The community has been invited to submit words of encouragement and support for Salmon Arm skier Natalie Wilkie, who will be representing Canada as a member of the Para Nordic Ski Team at the 2018 Paralympics in Pyoengchang, South Korea.
Wilkie, who lost most of the fingers on her left hand in 2016 during an accident in wood shop class, nonetheless persevered in the face of her injury and has continued to hone her skills as an expert skier.
Jennifer Henrie, who knows Wilkie through their time together in the Larch Hills Nordic Ski Club, is spearheading the initiative to gather support and words of encouragement for the outstanding local athlete.
“When I saw that Natalie would be competing I got incredibly excited, and my first thought was that we needed to plan something,” Henrie says.
Henrie, who works at the Arbor Lodge independent living community, asked the residents she works with for advice as to how they could get the community to show Wilkie how proud they are of her achievements. Their suggestion: a letter writing campaign aimed at organizing an outpouring of support and goodwill for the promising young skier in advance of her journey to compete in Pyoengchang.
“When I think about it, that kind of life changing accident that happened to a 14-year-old girl… that could easily cause her to spin in a downward direction, but she has done the opposite,” Henrie says. “She is really dedicated, kind and down to earth, she has so much hope and optimism. A lot of people remember the accident, and they remember her, but they might not know how far she has come. When they put two and two together I find people are so inspired.”
Anyone interested in sending their support to Wilkie can bring their words of encouragement to the Mall at Piccadilly between 2-5 p.m. on March 2 and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 3. The uptown Askew’s location will also be receiving notes on March 3 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Letters may also be emailed to bestwishesnatalie@gmail.com.
“We’ve told Natalie that she needs to leave some room in her suitcase for all the letters she’ll be taking to Korea,” Henrie says.
Henrie would like to add that she hopes to organize a viewing party for Wilkie’s event in Salmon Arm so that the community can gather and watch as she represents Salmon Arm in the Paralympics.
Jodi Sig
