dream.”
That pursuit hasn’t come without its difficulties.
In 2015, she was diagnosed with Still’s disease, a rare form of arthritis.
She said she felt sick, like she had a constant flu. After multiple trips to emergency rooms, she was finally diagnosed.
“Through that whole process, I lost 30 pounds, all my training to build up (was) pretty much gone. I had to start all over again,” she said.
“It was crazy.”
Her recovery process was difficult and she relapsed multiple times. Then in March 2017, she dealt with a knee injury and a fractured ankle.
She said the process to get to the Olympics has been “pretty hard.”
“There’s been lots of ups and downs. I feel like a lot more downs, but it makes the ups feel a lot better for sure,” she said.
After taking time off last year to heal, she was excited to get back into racing.
“I’m really glad I took the time and I feel like now I’m actually getting into racing and I’m feeling like myself. It’s the best feeling ever,” she said.
Bergermann just placed fifth at the World Cup in Bulgaria and she has two more competitions in Germany before heading to PyeongChang.
She actually received flights and accreditation for the Olympics before finding out if she made the team.
“I’m just proud and excited to be out there, and get the opportunity to do it,” she said.
“It’s something I’ve always dreamed of and now it’s happening.”
Her family is excited too, she said, noting many of them will be flying to South Korea to watch her compete.
She said she is most excited about racing on the Olympic track.
“It looks big; it looks like the biggest course we’ve ever ridden, so I’m excited for that,” she said.
Bergermann will be racing on Feb. 16 at 10am Korean Standard Time (Feb. 15 at 8pm local time).
The women’s snowboard cross finals take place the same day at 12:15pm (Feb. 15 at 10:15pm local time.)
