Team Alberta’s alpine skiing team will be looking to make noise when they hit the slopes this February for Nationals in Thunder Bay.

Ferris Brewer is one of the more experienced skiers on the team having competed in Special Olympics for eight years.

Although this will be Ferris’ first time at Nationals, the 38-year-old has been on a tear at Provincial Games in both summer and winter sports - winning medals in skiing, bocce, and bowling.

She says that she loves her medals and she wants to add to her collection at an even bigger stage this time around.

In anticipation of the competition and to reach her goals, Ferris’ coaches have been helping her improve her leg strength.

“My coaches have told me that I need to improve on wall climbing and wall jumping," says Ferris. "My legs need to be stronger.”

Her coaches not only help improve her skiing ability, but she looks up to them as well.

Ferris aspires to become the best skier she possibly can be and that her coaches can impart that wisdom and knowledge to help her reach those goals.

Besides developing her leg strength, Ferris has been attending regular yoga classes to advance her flexibility and range of motion, which is crucial for any competitive skier.

Sometimes balancing work, training, and keeping up on cardio can be challenging, but Ferris has found a way around that.

Her job of delivering flyers gets her walking around her hometown of Calgary and it has allowed her to keep her conditioning up.

After work, Ferris makes a habit of riding her bike everywhere and keeping up on a healthy diet to further her competitive advantages.

The upcoming Nationals will be special for Ferris and all of her teammates who will be racing down the slopes on the alpine skiing for Team Alberta for the every first time.

“I feel so proud and happy to represent Alberta Special Olympics as an athlete,” says Ferris.

Ferris has come a long way since she joined Special Olympics eight years ago.

Her mom got her into Special Olympics and considering her husband grew up skiing, it was the perfect group activity for the pair.

That fun activity quickly turned into a passion for Ferris and, larger dreams for her athletic prowess.

Although, concentrated on competing in Thunder Bay, Ferris has dreams of making it to the World Games and representing Team Canada one day.

Let’s hope she can reach those dreams and join us in wishing Ferris the best of luck in Thunder Bay!

Visit https://www.specialolympics.ca/2020-team-alberta to stay up-to-date with all things Team Alberta 2020. And to check out what is going on in Ferris’ local affiliate, Calgary click here.

Friends and family should follow this link to find out how they can attend games and you can cheer on the Wolfpack by picking up your Team Alberta 2020 cheer gear!

Join the pack and support the team through fundraising initiatives like Draft an Athlete or Personal Best.

Also, be sure to check out http://specialolympics2020.com/ for all the latest news updates regarding the 2020 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Thunder Bay from February 25 – 29.