On the road to Milano Cortina 2026: A chat with Canada’s slalom team

Between training sessions, travel, and competitions, members of Canada’s women’s slalom team took a moment to pause, reflect, and share. On the road in an Olympic season, each athlete is heading toward Milano Cortina 2026 with her own journey, challenges, and lessons learned.

We sat down with Laurence St-Germain, Ali Nullmeyer, Amelia Smart, and Kiara Alexander to talk about their off-season, past experiences, and how they’re approaching this Olympic year. From physical setbacks to mental growth and even a few unexpected fun facts, discover Canada’s women’s slalom team from a new perspective.

The Off-Season

For elite athletes, the off-season is far more than a break — it’s the time for building the technical, physical, and mental foundation that shapes the entire competitive year. For Canada’s slalom team, the past few months were especially crucial, though each athlete faced very different circumstances.

For Amelia Smart and Kiki Alexander, the summer was a positive time. Both were able to train intensively in the gym, setting them up well physically for the season ahead. For Alexander, returning to full training carried special significance after spending the previous summer in rehabilitation following a knee injury.

The summer proved more challenging for Ali Nullmeyer and Laurence St-Germain, both of whom were dealing with injuries.

AN: “It was a pretty tough summer because I’ve had back issues for three or four years, and last year was especially complicated. “This summer was really about rebuilding and getting to a place where I can be pain-free most of the time.”

She admits the start of the season was slower than planned, but remains optimistic. 

“I wasn’t able to spend as much time on snow or train at the intensity I wanted, but everything is moving in the right direction now. I feel good and I’m managing my back well most of the time.”

On her side, Laurence St-Germain had to contend with ongoing knee pain. 

LSG: “I had a difficult summer. I’ve had knee issues for years, and this summer the pain was significant enough that I couldn’t train properly. I was operating at about 80% and had to miss training camps. I only got back on snow in early November.”

Despite the circumstances, just ten days after returning to skiing, St-Germain recorded a top-10 finish in her first race of the 2025–26 season, including the third-fastest time in the second run.

How is the approach to Milano Cortina 2026 different from previous Olympics?

For St-Germain, each Olympic experience has shaped her mindset. After the excitement of her first Games and the disappointment of her second—where her performance didn’t meet her expectations—she took away one essential lesson.

LSG: “At my first Olympics, I didn’t really have expectations. It was just exciting to be there. At my second Games, I didn’t perform nearly as well. What I learned was to give everything and have no regrets.”

A cornerstone of Canada’s slalom team, St-Germain is entering her 10th World Cup season since debuting in 2015. She has recorded 18 top-10 finishes worldwide and placed 15th in slalom at PyeongChang 2018 and 17th at Beijing 2022. Her consistency and resilience make her a key reference point within the team.

READ : Laurence St-Germain is crowned world champion in slalom 

For Smart, the road to Milano Cortina 2026 is defined by growing confidence and higher expectations, which she embraces as motivation.

AS: “Going into Beijing, honestly, I didn’t even expect to make the Olympic team. It was a surprise. This time, I definitely have higher expectations for myself. That’s a good thing, but it also makes things a bit tougher.”

Smart made her World Cup debut in 2017–18 and quickly earned several top-10 results, including 9th place in Schladming and Courchevel in 2022, and 8th in Zagreb in 2023. At Beijing 2022, she finished 7th in slalom.

Despite her experience, she continues to draw inspiration from her teammates—especially St-Germain.

“I’ve learned so much about resilience from Laurence. Seeing her show up to a race not feeling 100%, and still manage to perform well, is really inspiring.”

For Nullmeyer, the Beijing Games were particularly formative from a mental standpoint.

AN: “I don’t think I did enough mental preparation. I was just really happy to be there, and then right before racing, I became extremely nervous and emotional.”

That experience helped her better anticipate and manage those feelings.

“Now, mentally, I feel much more confident heading into events like this, especially in my ability to handle the scale of the competition and everything that comes with it.”

Since debuting on the world stage in 2019, Nullmeyer has established herself among the slalom elite, including a 21st-place finish at Beijing 2022.

The youngest member of the team, Alexander made her World Cup debut in 2022. After two difficult seasons sidelined by injury, she returned to competition in 2024–25, determined to earn her place on the international stage.

Surrounded by a group of highly experienced athletes, Alexander benefits daily from their knowledge and perspective.

KA: “It’s funny being the youngest on the team because the other girls have so much experience—both at the Olympics and on the World Cup circuit. Their mindset and the way they approach big races are things I really look up to and learn from.”

Passing It On to the Next Generation

After experiencing the pressure, expectations, and lessons that come with competing at the highest level, these athletes know exactly what it takes to succeed in alpine skiing.

For young skiers dreaming of competing one day, here’s the advice from four of Team Canada’s top alpine athletes:

LSG: “You need to learn how to ski everywhere, not just in slalom. That’s what really makes the difference and what helps you fall in love with the sport. Some of my best training camps were in places like Chile, where I learned to ski on all kinds of terrain.”

AS: “My best advice is to keep training hard and give it everything you’ve got. Every athlete gets to where they are through commitment and discipline. But you also can’t forget the joy of the sport; loving hard training is part of loving skiing.”

AN: “Start skiing as early as you can. For me, that was the key. When I was young, I trained from Wednesday to Sunday every week. It’s a big commitment, but it’s worth it and it’s essential to keep progressing.”

KA: “For me, it’s simple: love skiing every day and train as much as you can, but have fun too. On our team, we train hard and compete, but we also make time to enjoy ourselves and learn from each other.”

Fun Facts from the Women’s National Slalom Team

Whether it’s lasting memories or current rituals, these lighter moments reveal the personalities behind the performances:

LSG: “I never competed at the Quebec Games in skiing—but I did play table tennis!”

AS: “I eat a lot of chocolate. I always have a bar of dark chocolate in my training bag.”

AN: “When I was young, the fastest skier in my club won a Jos Louis. That’s how I learned to ski fast!”

KA: “I travel with karaoke microphones so we can have sing-alongs after races. Even the coaches join in—sometimes with dancing!”