In my firstever ski race, I missed my start, broke the strap on my ski, and ran into a large tree at speed. But I stuck with it, skiing poorly for decades until I took lessons and received coaching. I've been a member of ENSC for about 30 years. I taught and coordinated the Sunday Jackrabbits program for about 8 years when my children were of that age. I coordinated and raced in the biathlon program for 5 years, and I've been coaching in the Masters ski program for the past 4 years. Sharing the wonders of skiing and winter with others is personally fulfilling and satisfying. It's part of why I love winter and live in Edmonton.

Wietske has been the Lead Coach for the Adult group for 11 years, while passing on her passion for cross country skiing and competing. Like many other athletes, she started taking ENSC lessons as her children became better skiers and progressed through the groups after which she started to coach. 

Her favourite ski memory is finishing the last hill during the Masters World Cup at Sovereign Lakes, passing an American athlete while tons of spectators cheered and rang their bells. 

She competes in events from local loppets to the Masters World Cup level and is keen to take as many of her athletes to these races as she can.  She competes in the 55km with pack Canadian Birkebeiner every winter. Her goal is to help every cross-country skier be the best they can be.  She works as a Public Health Nurse in St. Albert and competes in triathlons in the summer from Sprint to Ironman distance.

Liz started skiing through the woods at a young age with her family and then picked it up again as an adult. After taking a few lessons with ENSC and getting hooked, she sooned joined the Masters program and is still participating 10 years later.  Liz’s favorite ski memories are journeying to Whitehorse to participate in the Buckwheat Loppet with husband Jeremy and the World Masters in Canmore. Her favorite place to ski is right from her front door to a nearby ravine on a ‘once a year’ snow day. 

Anand has been skiing with ENSC since he was eight, enjoys running, and has studied outdoor recreation. He brings an interest in learning from people and their understanding of Nordic ski technique, and collaborating with other coaches. Anand has been a Track Attack coach since the 2023-2024 season. His favourite place to ski is Lappe Nordic (Thunder Bay, Ontario) and skiing idol is Jessie Diggins of the US National Team.

Although skiing for many years Nola only truly learned how to ski after joining ENSC. She joined the club in 2016 and has been coaching the Masters group since 2020. She came for the skiing and stayed for the people. She loves that there is always improvement to be had, and enjoys the camaraderie of working hard with like minded people.  

Paul loves cross country skiing because it’s a great sport for any age and one can do it the whole life. It also gets him out in the winter and keeps him happy. Paul joined Edmonton Nordic back in 1985 to learn better how to skate ski. Seven years later he decided to take coaching courses and has coached ever since. It’s wonderful to see others making progress and to share the love of skiing. 

Bio coming… stay tuned!

Hello! My name is Anneke, and I have been coaching Jackrabbits for 10 years, JR+ for five, and other levels of cross country for 6 years. I was born in Edmonton, raised here, and grew up through the Jackrabbit and Track Attack program. I love the outdoors and enjoy running, skiing, swimming, and rock climbing. I hope to see you out on the trails of any of the parks in Edmonton!

Trent began cross-country skiing at a young age with the Jackrabbits program in Camrose. Skiing casually through university and while raising a family, he returned to the sport eight years ago when he joined Edmonton Nordic. Mentored by Roy Merritt, Trent was inspired to take up coaching, a role he’s embraced for the past five years. Living in Alberta, Trent  has learned to fully enjoy the snow and embraces the winter season with enthusiasm. One of his favourite places to ski is Goldbar as it always has snow. He also loves to ski at Silverstar near Vernon BC in each November, where the conditions and scenery are always perfect. Grateful for the supportive ski club community, he feels honored to share his  love of the sport with others. 

Anders learned to XC skiing in Finland, where small club races frequently took place. When growing up, he always had a training buddy, competitor, and motivator in my identical twin brother, who was more interested in skiing than I was at first. 

Now years later, I am interested in passing on a great sport and a healthy lifestyle to the next generation, therefore coaching with ENSC.

Maya grew up in Athabasca, Alberta, where she learned to ski with Athabasca Nordic Ski Club. After high school, she spent eight years in Canmore training with the National Ski Team, Rocky Mountain Racers, and the Alberta World Cup Academy. During this time, Maya represented Canada at the Youth Olympics, as well as Junior, U23, and Senior World Championships.

Following her athletic career, Maya transitioned to coaching to share her passion for skiing and high-performance sport. This is her second year coaching with Edmonton Nordic. She strives to create supportive, focused environments where athletes can challenge themselves, build confidence, and develop the skills and knowledge they need to take ownership of their athletic journey.

Maya holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Calgary and is currently completing a Bachelor of Education at the University of Alberta. Outside of coaching, she enjoys running, mountain biking, and spending time outdoors.