Roseanne Allen
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Roseanne Allen (March 7, 1954 – June 20, 2009) was a Canadian cross-country skier who competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics.[1]
Early life[edit]
Allen was born in Aklavik, Northwest Territories as a member of the Gwich'in First Nation. At age eight, Allen went to Grollier Hall residential school in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. There, she learned how to ski at age 10.[2] Allen was amongst several Aboriginal children, other notable examples being Gwich’in First Nation skiers Shirley and Sharon Firth, who were recruited and trained through the Territorial Experimental Ski Training program.[3]
Career[edit]
In 1968, at age 13, she became the youngest Canadian ever to win a Gold medal at the Canadian Junior Nordic Ski Championships, winning the 5 km race with a time of 25 minutes and 33 seconds.[4] She won gold at the Top of the World Ski Championship in 1971.[5] Allen was amongst the first Canadian Aboriginal women to be selected to compete in the Olympics, and in the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, Allen competed in two cross-country skiing events. In the Women’s 5 kilometer, she placed 10th, and in the Women’s 3x5 kilometer relay, she placed 40th[6]
Roseanne Allen was posthumously inducted into the NWT Sport Hall of Fame in 2019.[7]
Personal life[edit]
After a short career as a competitive cross-country skier, she retired from the national team in 1974 at the age of 20.[8] In 1988, she moved to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and began a career in health at the Indian Friendship Centre.[5] Allen married Mark Billingsley, and had a son, Nathan Allen.[5]
On June 20, 2009, Allen died at the age of 55.[5]
Cross-country skiing results[edit]
Olympic Games[edit]
| Year | Age | 5 km | 10 km | 3 × 5 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 18 | 40 | — | 10 |
References[edit]
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Roseanne Allen". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- ^ Robinson, Laura (August 15, 2009). "National ski champ at 13". North Bay Nugget.
- ^ Hall, M. Ann (2016). The Girl and the Game: A History of Women's Sport in Canada, Second Edition. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442634121.
- ^ Cross Country Canada (March 20, 2017). "Canadian Junior Championships 1968".
- ^ a b c d nurun.com. "Former aboriginal skier dead at 55". Sault Star. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
- ^ "Roseanne Allen". Team Canada - Official 2018 Olympic Team Website. 2011-09-19. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
- ^ "Roseanne Allen". NWT Sport Hall of Fame. 2019-01-01. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "Olympics". Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
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- 1954 births
- 2009 deaths
- 20th-century First Nations people
- Canadian female cross-country skiers
- Cross-country skiers at the 1972 Winter Olympics
- First Nations sportspeople
- Gwich'in people
- Olympic cross-country skiers for Canada
- 20th-century Canadian sportswomen
- First Nations sportswomen
- Canadian cross-country skiing biography stubs