Two Accomplished Olympians Alex Gough and Kim McRae Re-Elected for Top Positions on Luge Canada’s Board of Directors
CALGARY—Two of Canada’s most accomplished Olympic luge athletes, Alex Gough and Kim McRae, will continue to help shape a new era for the sport in Canada while taking on key leadership positions on Luge Canada’s Board of Directors.
Two-time Olympic medallist, Alex Gough, was re-elected by voting members for another two-year term as president. McRae, who finished fifth in both of her Olympic appearances, was appointed vice-president of sport for a one-year term during the organization’s recent Annual General Meeting. McRae will also continue her responsibilities as athlete representative over the next year.
“It is a tremendous honour to have the opportunity to lead the sport in Canada that has given so much to me on and off the track,” said Gough, who won a silver and bronze medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games before going on to earn an Engineering degree at the University of Calgary. “We have an amazing group of people serving on our Board, all who bring a variety of valuable skillsets that are needed to further our organization’s goals.”
Compassionate, selfless, willing to challenge obstacles while exuding a passion for sport, fair play and a commitment to excellence, Gough has the experience of bringing credibility to her sport in Canada. She originally joined the Luge Canada Board of Directors in 2016 as the voice of the athlete community.
The Queen of Canadian luge retired in 2018 after competing in four Olympic Games. A trailblazer for her sport in Canada, Gough’s remarkable track to the international podium began in 2010 when she claimed the bronze medal at a World Cup race in Winterberg, Germany.
She became the first Canuck to win a World Cup race in 2011 when she accomplished the feat in Paramonovo, Russia. Her victory ended the Germans’ 105 consecutive race-winning streak on the World Cup. Gough added two more golden chapters in her story – becoming the first Canadian to win a luge race on home ice – Calgary 2012 and in Whistler in 2016. She is also the first Canadian to win two World Championship bronze medals in the sport. (2011 Cesana, Italy; and 2013 Whistler, B.C.).
Her impressive resume includes 27 individual and 16 team relay World Cup medals, the two individual and four team relay World Championship medals, in addition to her two Olympic medals. The story of her Olympic achievement was even greater following two heartbreaking fourth-place finishes at the Sochi Games in 2014.
Gough will take comfort in having her Olympic teammate, and the second most-accomplished female luge athlete – Kim McRae – will transition from the role of athlete representative to vice-president of sport on the Board.
“I am incredibly grateful to be on Luge Canada’s Board of Directors. After spending 16 years in the Canadian luge community and knowing all that it gave me, it is important for me to give back and support this new generation of athletes as much as I can,” said McRae, who officially retired three years ago to complete her nursing studies.
A fifth-place finisher at both the 2014 and 2018 Olympic Games, McRae came back from 10th-place after her first run at the 2017 World Championships to land on the podium and win the bronze medal. One of the most respected athletes in the Canadian program and international luge circuit, McRae won three individual World Cup medals and one team relay victory throughout her career.
Toronto’s Max Dawson, Calgary’s Peter Major, and Brian Onushko, of Nanoose Bay, B.C., were all re-elected for two-year terms. Dawson brings a strong corporate network to the Board, while Major is a Calgary-based lawyer and Onushko is a former Canadian luge athlete and business leader. Shannon Susko (Whistler, B.C.) will replace Zan Aycock as secretary. Aycock leaves the Board after serving in a variety of positions over the last eight years. Kevin Lundy (Ottawa) was elected to a one-year term.
Ron Stitt (Calgary) will continue as Treasurer, while another Olympic luge athlete from the 1988 Games, Chris Wightman (Ottawa), also returns for final year of two-year term as a Board Member at Large.
The Canadian Luge Association is a not-for-profit organization responsible for governing the sport of luge across the country. With the financial backing of from the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium, the Canadian Luge Association safely recruits and develops the nation’s current and future high-performance luge athletes with the goal of regularly climbing onto the international podium. For more information on the Canadian Luge Association, please visit us at www.luge.ca on the Internet.