TORONTO – “The Sarah Burke Memorial Highway will provide a lasting reminder of her accomplishments. It will remind girls everywhere of the amazing possibilities that are open to them in our beautiful province,” stated Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.
At a reception today to honour Ontario Olympic and Paralympic athletes participating in Sochi, Premier Wynne announced that Ontario has dedicated Highway 93 to honour the memory of Sarah Burke, champion freestyle skier and member of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.
The Sarah Burke Memorial Highway runs for 24 kilometres through Simcoe County, where Burke was born and raised.
Burke was a trailblazer and an inspiration to young athletes. She lobbied successfully to have the Winter X Games include women in freestyle events on an equal standing with men. She went on to win four gold medals at the X Games. Burke also successfully lobbied the International Olympic Committee to include the women’s halfpipe event in the Winter Olympics, starting at Sochi in 2014.
The Canadian Olympic Committee has issued the following statement of gratitude to the Ontario Government for naming Highway 93 after Canadian freestyle skiing athlete Sarah Burke, who died tragically during training in 2012.
“Sarah Burke was a freestyle skiing superstar and pioneer of the halfpipe skiing sport. Her efforts in lobbying to have halfpipe skiing added to the Olympic program for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games is a testament to her dedication to her craft and high performance sport in Canada. The Sarah Burke Memorial Highway runs right through the area where she was born and raised so thank you to the Ontario Government for recognizing her in such a fitting way.”
