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e MWINTER GAMES 2022 BACK WHERE | NEEDED T0 BE’ = SNOWBOARDER 2 BOUNCES BACK @ FROM INJURY TO ¢ MAKE OLYMPIC TEAM HERB GARBUTT ‘@ hgarbutt@metroland.com IFP - Hal Th Jasmine Baird couldn't help but feel like the compe- fiien n was leaving be we she watched mow. mite: bar or ‘he sport. and there wasn't much Baird could do about it. In August of 2019, while preparing for the upcoming slopestyle season, didn't have enough speed board under her for the landing, it caught the snow. Baird's left knee took the brunt of the impact, tearing the anterior cruciate liga- ment. As the Georgetown snowboarder rehabbed her knee, the season went ahead. She worked hard to get back on her board and was ready for her target date — March 2020. But days away from returning, resorts began shutting down due to COVID-19. Soon, there was nowhere for Baird to train. It would be another sev- en months before she was bi on the snow. By the time she returned to com- While her fearlessness had always been a strength, Baird couldn't help but be concerned. "I was more cautious,” theifp.ca ShelfGenie EVERYTHING WITHIN REACH’ a Meighbourly company TRANSFORM YOUR HOME AND UPGRADE YOUR STORAGE she said. "I was scared my knee wouldn't etd we i It showed in her results, with her top finish on the World Cup circuit being 15th place. For someone who had won a World Cup bronze BIDTAN Chris Witwicki/Canada Snowboard Olympic snowboarder Jasmine Baird will compete in both slopestyle and big air. medal and finished sixth at worlds just before her inju- ry, it was a tough pill to swallow. Childhood dream "The Olympics has al- ways been a dream of mine," Baird said. "I re- member watching on TV and the features were so massive compared to what I was hitting at that age. It was like, I could never do that. But you keep gradual. ly working toward it, get- ing a little closer." That dream will become a reality very soon after Baird was named to the Ca- nadian team this week. She didn't let the 2021 season discourage her. In- stead, she came back more determined and with the time to properly prepare for the season. She made good use of her time away from the hills, studying onnat runs scored well to see what judges were looking for. the season-opening World Cup in Switzerland in October, Baird won a bronze medal in big air. Her score of 148.75 left her just 1.25 points behind reigning Olympic champion Anna Gasser. “That was huge because it showed me I hadn't fallen behind," the 22-year-old Design Consultation: said. "I was back where I needed to be and riding bet- iy than I did before the in- eeu before the results came, Baird drew reassur- ance from an unlikely source. take was the falls, the mis- gave me confi- dence, " he said. "That let me know my knee was go- ing to be OK." Baird followed up witha sixth-place finish in De- cember that all but assured her a spot on the Olympic team. She still had to wait for the final World Cup competitions to finish be- both slopestyle (Feb. 5-6) and big air (Feb. 14-15) in Beijing. "I thought I might have fallen too far behind, but it never crossed my ing. I jus positive outlook through my recovery. (289) 514-2325 | shelfgenie.com