Ashleigh McIvor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ashleigh McIvor
McIvor at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Country	Canada
Born	(1983-09-15) 15 September 1983 (age 41) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Ski club	Whistler Mountain SC
World Cup career
Seasons	5 – (2005, 2008–2011)
Individual wins	1
Indiv. podiums	11
Indiv. starts	28
Overall titles	0 – (7th in 2010)
Discipline titles	0
Medal record Women's freestyle skiing Representing  Canada Olympic Games Gold 2010 Vancouver Ski cross World Championships Gold 2009 Inawashiro Ski cross X Games Silver 2010 Aspen Ski cross

Ashleigh McIvor DeMerit (born September 15, 1983) is a Canadian retired freestyle skier. She lives in Whistler, British Columbia. Ashleigh was a member of the Canadian national ski cross team. She made history by winning the first-ever gold medal for women's ski cross at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She is also a former world champion in ski cross. She earned a second-place finish at the Winter X Games.

Ashleigh McIvor's Ski Career

Ashleigh McIvor started ski cross when she was young. She quickly became very good at it in North America. She was one of the youngest athletes on the World Cup circuit. Ashleigh even finished on the podium in her very first World Cup race.

Because she was so popular, Ashleigh worked with fashion photographers. She also modeled on runways and got big sponsorships from sportswear companies.

McIvor on the World Cup stop in Les Contamines

Ashleigh began competing in 2003. She won her first World Championship in 2009. This big win happened in Inawashiro, Japan. She has competed in four Winter X-Games. Her best result was a silver medal in 2010.

She also achieved eleven podium finishes on the FIS World Cup circuit. One of these was a silver medal at Cypress Mountain in 2009. This was the same place where the Vancouver Olympic Games were held. Ashleigh finished third overall in the 2008-09 FIS World Cup season. She then placed second overall in the 2009–2010 season.

Olympic Gold Medal Win

Before the Winter Olympics, Ashleigh went to the 2010 Winter X Games. This was her final practice event. There, she and fellow Canadian Kelsey Serwa finished second and third. They raced behind Ophélie David. Ashleigh's silver medal was her first X Games medal ever.

Ashleigh was part of Canada's freestyle skiing team at the Vancouver Olympics. Ski cross was a new medal event at these Games. Ashleigh McIvor had the second fastest time in the qualifying round. In the finals, she started very fast. She won the race with a good distance between her and Hedda Berntsen. With this victory, Ashleigh McIvor won the first Olympic gold medal for women's ski cross.

Retirement from Skiing

During the next season, Ashleigh had a serious knee injury. This happened during a practice run at the Winter X Games. Because of her injuries, Ashleigh retired from competitive skiing in late 2012. She said that she had already done more in the sport than she ever thought possible. She also felt it was good to retire as the current Olympic champion.

Ashleigh McIvor's Personal Life

Ashleigh graduated from Whistler Secondary School in 2001. She later studied Business and Marketing at the University of British Columbia. In 2012, Sportsnet Magazine named her one of the 30 Most Beautiful Athletes on the Planet.

Ashleigh married Jay DeMerit in 2013. Jay was the former captain of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC soccer team. The couple now have a son named Oakes.

After retiring from ski cross in November 2012, Ashleigh started focusing on new things. She gives speeches and makes appearances for her sponsors. She also works with charities. Ashleigh continues to freeski for various filmmakers and photographers. She stays involved in ski cross by working as an analyst for CBC and other broadcasters.

See also

In Spanish: Ashleigh McIvor para niños