Quick Facts:
Sport: Ski Cross
Parents: Melvin Sherret, Heavy Duty Mechanic, Elkview Operations and Jill Sherret
Hometown: Cranbrook, B.C.
Teck Possibilities Fund Athlete since 2011
Age: 21
After reaching the podium at a World Cup ski cross event in Idre Fjall, Sweden in January 2018, India Sherret soon found out she had reached another major career milestone – she would be attending the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea as a member of Team Canada.
Since 2011, India has been the recipient of Teck's Possibilities Fund, a program to help support the children and grandchildren of our employees and retirees around the world in the pursuit of athletic excellence in their respective sports. The Possibilities Fund provides financial support to help offset the cost of training and competing at national and international levels.
Teck is proud to support India along her journey to excellence and we congratulate her on being selected to Team Canada and competing at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Just days before she left for South Korea, and from her training camp in Whistler, Canada, India took a moment to talk with Teck.
What's it been like since finding out you will be competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics as part of Team Canada?
It's been really busy! It's really exciting but also a little overwhelming. At the beginning of this ski
season no one on the World Cup circuit even knew who I was – I was a young Canadian kid – but then I started doing well and had some successes.
The goal whenever you're racing in a World Cup is to get to the Olympics but it wasn't something I totally expected to happen this season. While I have raced ski cross since I was 15, I've only been on the World Cup circuit since last February.
How does it feel to represent Team Canada at PyeongChang?
Representing Canada is something I've always wanted to do, I've dreamed of being an Olympic athlete. There's something about wearing a Canadian flag and competing against the best athletes in the world that is very fulfilling.
Also, as Canadians we share some similar values, such as inclusion and diversity – these values, and being able to represent them, is important to me.
What are you looking forward to experiencing in PyeongChang, outside of your competition?
I'm really looking forward to getting out and immersing myself in Korean culture as much as I can; I've never been to a country in Asia before.
I'm also really looking forward to going to see other events and get a feel for how the Olympics work – it will be really cool to be in a place with so many other elite athletes. In particular, I'll be cheering louder than I've ever cheered before for the men's ski cross event, which is two days before the women's race.
At Teck, excellence is a core value – a value we know drives Team Canada athletes every day as you train and compete on the world stage. What does the pursuit of excellence mean to you?
As an athlete we always strive for excellence; every day I train to be better. I always want to be improving; be a better athlete, more coachable, train harder, take feedback others give me and incorporate that into how I work.
Can you tell us about your experience being a Possibilities Fund athlete?
I've been a recipient since 2011, pretty much the whole time I've been ski cross racing. The support means so much to me. Early on it really made me feel like someone saw my potential and that was really important to me. Now, it plays a huge role in my being able to do what I love. The support helps me focus on what I do best, which is skiing.
How did your family react to the news you would be competing at the Olympics?
My parents are bursting with excitement and pride, and yes, they are definitely coming to Korea, I don't think there's anything that could stop them!
My parents have been such a big part of my athletic journey and so supportive of everything I've done; when I was younger this often meant long drives so I could train in Alberta. They've been my biggest supporters.
The women's ski cross event will take place on February 23. Please check your local broadcast listings for viewing times and to factor in time zone difference.
