Dara and her parents, Dee and Doug Howell, will be Fred Hacker’s guests in an intimate conversation about the making of an Olympic champion on Wednesday, September 3rd at 7:30 pm at the MCC. The conversation will cover what it feels like to win Olympic Gold at the age of 19; how parents feel when their child proves herself to be the best in the world; the thrill of competing for your country in the Olympics; Dara’s training regimen; what lies ahead; and the role her parents will play in helping Dara shape her future.
At Sochi 2014, Dara Howell won the first ever Olympic gold medal awarded in ski slopestyle. She dominated the competition, scoring top marks in the qualification round and then scoring an incredible 94.2 points in the final, securing victory with a margin of almost nine points (almost 10%) over the nearest competitor.
Dara has a connection to Midland. She was close to freestyle skier Sarah Burke, a Midland native who died while on a training run. Sarah had coached Dara. Dara dedicated her victory to Sarah Burke saying: “It’s totally for Sarah and I cannot believe it.” Dara was on skis at 18 months of age. She had been involved in Alpine skiing until the age of 15. She was also an accomplished figure skater. But when Dara discovered freestyle skiing, it was love (and success) at first sight.
Meet this wonderful young Canadian and her parents next Wednesday. Tickets are $19 and are available at the MCC Box Office and online at www.midlandculturalcentre.com. Get your tickets quickly. Two of the recent “A Day in the Life” programs have been sell outs!
