Dara Howell facts for kids
Dara Howell at a photoshoot in 2019
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| Nickname(s) | Dar, Lizzy D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 23, 1994 Huntsville, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dara Howell was born on August 23, 1994. She is a Canadian freestyle skier. Dara made history at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She was the first freestyle skier to win a gold medal in ski slopestyle. This was the first time slopestyle was an Olympic event.
Dara has also won bronze medals in women's slopestyle. She earned these at the Winter X Games XVII in Aspen, Colorado. She finished behind Tiril Sjåstad Christiansen and Kaya Turski.
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Skiing Career Highlights
Dara Howell first competed at the Winter X Games in Aspen in 2012. She was the youngest female athlete there. After that, she won a bronze medal at the 2012 Winter X Games in Tignes. By 2019, Dara had won four medals at the Winter X Games.
Olympic Gold in Sochi
At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Dara was seen as a strong contender for a gold medal. Her teammate, Kaya Turski, was also expected to do well. However, Kaya was not feeling well on the day of the competition. She fell during her qualifying runs and did not make it to the final.
In the final, Dara Howell had an amazing first run. She scored 94.2 points. This score was so good that it held up, and she won the gold medal! Another Canadian skier, Kim Lamarre, won the bronze medal. This meant Canada earned two medals in the event.
Dedicating Her Win
Many Canadian women in freestyle skiing were close to Sarah Burke. Sarah was a freestyle skier who sadly passed away a few years before slopestyle became an Olympic sport. Sarah had coached Dara at Momentum Ski Camps. Dara dedicated her Olympic victory to Sarah.
Dara said, "I can't believe it. It is so amazing. I am so happy to win a gold medal for Canada. This is the best moment in my entire life. I said earlier this week, I hope a Canadian brings home a gold medal for Sarah. I can't believe it's me. It's totally for Sarah."
Later Olympic Games and Injuries
After the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Dara faced some challenges. She dealt with injuries and personal difficulties. Despite this, she still qualified for and competed in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. These games were held in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Dara's 2018-2019 season was cut short by an injury. She tore a knee ligament at the Big Air World Cup in New Zealand. This injury needed surgery. Dara missed the rest of that season while she recovered.
Dara returned to competition in November 2019. She competed at the Modena Skipass World Cup in Italy. She finished first in the qualifying round. Then, she went on to win a bronze medal in the final.
About Dara's Life
Dara Howell was born in Huntsville, Ontario. She went to Tawingo College and Huntsville Public School. She also graduated from Huntsville High School. Dara has an older brother named Brett. Dara has shared that she faced some personal challenges after winning her gold medal in 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Dara Howell para niños
