Arctic Olympians - Sharon and Shirley Firth - from Aklavik Northwest Territories to Sapporo, Innsbruck, Lake Placid and Sarajevo

Welcome to Arctic the Culture Cure, the podcast all about Canada's Arctic, the climate, the animals, the land, the people, the culture and what it can teach the rest of the world. I'm your host, Rob Fagan. Sharon and Shirley Firth were born inside the Arctic Circle, deep in the vast Mackenzie Delta, in the small, remote Canadian community of Aklavik, Northwest Territories. From these humble beginnings, in the land of the midnight sun and winters of endless darkness, the identical twins, who are of Gwich' in heritage, became groundbreaking Olympic athletes. The sisters were part of the first Canadian women's cross country ski team at the Olympics and among the first indigenous athletes to attend the Olympics on behalf of Canada. Their competitive record is unparalleled. They were members of the National Cross Country Ski Team for an unprecedented 17 consecutive years and competed in four Olympic Games. Sapporo in 1972, Innisbrook in 1976, 1980, in Lake Placid, and Sarajevo in 1984. This string of Olympic appearances is also unmatched. Between them, the sisters won 79 medals at the national championships, including 48 national titles. Sharon and Shirley are the recipients of many other awards and, you know, often I don't list all of the awards that people have, but I think it's so important here to make note of these awards because, you know, the twins were so decorated as Canadian athletes, so, you know, also the John Semelenk Memorial Award from the Canadian ski Association in 1972, Commissioner's Award, Government of Northwest Territories in 1981, their Member of the Order of Canada, 1987, Canadian Ski hall of Fame, Canadian Ski Museum, 1990, the Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002, Sharon received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 2005. Shirley received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 2006. They're in the NWT Sport hall of Fame, inducted in 2012, the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, Canada's Sports hall of Fame, highest sports honour In Canada, in 2015, Sharon and Shirley. In 2017, Sharon became an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Alberta, and the twins were featured in the Women in Sports series on the Canada Post stamp. Sharon is a Canada Post trustee. Sharon's an adjunct professor at University of Alberta with Public Health. Sharon also is in the Order of the Northwest Territories. Sadly, Shirley Firth Larson passed away in 2013. However, her Canadian sports legacy will forever be remembered. I am so pleased and honoured to have her sister, one of my lifelong heroes, skiing legend Sharon Ann Firth, on our podcast today. Hello, Sharon. How are you?

Hello, Robert. I'm doing just fine.

That's Great. I'm so thrilled that you could make time. I wanted to thank you, Sharon, for making the time to join us today. I've been. For our listeners, I've been keeping in touch with Sharon, and she's been busy touring the communities of the Mackenzie Delta, the Beaufort Delta, over the last month or so. And maybe just starting off, Sharon, you could tell our audience a bit about your tour and what you were doing in these communities in the Beaufort Delta.

Well, my tourists started way back in 2001 when I. When I came north, I was pounding the pavement looking for work, because I just felt that it was time for me to give back to the Northwest Territories. And so I landed a job with MACA in the sports recreation area. And like, growing. Growing up and listening to the radio, because the radio is my lifeline. It connects me to, you know, right across the country and up north. But, like, when I listen to the radio, they talk about youth, you know, so the news is our future. So I thought, well, what are we doing for our youth? You know? And so I approached the government and said, you know, if you listen to the news, they all talking about the youth all the time. So what are we doing? We should create a youth secretariat. So we did that. And that's the legacy I'm going to leave with my job, knowing that I planted seeds there. So because I work with five regions and 33 communities, a couple of my co workers wanted me to travel their communities and share my story. And I thought, no way, because I was just too shy. And, you know, as indigenous women, we never talk about ourselves. We never talk about our accomplishments. And I just did not want to be a public speaker or, you know, because once I left sport, I wanted to just leave it like that, but that it didn't happen that way because once you're in the public eye, I just realized I'm always going to be in the public eye because, you know, I'm an amazing woman.

You certainly are.

