Sports & Recreation: Be Inspired by Fellow Canadians in 2009

Barbara Kennedy
Founder & President, Changing Gears Inc.

No Limits – The Amazing Life Story of Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele, Canada’s Olympian Skiing Pioneers.

This book with its author, Byron Rempel, was a finalist for the Quebec Writers' Federation Prize for Non-fiction. Even though it did not win, it was a great honour to be one of the top three! The book was given an Ullr Award last spring from the International Skiing History Association.

There was never anyone like the Wurtele twins in Alpine skiing: identical in looks, different in attitude, unbeatable on the slopes. Now, with author Byron Rempel's unprecedented access to all Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele's memorabilia and scrapbooks, this entertaining book reveals the full story of “Canada's Terrific Twins”.

From their pioneering steps in women's sports to their heli-skiing exploits at the age of 84, Rempel takes an affectionate yet unflinching look at these two lives filled with daring, disappointment and triumph—and reveals the struggle for recognition that women in sport have always fought, from antiquity to today.

No Limits goes beyond the normal paramenters of a sports biography to not only tell the individual stories of the twins, but with parallel stories of Canadian women and women in sports in the 20th century, puts them in an historical context as well.

From No Limits:

“The two skiing pioneers had carved an easily identifiable trail for others to follow. Canadian women's skiing is directly indebted and linked to them, from Lucille Wheeler, Anne Heggtveit, and Nancy Greene, to today's World Cup championship-winning women's ski team. Even when the twins were no longer racing, their influence was felt: in 1959 Rhoda managed and assistant-coached the very first National Ski Team that Canada sent to Europe for the World Championships. It is no coincidence that Canada's wins in the Olympics and world championships have largely been in the women's division.

Personal note from Barbara Kennedy, Founder & President of Changing Gears:

I learned how to ski with Ski Jays Ski Club in Ste. Sauveur, Quebec in the sixties. Thanks to Ski Jays Ski Club, and Rhona and Rhoda, skiing became my life long sports passion. I continue to be an Olympic sports fan and it is because of the Twins', their family members and their dedication to doing what they love that I am still a downhiller and cannot wait for the first snowfall.

Last January, I had the distinct pleasure of reading the Twins’ book, No Limits and the honour of once again meeting Rhoda Wurtele Eaves in April. Time sure flies when you are having sporting fun.

Thanks to the author, Byron Rempel, I now have a true appreciation of how many phenomenal winter and summer sporting abilities the Twins were gifted with and because they were able to, used them all. The Twins as parents encouraged their own children to excel at what they loved and to also find their own chosen paths.

From my perspective, I think this book is a great read for any Canadian interested in inspiring confidence in themselves and/or others in their own sporting activities. How personal and encouraged confidence in ourselves continues to be what opens up our gates to success no matter the profession, sport or recreation we choose to strive for.

For Canadian women involved with sport and interested in reading about the Twins’ very unique sporting style and their history, this is a fact filled and photo find very different from any other.

To order your copy of the book No Limits by Byron Rempel, visit Chapters/Indigo online.

Email this to a friend