We love to hear stories from our Team Kelowna Alumni and are thrilled to see how they have progressed in their sports or excelled in a different or new sporting discipline. Here are just some of the stories of our alumni athletes and coaches. Please contact us with updates on your activities so your old teammates can celebrate your successes with you.
February 2025: Jordan Turley came home with a Silver Medal at the Taekwondo Canada Championships
Congratulations to Jordan Turley, alumna of ICG León 2024, who won a silver medal at the Taekwondo Canada Championships in Montreal on 4th February 2025. This was her first Nationals after only starting to spar leading up to the International Children’s Games in León, Mexico. Following Nationals, Jordan also competed at the Canada Open in Montreal.
Jordan has her sights on Nationals for February 2026 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. and pretty much anything and everything between now and then, and beyond. She’s definitely dreaming big!
March 2019: Kira Friesen, National Biathlon Champion
Whistler Olympic Park, BC, March 2019
Kira Friesen, alumna of the 2016 Games in Innsbruck, Austria, where she participated in Biathlon, is now a National Champion. Kira, from the Telemark Biathlon Club, won a Bronze, Silver and two Gold medals at Whistler Olympic Park at the weekend, where she participated in the North American and Canadian Biathlon Championships.
“Being amongst the best biathletes in Canada including the Canadian National team was inspiring, motivating and made me feel that getting to the World Cup circuit is achievable in a few years after high school,” said Kira.
Kira, competing in the Senior Girls category, won Bronze in the 6km Sprint, Silver in the 7.5km Individual Pursuit, Gold in the 7.5km Pursuit and a further Gold medal in the 2 x 4.5km Mixed Relay, along with her team BC partner Ksenyia Lypko from West Coast Nordic Club.
Despite her haul of medals, Kira said that carrying the BC flag over the finish line in the final leg of the relay was a proud moment, saying, “Hearing the crowd cheering as I crossed the line was pretty cool on B.C. home turf.”
Many congratulations to Kira and we will look out for her on the World Cup circuit in a few short years!
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January 2019: Two podium finishes for Ainsley
Congratulations to Ainsley Macdonald, who won Silver and Bronze medals in U16 Female Moguls at the Timber Tour provincial competition at Apex Mountain Resort near Penticton, BC.
Congratulations also to Ainsley for being one of only five female mogul athletes named to the long list for Team BC for the 2019 Canada Winter Games!
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November 2017: Ainsley Macdonald, 2016 ICG Bronze Medallist Freestyle Skier at the Innsbruck International Children’s Games, is looking forward to following up a terrific 2016/17 competition season this winter.
After winning bronze in Innsbruck in January 2016, Ainsley put together a tremendous 2016/17 Season culminating with a 7th place in the Jr National Mogul Championships in Quebec City, winning the overall BC Timber Tour Slopestyle Tour with a Gold and 2 Silver medal finishes and finishing 2nd overall in the BC Timber Tour Moguls Tour with 3 Silver podium finishes.
Ainsley was also the first unanimous winner of the BC Freestyle Spirit Award in 2016/17 given to athletes selected by all BC Freestyle coaches. This was a truly special honour acknowledging Ainsley’s outstanding sportsmanship.
Ainsley’s season came to an abrupt end at the Provincial Championships after winning Silver medals in each of the Mogul and Slopestyle events when she broke her collarbone while skiing course side cheering on a teammate. She was not able to compete in the Slopestyle Jr National Championships given the injury.
After a summer of rest, recovery and plenty of water ramp training, Ainsley is back to full strength and ready for the snow to fly so she can begin the new season. Ainsley begins the new season having qualified for her first Canadian Selections, at the youngest age possible, to be hosted at Apex Mountain in December 2017. Selections will be followed by Timber Tour stops at Panorama, Whistler and Mt Washington and Ainsley hopes to also compete in the BC Winter Games in February as well.
Kelowna International Children's Games Committee 