So we started our tours in the Dacho, Fort Simpson, Nahanny, Fort Lillard, all those beautiful communities I've always wanted to see. And it was really, really amazing because not only did I speak to young people, but the older people, they finally got to get to see who I am. So you're Sharon. We thought you were, like 6ft tall. And I said my dream was to be 5 10. I always wanted to have long legs and 5 10. So I walked around like, I have long legs and I'm five ten. This is me. And so I just realized at that time, how. How important my message was for these young people and for the elderly because we, like, we're so unhealthy up here. We're very unfit. And it really scared me because I thought, you know, here I've been exercising since I was an infant, taking care of my body, taking care of what I ate, always trying to look my best because, you know, when you're in the public, you have to be the best. And I just thought, well, what am I going to do? How am I going to talk to these people so that it's not putting them down, but I need it for them to realize what they look like, they can see themselves, and if they're happy with themselves. So I realized that I had a big job to do, you know, and there's a lot of obesity up here. And I think it's really time now for us to start moving forward, because we are endurance people. We're not quitters. But on the social side, we're so stuck in with all the negative things that are happening up here. So how do we change that so we could have healthy communities? And it was very. It really touched my heart just seeing these people. And I can't do it by myself. You know, after all these years of going back and going back, I can't do it by myself. So I started reaching out and asking for help, because if our people want to be healthy, then it's up to them to do it. So it's all about life choices, and we're all stuck in a hole, and we don't know how to move forward. Well, there's lots of resources out there, and we have to start educating ourselves and being proud of who we are and doing something about it.

So it's that message. So it's that message of, you know, more of a healthy lifestyle and people realizing what they can actually achieve and do in their lives that you're trying to get across to the youth across the North.

Exactly. Like hunting. I always say hunting and trapping was a way of life for me because that's how we grew up. But when I got into sport, sport was a way of life for me.

So.

So when I moved up here, it was just natural for me to get up in the morning and do my run, do some sort of exercise program. And hopefully when people see me doing this, they get the bug. Yeah, you know, you're still running, you're still skiing. I said, yeah, because it's part of my. It's part of my lifestyle. You know, I want to feel good about myself. And when you take care of your bodies, because people are gonna look, you know, so if I'm taking care of my body, then I know that I'm staying healthy.

Yes. Now, you mentioned, you know, growing up and hunting and trapping, and you were born in a clavic, which is a beautiful community. You know, people who aren't familiar with it. You know, at the time when you were born, it was about 1500 people or so. It's in the Mackenzie Delta, a beautiful part of our world a lot of people don't see. And your parents lived a traditional lifestyle. What are your earliest memories of life with your parents in the Delta and living that more traditional lifestyle?

Well, as a family, we always did things together we didn't have. Like I mentioned earlier, the rage was our connection to the outside world. We didn't have TV or the fancy gadgets. Today that is a real distraction. You know, like even now on your iPhone or your gadgets, it tells you how much time you spend on it. And it's really shocking. It's really shocking because, like, if you're. If you're filling your mind with that kind of stuff, it's wasted. But when we were hunting and trapping and doing things with my parents, we were always outside. When my mother did cooking, we did cooking. When she did sewing, we did sewing. She always read the Bible to us at night before bedtime. So she set values and standards for us. And I'm really proud of that because we live in a world today where it's scary out there and you have to be strong, especially as a woman, you have to be really strong and stand up to the whole wide world. And I think Shirley and I really demonstrated that when we put on our skis and went to. Went on the global scene and, you know, competed with those giants in the world.

Yes. Now, you. You and Shirley, how many other siblings do you. Did you have?

There was 13 of us. Seven sisters and five brothers.

Oh, wow. So big family.

Big family.

Yeah. So did your. So was it a traditional way of life that supported your whole family? You know, was it the hunting and trapping that supported your family when you were young?

It was. Yeah, exactly. It was the hunting and trapping. And then when we moved into town, my dad became a heavy duty mechanic. Oh. So he. So he like. Like a new. He helped build Anubik, all the houses that are on pilings. My dad did that.

And when you guys moved to Inuvik, you know, that's an interesting part of the history up north too. And, you know, when I was young. We lived in Inuvik just a couple years after it came into existence. So we were living there at the same time even though we didn't know it. And how when you moved to Inuvik, did life change a lot for your family when you moved to Inuvik, you know, compared to when you're living in a clavic?

Well, my parents really felt that education was very important. And the only thing is Inuvik was very separated. You had the non natives on one side and you had all the natives on the other side. And we never really, what you call it anywhere, you know, so the very segregated. I felt it was segregated.

Right.

We lived in Happy Valley in ten town because that's how, you know, we moved to Inuvik and there was no housing for us. So that's how like all my parents, friends, that's how we lived until we were able to move into affordable housing. And there's no such thing as affordable housing in the Northwest Territories.

