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- _. We“ “(1le (IHIONICLE ' Wednesday. April 3. 20! i0 27 Golden girl , O O O O O . SIAM s Maddy Taylor bounces backfi'om Injuries to finish sla career with OPS/1A gold BvlloaVlanuc fromallofthoseiniuries and my .' , ‘ ~ _» ' i ‘ _ ; , ,5 WW‘E‘LW. doctormdmy phvslowuesayins W: .7 , . .7 , ; ' I it wasn't a good the for me to be f‘xigt'figf ’ ;_"-‘j‘ g * ~.‘ . g ' .1; 5-1; :i‘?v‘ 453;. . eddy Thylor's first OFSAA racing again hearse the next time , if Cr C . ' ' " >54: ’ ' . ' “a... r" ’ 5" Mgold medal in skiing two could mean even more serious ’ -. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘9‘ ' 5 ‘~ g " E2- ‘ years ago was almost damageandinjurytomyback.‘ . " . *â€" 3 , expected from a high-perfor- So Taylor took a step back. She . I g 5 . ' 7 7 5. l mance skier with a promising took up coaching at her home - . , _ 5' . ' . i competitive career. club. the Craigleith Ski Club in . ‘ if ’ ‘ "z , g “i just wasn’t as excited.” said Collingwood. guiding daredevil ' - ' q?" . a Taylor, who made it to Junior eight-yearâ€"oldboysintheartofski . . _ -‘ ’ ‘ ' s Nationab in 2012 in Whistler, ac. racing. n . . . ,. . - ' ~’ and was a member of the FIS Their high-energy antics. and ‘ ‘ L2, ._ a“ ; (international Skiing Federation) the challenge of trying to make ' ' " - ; , _ i r . ' : , circuit “it's like i was trying not to sure they‘re skis were pointed the 3.95 a: ,3. y . ; " a. ’ " _;,-. \ ~ . ’ ; .57; disappoint .. i was expected to right direction, proved to beawel- ' . 31‘ >35“ 4‘? ‘ ‘ ' 51‘ ""f"~3~f-“5 ; ““- wmechaufllat ’ . I {1243; " ‘ .r 4 . a The same can't be said for her ‘They were crazy.” she said. ., ‘4 _ . egg; ‘ ., . ' ‘ ' ‘ 5 ~ . second OFSAA goldmedal thatshe “But they were good skiers and '< 157': ' “5f- . . » . , ) , . g." “ ' . won recently as a member of the they would be whipping down » * â€" ‘ . k ' " 9 1' Sir lohn A. MacDonald High- right behindme." _ . ._ . ‘ . 7 h. ' landers ski team. Especially after it also gave her an opportunity ' _ :15“. . , . ' . ‘ .. ‘ ‘ - injurynearlydemiledanythoughts she might not havehad otherwise i; “ ‘52. - fl ~ '. ‘ g ofracingandendedherParflCipa< -â€"achancetosl‘lduatewithher 5 ~"' we a ‘- 7 “If h ‘ tion in high performance skiing friends and classmates this year - “I,“ . ‘ A dislocated vertebra in her instead of going on to a high per- in. - 5f};- . r55 ' ' «A»; : '7 is»: .. 1 -,. egg” - 5.213..c;,§;_g.;;.‘f‘,'“‘¥“%§:;%é§-‘¥ spine. a bum hip and five concus- formance program and missing . .4 . 4.135;: ~ ‘srqggaég’gggisfiifs Sé.‘ :- 1; “$153; a». “ 1 -. "~J‘S'E‘fi'3fig, ‘ sions later, those dreams of a com- out on the things that come with : E 1. g { new ..,7"“""’I§':j 35;:55393411‘ giéx‘éz“. f*~..JT's5*_A;;»} ‘13 f vié~<éing§ ‘ mm sh mm pm on how the final mother shoot 2- . M... . ‘ : i; 1.. s w: a. a}: ' ‘ i th'B m HE! family and the med- '1 was [any 581 n first, but at .; .‘ .»:~‘:-.".-vs’s..‘2_= . v‘ ‘ ‘= gr: .‘ . ”an fie‘afiurf‘xfi'i" ‘ ‘ «7. "’.iy?-$“i'vi'l; ~ ."L. " «ukfififisavit‘ in: f» : , icalprofessionalsattendingtoher thesametimelknewlcouldn't SlrJohnA.WMTaymmpenfiveskirzeummmdmitmduaihdlastyeadmm convinced the straight 'A' student stay here and do my senior year injuries. including a (1% mo in her spine. She decided to give racing one last 5'“ and won I gold and that her health and future cogniâ€" and ski.” said Taylor. '1 would have broom ml at the 075“ Ski “will! in Cdllw- WWW live abilities were more important had to go to a ski academy out than chasing another downhill west. and i kind ofwanted mysen- tions, and the idea of finishing on medal finish in theslalom finals was in Grade 10 and I said i had to medal. ioryear to be here. so itwas