We are sitting, this early winter mid-morning, in a bucolic alpine meadow, not far from the peak of Tod Mountain, part of Sun Peaks. After a lift from the base of the mountain, it has been a more or less gentle incline, a hike of two-plus hours thus far, and now time for a little rest and a chat. This Canadian icon walks and talks with unswerving energy and passion, and with plenty of thoughtfulness, reflects on the contributions she has made to her sport, and to her country.
Nancy Greene retired from competitive skiing at the very top of her game, only three races after her Olympic Gold Medal performance in Grenoble, 1968. “I was the reigning world champion—had been for two years,” she says. “The Olympic medals were great, but at a race a few days later I was at the bottom of the hill after my run, and as each skier came down the course, I was watching the times to see if anyone would beat me. I thought to myself, ‘Is this what the rest of my professional life will be like?’ and decided right there on the spot to retire, and pursue something new.” A remarkable decision, but one she has never regretted. “I told my family and a few friends. But during the next weeks, as I was thinking about what to do, I called Al.” That would be Al Raine, coach of the men’s Canadian National Ski Team at the time, the team known as the Crazy Canucks. “I had only known Al from a distance up until that point, but I wanted to get his advice about my future.” She smiles, and adds, “That turned out to be a very important phone call for me.” She and Al Raine were married in 1969, and their twin sons were born a year later.
Since then, Nancy has applied her endless energy to the sport of skiing in Canada. She and Al were at the core of Whistler’s early development into an internationally recognized ski resort destination. They have since moved to Sun Peaks, near Kamloops, and are working hard at making it another major destination. “This place has all the physical beauty, and the runs, from green to double-black, are first-rate,” Nancy says. The Austrian national teams actually train at Sun Peaks at the beginning of each ski season, so this is no mere marketing campaign, but a reality.
Nancy is now a Canadian senator, in addition to her roles as director of skiing at Sun Peaks and chancellor of Thompson River University. “I had reservations about the senator thing,” she says. “But Al said it was a great opportunity to make a difference. So I looked at it more closely, and told the people who nominated me that I wanted to actually do some work, to make things happen and not just have a nice title.” She serves on the Fisheries and Oceans committee and the Aboriginal Peoples committee, and finds her hands are full with the job.
Nancy Greene Raine skied on three Canadian Olympic teams, winning 17 national championship titles, three U.S. titles and 13 World Cup victories in 1967 and 1968; to this day, the most by any Canadian skier. She has been awarded the Order of Canada, and numerous other honorary titles. Still, she remains a down-to-earth, practical-minded person, obviously well-liked by virtually every resident of Sun Peaks (and beyond, no doubt). She continues to be a strong advocate for the ski community, and still teaches classes, to every skill level. And she hikes a mean trail, without breaking a sweat.