No, and I know that firsthand. I worked for the housing corporation when I was up north for a number of years and I can. You're bang on and still that's such a problem up north, that lack of affordable housing. Now this is a question that I've. I'm sure you've been asked this before, Sharon, and something I've wondered, you know, cross country skiing became such a huge part of your life. Do you remember the first time that you saw a pair of skis or someone skiing or what. What grabbed you about cross country skiing?

Well, it was in the. The spring of 1966, I believe, and there was a bunch of friends going out skiing and we never heard about skiing, never even heard about the Olympics for that matter. So we asked my mother if we could go skiing and she said yes, but Shirley and I had to be together. And when we were out there, it was all fun. Skiing was fun, sports was fun, and all our friends did it. So at that time there was a coach scouting us and he said that he seen something different with Shirley and I. We had a rhythm going and we were light on our skis and we just. We danced on our skis. Yeah. So that's. So that was the very first time I ever had put on a pair of skis. And I realized at that time that that was the sport for me without realizing it was the sport for me.

Right.

You know, who skied? That was. That's not a traditional sport for native people. But it worked because, you know, we have that endurance and Never giving up. And we also skied when it was cold.

Yeah.

Like, who does that?

Well, yeah, the training sounds extremely hard that you went through. I'm aware of that. The test program, the territorial experimental ski training program that Father Musha started. And then you had a coach from Norway that was coaching up in Inuvik. And, I mean, I don't think people realize that the extremes that you likely trained in, I mean, there's 24 hours of darkness in the middle of winter, and temperatures can be quite cold. So do you have memories of that as well, just how difficult the training may have been and what pushed you through that?

Well, the training itself wasn't difficult because we loved it. It was when we stopped training and had to walk home in that cold. That's when the cold really hit you. But as for the sport, you know, we had. At that time, we had all 663 communities in Inuvik because of the residential school. And, you know, we, like, everybody skied. The town was excited, the government was excited. And it's. It's a real shame today that it didn't. It hasn't continued because that's where the talent is. It's raw talent up there. I'm always talking about it. Nobody listens to me. So, you know, maybe. Maybe one day people will wake up and realize that, you know, you just can't sit around forever. You got to do something with your life. And sport isn't everything because, you know, it's. You need equipment, you need coaching, you need, you know, equipment to prepare the tracks. You know, you need the whole community to get involved.

Yes. Yeah.

And it's. It's very difficult today because there's so many other issues that are happening, but, you know, like, what's. What's priority, what's important in your life? And I. I don't know that answer to that because I can answer for me. And yes, bring, you know, bring it forward. But, you know, we need to. The government needs to. They got to see. They got to just open their eyes and realize how, you know, like, we don't make it. We don't make sports a way of life. Like, if you. If you go to Norway, for example, everybody skis.

Yes.

Everybody's healthy. I've never seen overweight people there. You know, they're always. Not necessarily racing, but they have skis on.

Right.

You know, the young people to the elderly. And over here, it's not like that. Like, clear across the country were a bunch of lazy people.

And then, you know, seriously. Yeah, similar climate Norway in the winter. And I believe, you know, having grown up in the North, I believe you're absolutely right that there is a lot of untapped potential up in the north, that if young people would only realize it and if there was things that would, you know, help people get up off their butts, so to speak, and realize they have that potential, it can be amazing. You just have to watch, you know, people do Arctic sports and things like that to realize how athletic people are in the Arctic and to know that they could excel if there was something that could drive them forward. And, you know, I was wondering, being yourself, being indigenous and, you know, Gwich' in a Metis, did you have a consciousness about that when you were young, about your heritage? And was that pride of heritage a motivator in any way to make you excel at skiing?

Well, my parents ingrained in us who we were, so I never had. I never had an issue with that when. Whenever I traveled, I knew where I came from and, you know, never forgot those humble beginnings.

Yes.

And it's. It's in my blood. So to never be ashamed of your culture and where you come from, that's so important. Very. For me, it was really important because people. People, you know, like, they say, well, we're native. How come you're doing this? And, you know, well, we're not quitters.

Yes. Yeah, you bet. Now, in 1968, you and Shirley made your national debut, and you both medaled at the age of 15 in the Canadian Junior Cross Country Championships. Can you maybe take us through that experience? I mean, that must have been amazing, you know, for. At that age and so early in your careers to go to the national championships and to medal.

Well, it was very, very like a game. We had fun on skis, so it wasn't pressured. We're just out there having fun. But Roseanne Allen, the late Roseanne Allen, she won the Junior championships.

Okay.

