Nancy Greene

Perhaps the most famous name in Canadian alpine skiing, Nancy Greene’s title as Canada’s Female Athlete of the 20th Century is not without merit. In 1967 she became the first non-European to win the World Cup, with victories in seven of the sixteen events. The next year solidified her status as a champion: she won the World Cup, gold in the 1968 World Championships Combined event, silver in the Slalom at the 1968 Winter Olympics, as well as gold in the Giant Slalom event. She had not found much success at the 1960 or 1964 Winter Olympics, but was nevertheless Canada’s flag bearer in 1968.

Greene retired from competition that year, having been a member of the national ski team since 1959, and began working on the federal government’s Task Force on Sport For Canadians, which sought to develop sporting opportunities for Canadians. She also coached the Canadian National Team from 1968 through 1973. She is a Doctor of Laws and in 2005 was named Chancellor of Thompson Rivers University. In 2008 was appointed a Canadian Senator on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Among her many accolades, Greene won the Lou Marsh Trophy, given annually to Canada’s top athlete, in 1967 and 1968, was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of British Columbia, had her name placed on Canada’s Walk of Fame, and was made a member of the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, the United States National Ski Hall of Fame.