{"id":59395,"date":"2025-10-17T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=59395"},"modified":"2025-10-17T10:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T13:30:00","slug":"racing-without-compromise-fall-rivers-emma-archibalds-journey-to-belonging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=59395","title":{"rendered":"Racing Without Compromise: Fall River’s Emma Archibald\u2019s journey to belonging"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The following was written by Nordiq Canada and is being used with permission<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OTTAWA, ONT.<\/strong>: Emma Archibald\u2019s path to Para nordic skiing started later than most, but what she found in the sport was something far more valuable than podiums, she found a place where she could be herself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t come into skiing thinking I had to prove something,\u201d Emma, a Lockview High alum, says. \u201cI just wanted to find a place where I didn\u2019t have to compromise who I was.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in Fall River, Nova Scotia, Emma and her two younger sisters tried just about every sport available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBetween the three of us, I feel like we ticked off all the different types of sports growing up\u2026 Soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, track and field, cross-country running.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her family was always active, and her parents encouraged Emma to try every sport and find adaptations that allowed her to participate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mom was from a small town in Ontario and basically tried all the different sports and excelled at a lot of them. My dad was a hockey goalie growing up. They loved physical activity and still do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That encouragement to try everything and chase her goals shaped Emma\u2019s mindset early on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was always just trying to make it not as obvious,\u201d she says, referring to adapting to her physical differences. \u201cWhether it was fitting in or just trying to adapt, I was always determined. I\u2019d see something I wanted to do and just try to figure out a way to do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Emma Archibald. (Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

That mindset of striving to find a solution to a challenge and not letting it deter you from trying helped shape her trademark optimism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had tough seasons,\u201d she says. \u201cThere were times I didn\u2019t know what was next, or if I was doing the right thing. But I\u2019ve learned that optimism is something you build. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It\u2019s not about pretending everything\u2019s fine, it\u2019s about believing that things can get better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma\u2019s journey from Nova Scotia to the World Cup circuit has been fast-paced and full of milestones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After joining the University of Ottawa\u2019s Nordic team, she was soon invited to a Nordiq Canada development camp in Canmore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, her career took off. In her debut season, she earned bronze in the overall World Cup standings, securing a spot on the National Ski Team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last season, she competed in her first Para Cross-Country World Ski Championships and continues to chase her first individual World Cup podium.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emma Archibald of Fall River, far right, on the overall podium. (Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As she looks ahead to a Paralympic year, Emma is focused on continuing to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery year, I just want to get better and better,\u201d she says. \u201cNow, having two World Cup seasons under my belt, I understand what it takes to get up there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But beyond the excitement to chase podiums, or continuously improve, is the excitement to represent those who have helped and encouraged Emma to get to where she is now.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u201cI think it\u2019s going to be very emotional,\u201d she says about the possibility of racing at the Paralympics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust thinking about all the people that helped get me to this point. Even just getting to find a sport that I love I think it\u2019s all going to come together in a really cool way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She races for her family, who encouraged her to try everything and never let her feel limited. She races for her friends, who trained alongside her, pushed her, and celebrated her wins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She races for her sister, who she watched compete for Canada in soccer, and who now watches her do the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like the people motivate me,\u201d Emma says. \u201cThey really have pushed me and continue to support me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stories like Emma\u2019s remind us of the power of community. Behind every athlete wearing the maple leaf are teammates, coaches, families, and supporters who lift them to the start line and carry them forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we head into this Paralympic year, we\u2019re on a mission to make sure no athlete has to pay to compete for Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please consider joining our community in supporting athletes like Emma by donating to the Podium Pathway Fund. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your gift helps them train, compete, and chase Paralympic dreams without financial barriers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donate Here <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The following was written by Nordiq Canada and is being used with permission OTTAWA, ONT.: Emma Archibald\u2019s path to Para nordic skiing started later than most, but what she found in the sport was something far more valuable than podiums, she found a place where she could be herself. \u201cI didn\u2019t come into skiing thinking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,957],"tags":[656,2,5,3018,9475,9476,9477,545,9478,9479],"class_list":["post-59395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news","tag-emma-archibald","tag-fall-river","tag-lockview-high","tag-nordiq-canada","tag-para-nordic-skiing","tag-paralympics","tag-paralympics-2026","tag-team-canada","tag-u-of-ottawa","tag-u-ottawa-nordiq"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=59395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59395\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=59395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=59395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=59395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}