Bold, Beautiful Adventures: Female Olympic Biathletes Inspire Girls’ Getaways in Whistler

For the women who train together towards competing in Olympic biathlon events, “time spent with the girls” could involve invigorating cross-country skiing sprints followed by practice at a biathlon range. Female biathletes awed a crowd of cheering, supportive spectators with their incredible performances at Whistler Olympic Park on February 18, 2010. Examples of ambitious, passionate female athletes are plentiful in Whistler — especially during the 2010 Winter Games — and the opportunities for extraordinary adventures are almost endless, making it a perfect destination for a girls’ getaway that’s truly inspirational.

As Host Mountain Resort for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Whistler welcomed the world’s best female biathlon athletes. Biathlon — which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting — first became an Olympic sport for women in 1992 at the Albertville Games in France. During the 2010 Winter Games, women competed in relay, sprint, pursuit, mass start and individual events.

The Canadian women's biathlon team collaborated to create a calendar intended to inspire and empower women with images that express the beauty of healthy athletic bodies. The Bold Beautiful Biathlon 2009 Calendar — which sold out — also represents the womens’ collective initiative to achieve success. Net proceeds from the sale of the calendar went directly towards funding their expenses leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Whistler Olympic Park — the venue for biathlon, Nordic combined, ski jumping and cross-country skiing events for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games — is located 18 kilometres south of Whistler in the stunning Callaghan Valley. The Callaghan Valley offers exhilarating activity options in incredibly scenic surroundings. For example, in the winter, snowshoe trails extend into the wilderness and carefully groomed cross-country ski trails invite exploration.

The core Whistler Olympic Park venue including a day lodge, parking and competition trails will be closed until summer 2010. When Whistler Olympic Park re-opens to the public exciting activities such as a biathlon experience and ski jump tours are expected to provide even more reasons to visit the Callaghan Valley.

Gather your girls and broaden your horizons by choosing from Whistler’s wide variety of activity options including those derived from 2010 Winter Games legacies. Discovering them together can spark enduring new interests, laughter, smiles and memories. You don’t need to be a team of elite female athletes to enjoy bold, beautiful adventures in Whistler — but you can be inspired by their passion and achievements to create your own golden moments.