Championships. And she was. At that time, she was the youngest. I think she was only 13, and Shirley and I were 14 already. But, like, it was the whole, you know, it was the pride of the Northwest Territories, you know, representing our territory at the Canadian Championships. And we cleaned up. But prior. But prior to 1968, we had the very first Canada Winter Games. That was in Quebec City. And the Canadian. The Northwest Territories clean up with Eva Taranjo or Janet Taranjo. Eva Taranjo, Agnes Steen, Anita Allen, John Ross from McPherson, Brett Kelly, you know, so we started winning as soon as we had skis on, and, you know, we carried that Legacy. We followed into there, their footsteps.

Yeah. Because the next year, you and Shirley started to win gold medals at the national level. And some might consider that, I think they called a meteoric rise. You know, your second year competing and you win gold medals at the national level. And you would have been, you know, 15 or 16 at that time. And again, you talk about your enjoyment of the sport, but did that surprise you? You know, that all of a sudden here you are, you know, getting gold medals at that level?

It didn't surprise us at all because we trained. You know, when you're. When you prepare for anything and you do your job, your homework, you know, of course it's gonna be success. Where I think today kids are scrambling. You know, we have the Arctic Winter Games, which is. Which is participation, and kids are scrambling. You know, they're. They're not fit. And if they don't make this sport, then they run to the next and to the next and to the next until they make a team. But when they come to the actual event, I mean, this is from my experience and from my observation.

Yes.

That they. They're. They're hurting so badly because they're not fit.

Right, Right.

So then you're not fit. You're going to hate the sport.

Yeah. Yes.

So. So, as educated people, what are we doing to help our young people understand how important it is to be fit and then enjoy it like we did?

Yeah, and you're right. I mean, it needs to become an important part of your everyday life to be fit. And, you know, once you start to. I think at least, you know, fitness is an important part of my life, and you almost get addicted to it once you get into a rhythm of it and it becomes such. It's just to get out of that rut, though, and to accept it and to start to be fit, I think, is what needs to happen to people. And, you know, through your leadership and continuing to travel to communities, hopefully, you know, that will make a difference as we move forward in the north, and that'll make a different difference to the youth.

I sure hope so.

Now, again, you know, you came on the national scene in the 1960s, and that must have turned a few heads. You were indigenous, and the 60s was very different than it is today. You know, some things haven't changed, but, you know, other things have. And did you ever feel any sense of racism when you went to these national competitions, being indigenous and from the north, and all of a sudden you're. You're winning gold and you're from this little Community way up, you know, in the middle of nowhere. And you're an indigenous person and a female. Did you ever feel any sense of that, that there might have been, you know, people resenting your success or resenting because you're indigenous?

Well, it was definitely there, but like I said, my parents were very smart people, and they really instilled in us who we were. So it wasn't a problem for us, it was a problem for the other people. If they wanted to win, then they're just gonna have to train, you know?

Yes.

So, I mean, both Shirley and I, we followed our program, our training programs. We loved being out there in the outdoors, and we also really loved competing with the men on our team. We always looked at them as the Russians or the Finns or the East Germans because they're strong and the guys were stronger than us. So we trained, always trained with the guys. Wow.

Again, that's an incredible example. You do. It's that way of training and so on. Out of all your achievements. I mean, again, I mentioned them at the start of this podcast episode. There's so many. You competed all over the world and against world class athletes, which is, you know, something only, you know, others can aspire to, to get that, compete on that level. Is there any particular competition or achievement that stands out in your memory that you're extremely proud of, maybe above the rest?

Well, for example, when we're in Europe, the Europeans were more proud of us than Canadians were.

Wow.

You know, they. They treated us so well and, you know, they. They followed us. You know, sure, they may have followed us in Canada, but, you know, the Europeans knew more about us than our own back door.

Yes. Yeah. That's amazing. You know, that's something that I thought might be the case a bit because cross country skiing is so big in some of those European countries. But in my opinion, what a shame that, you know, there's not the same. Hasn't been the same level of recognition in Canada for, you know, you know, you and Shirley, just tremendous athletic achievement that we, as Canadians, you know, I'm so proud of that. And we should all be so proud of that. Of what, what you achieved.

Well, thank you. I'm very proud of it.

Yeah, you should be. You should be. Now you've hung up your skis, you know, some years ago, and, you know, after, you know, being a part of the national ski team for 17 years, how hard was it to hang up the skis, you know, so to speak, after skiing being such a big part of your life for so Long.

