Steve Omischl
"Work hard and win - do nothing and lose." That's Steve Omischl's motto. The son of a devoted single mother who worked tirelessly to support both him and two girls, Steve learned from her example. He struggled to support himself while working his way to the top and onto the Canadian Freestyle Ski team, then the Salt Lake City and the Turin Olympic teams.
Steve has an impressive list of World Cup championship medals, including 10 gold, nine silver, and seven bronze. He is a three-time Canadian Champion with a steely ambition to represent his home province at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and capture that within-reach Olympic gold medal. Steve also finds time to inspire audiences by sharing stories of his hard work and determination with students and corporate audiences.
Sport: Freestyle skiing (Aerials)
Date of birth: November 16, 1978
Place of birth: North Bay, Ontario
Residence: Kelowna, British Columbia
Highlight of major athletic achievements
- Bronze metal at the Freestyle Ski World Championships 2007.
- First place at the FIS World Cup 2007
- Two-time Olympic competitor, placing 20th in Turin, Italy 2006 and 11th in Salt Lake City, USA 2002
- World Champion in freestyle skiing 2005
- 26 World Cup medals (10 gold, 9 silver, 7 bronze)
- Three-time Canadian champion 2001, 2002, and 2006
- Named 1999-2000 World Cup male Rookie of the Year