kind of top again seemed like the perfect But she felt the pain again in win because i'll be embarrassed if i “I had to quit.' said Taylor. who meant to be.” way to cap herhigh school career. her hip and her knees. not to menâ€" tell my coaches i didn't win. This . was still participating in twice a But she still had the racing bug That plan almost pt derailed tion her still wonky back. Luckily, time therewas no pressure." week rehabilitation session to That's when she decided to suit up because of the dispute between there would be less of that hard After the first run she was tied regain some semblance other for. again for her school's racing team. the province's public high school turning in the downhill finals, for the lead. and actually helped to mer good health until a couple of She had collected a gold and a sil- teachers and the provincial gov» although she still had her doubts calm the nerves of her nearest months ago. “I was recovering ver medal in previous competi- man that left a lot ofemaeur- abunhmfastshecouldgo. competitor who was competing in .5 ricular activities in jeopardy There “After the first day of slalom l her first OFSAA final. in Taylor’s were no local qualifying races and was in a lot of pain and i asked second run all she Could do was i. ‘ only one shot to make it to the allâ€" myself if i could do the second wait forthe final announcement ’ Ontariofinals nut'said'layion‘nutiknewfiiant 'lhadmida'saidThyion'Alli ~ , Her ski coach at SIAM. Brian Slalom and downhill doesn't hurt heard at the end was. she takes lawn. got her a last minute entry as much. but after my second run l the lead.’ - . attheCWDSSAchampionshipthat hadneverbeeninthatmuchpain ‘Thiswasreallyallthecompetiâ€" . " , . served as a qualifier for Ontario becauseeverything just seized up. tive skiing that We done. and it jg: 32191;» 5 55.3. > high school finals Despite not rac- 'l just had to get over it. and tumedouttobefine. a? " he» 31”» .. a'_: Q 3% ing competitively for almost a year everything turned out on the sec- “it's sweeter this time because it W”; ’ " 1*“1 ‘3’”. . ' 3* is; she beat her nearest competition and day.” was really unexpected and i had fly? ' $1 9:. if"? is. I " ' by three seconds. and only one of The real challenge for her on been througt so much physio and ‘ " sgtfilJfiy' , f2 ‘ . w the male skiers on the course beat the downhill course turned out to rehab. i didn't think my body _. ‘ 53.??? [Sign ‘ heroveralltime. be the flat portions of the race would pull through but i guess it , ,- ' ~ =$ 3‘" 5x ' “£33” “i missed those big races.” said wherethe slid“ Taylor struggled to did for onelastrun.” v f " .~ a ’1‘... . 5r, - wt Taylor. ”But at the same tirnel was maintain herspeed. The next chapter of Taylor's life ‘ F .ani’iqiiggé ' it ' .. ; in pain again. so I waslikelquit for ‘i'm small so i can't carry my will take her to the west coast or Z , ~ ' _ 3" ' ' 'i > ,1 m; '. a reason. speed down." said Taylor. “But you Australia for a commerce degree. is” , ’7‘» "‘ ‘ “My body was trying to tell me don’t forget how to race â€" it's like Sowhat's the next challenge? if ff a. . 3‘ something, and so were my par- riding a bike â€" you get right back ‘l’d like to learn how to surf." “t . ‘ -‘ " ' ' l ’ ents" on it. said the 18â€"year-old. who is head- Maddy Taylor finished either high school skiing career with two OFSAA The OFSAA finals would be her “i didn't think about it, i just ing of! to school at the University gold medals in the downhill, a silver in the 6.5., and a bronze in slalom. last shot. Despite some body decided to have some fun. That of British Columbia or the Univer- ‘ "WM“ aches. she managed a bronze was much different than when l sity ofSydnr'y.