Spencer O'Brien facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Canadian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 2, 1988 Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada |
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| Residence | Vancouver, British Columbia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 150 pounds (68 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Snowboarding | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Spencer O’Brien (born February 2, 1988) is a famous Canadian snowboarder. She was born in Alert Bay, British Columbia. Spencer is part of the Indigenous community, belonging to the Haida and Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations.
She is known as one of the best female snowboarders in the world. Spencer has won many awards, including a gold medal at the 2013 FIS Snowboarding World Championships. She has also earned five medals at the Winter X Games.
Contents
Becoming a Snowboarding Star
Spencer O'Brien grew up on the West Coast of Canada. Her hometown was Courtenay, a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. She started skiing when she was only two years old. When she turned 11, she decided to switch to snowboarding.
In 2008, Spencer was named "Rookie of the Year" by Transworld Snowboarding magazine. This showed how quickly she became a top athlete in the sport.
Major Wins and Achievements
Spencer has achieved many important victories in her career. In 2012, she became the champion of the World Snowboard Tour. This was a big step in her journey to becoming a world-class snowboarder.
In 2017, Spencer won a bronze medal. This was in the slopestyle event at the Burton US Open in Vail, Colorado.
Competing at the X Games
Spencer O'Brien has been a regular competitor in the Women's slopestyle event at the X Games since 2007. She has won five X Games medals in total. One of these is a gold medal, which she earned in 2016. This was her eleventh time competing at the X Games.
In 2015, Spencer made history at the X Games. She was the first woman to successfully land a "Backside 900" trick in the competition. This is a very difficult move in snowboarding.
Overcoming Challenges
A few weeks before the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Spencer faced a challenge. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This is a condition that can cause pain and swelling in joints.
Despite this, she still competed in the Olympic event. She finished in 12th place. Spencer said that her health condition did not cause her to finish last. She continued to compete at a high level. In the 2016–17 FIS Snowboard World Cup, she won a silver medal. Many people saw her as a strong contender for a medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
See also
In Spanish: Spencer O'Brien para niños
