S1 E4 Sandy Ward - Holding Space for Women
    Kris

    Hey everyone. Welcome back. And thank you for joining me for another episode of the BIPoC Outside podcast. I'm Kris Cromwell. And today we're sitting down with Sandy Ward. Sandy is a professional snowboarder back country, mentor professional coach and instructor. So let's get into it. Shall we? Sandy. Thank you so much for joining us today. How are you?

    Sandy

    I'm great. How are you?

    Kris

    I'm really good. I'm really good. Thanks again for for coming in. Let's get right into it. You've been snowboarding now for over 20 years. In a lot of different disciplines, competitive half-pipe you're instructing or back country border.

    What was your introduction? Snow sports.

    Sandy

    It was, I guess, just growing up close to Whistler, it was just natural for me to kind of get into the sport and, you know, I'd walk through Whistler village and see the snowboard instructors and I was like, I'm going to be like that. So it was basically my first job. Which I took my first ever paycheck and I bought my first snowboard.

    And from there it just kinda took off. I actually broke my wrist the first day I went out and yeah, I was back up a week later with a cast and a lot of disapproval from my mom, but I kept going cause I just, I loved it so so much. And then I joined the First Nations Snowboard Team and my career just kinda took off.

    Kris

    Right on. So your Whistler still your home.

    Sandy

    Yes.

    Kris

    Nice. And, and this has taken you all over the word world. You've worked as a guide or an instructor in Japan and France in the Southern hemisphere. What, where has been your favorite place? What's been your favorite adventure

    Sandy

    well, I, I feel most connected to the outdoors in my home community. Like when I go up the, the Duffy Nlháxten in a, in my language, that is where I feel the most at home and the most connected to my land, the culture and everything. But as far as the best snowboarding was Japan, for sure. the power there and the people I get, it was just such an amazing experience to spend a winter out there

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