Well, actually, I wanted to compete until the 88 Olympics, but there was too much politics happening on the Canadian team, and I just figured, you know, to avoid the hassles, it's just best to finish while I'm on top. And so the. The next big race or training would be coming home and seeing where I fit in.

Yeah, yeah. Now, you've mentioned, you know, fitness is obviously still a big part of your life, and you travel to communities up in the north and you. Is cross country skiing is still a big part of that, is that I know you teach fitness to the youth in the different communities. Do you teach them? You know, is cross country skiing a part of that, that fitness that you teach them as well?

Well, you know what? I'm going to take that word fitness out, because when I'm going into the communities, I'm more of a social worker.

Okay.

Fitness person. And I'm there because my role really changed. Like I said, I was really concerned about the amount of food people ate, the lack of exercise. You know, people were so big compared to when we were growing up. You know, we were fit people, you know, and so now I had to turn that around and find, okay, what am I good at? And it's actually talking with people. Like, you know, when I'm walking on the streets and seeing people and I stop and talk and ask them how they're doing and, you know, what's their future look like and such. Because even. Even when I started talking with young people, like, I'd say, okay, when I was 14 years old, I made it to my very first Canadian Championships. When I was 16 years old, I made it to my very first World Junior Championships in Austria. And that same year, when I was 16, we made it to the World Senior Championships. When I turned 18, I made it to my very first Olympics. 18. And then 18, 19, 21, 22, I made it to my second world or Olympics, 26, my third world Olympics, and 32, I made it to my fourth Olympics. So I try to make them look at their age and what are you doing with your life, you know, to really know that we're put on earth for a purpose. So what's your purpose? How are you contributing to your community? And how are you. What kind of example are you leading for yourself and for your community? And, you know, how to be proud of what you're doing and what are you doing? Mm.

What a good message.

So it's. It's. I try to be as positive as I can.

Yeah. So if there was one One thing, Sharon, that you could share with the youth today, one message that you think is the most important message for youth. What would that be?

Show up. Wake up in the morning and show up. And then as long as you're doing your best, you can't ask for more than that. So you have to figure out what is your best.

Yes. Yeah.

And you have to apply it to yourself. And, you know, we. It's lifelong learning. There's so much out there to learn. You know, like kids, just get inspired and motivated as to what your dream is.

Yes.

Like not just have a dream, but do it well.

You know, I think you're such an incredible example of that, too. I mean, I didn't know that you make some beautiful jewelry and things like that as well. So here you are, someone who's been a world class athlete, and then I see on the Internet that you're making beautiful jewelry as well, which I had no idea. So, I mean, that's something that you've learned, you know, in your life as well. So you haven't stopped. I mean, your competitive skiing career may have stopped, but you're being fit, you're learning, you're doing new things, you're. You're making jewelry, you're doing, you know, you go to speak to people and so on. So what a great example of that.

That lifelong learning and surround yourself with winners. Surround yourself with people that are doing things. Like, for example, when I go home, I always make sure that I visit the elderly because that's where the education is. They have to get to know me all over again. But thank goodness I had wonderful parents. So they know who my parents are. So, you know, it's easy for them to welcome me into their home and talk, take the time to visit with them. And, you know, you might not understand what they're telling you in the beginning, but down the road you say, okay, so that's what they meant.

Yes.

So they're the, they're the PhDs of the land. You know, they have lots of life experiences. Tough times, hard times, wonderful times, sad times. But they have endurance and they continue to go on. And that's where I get my inspiration from, is the elders. And I think that that goes way back because since we were born, my parents always brought us to our elders. Just sit and listen.

Yes. Yeah. And the wisdom of the elders, that's something that you don't want to lose. And it's something that I think is so important to all of us going forward. So thank you so much, Sharon. I really appreciate the time you've. You've put aside for this and being a part of the podcast. It's really appreciated. Thank you so much.

Thank you. And hello to everybody out there in video land. I still listen to the radio. That's where I get all my gossip from cbc.

Well, you know, we have a growing audience of listeners to this podcast. And, you know, a lot of people are telling me that when they're driving in their car now, they listen to this podcast and when they're on trips and things like that, or even on a weekend when they're sitting at home, it's something they love to listen to. So I know they're going to enjoy this episode. And once again, thank you so much, Sharon.

And just tell them to keep it simple. Keep it simple, you betcha. Okay, thank you very much.

Take care.

Bye for now. Bye bye.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Arctic the Culture Cure. For more information about my novels or to inquire about my presentations, please Visit my website, www.robertfagan.com. we'll join you again on the next episode of Arctic the Culture Cure.