Fearless

As you all know by now, Sarah Burke, free skiing pioneerer and 4-time X Games gold mentalist has passed away. Although I don't follow ski or have any connection to Sarah Burke, I feel it is appropriate and important for me to touch on the subject. She truly was a legend, role model and inspiration to women.

When I was around 12 or so, I decided to quit figure skating and to play hockey. I liked hockey! There was no girls team, so I had to play with the boys. At 12 years old, I noticed that there was not an equal playing field for boys and girls in the sport. I had to change in a separate dressing room all by myself because I played on an all boys team. I got called names on the ice. I was treated different because I was a girl. Well, a year later, we moved to a new town where there was a girls hockey team! Even though I was on an all girl's hockey team, there was still a black mark around women's hockey. Our own hockey coach, who was a man, told us that we would never go anywhere with hockey since women can't play hockey. Still makes me mad to this day! Women's hockey was never looked at fairly in comparison to men's hockey... And it still isn't.

Sarah Burke had the same issues with women's free skiing. The Olympics, X Games and other sports competitions would not let her compete because she was a woman! In the world that we live in, we have come so far in so many ways, yet we really haven't gone anywhere in many other aspects. Men and women are still treated differently. After many years of fighting, Sarah was able to get women into competitions and events that were just for men. Sarah was able to compete at the X Games against the men and she won 4 times! After lobbying and fighting to get her sport into the Olympics, she finally succeeded. She was set to compete in the 2014 Olympics in Russia. She really did pave the way for women. It is because of Sarah's efforts that female winter athletes are some of the only athletes in the world who are able to compete equally to men and who receive equal prizes to those of male athletes.

About 7 months ago, as I was doing research and gathering ideas for my own wedding, I stumbled accross Sarah's wedding to Rory Bushfield in Canadian Brides Magazine. Whan I found out what happened to her, that's what hit me the hardest. She was a newlywed. Isn't it always a beautiful story? You meet someone, fall in love and get married. The End?... It doesn't end there. For me, as I'm sure it is for many married women including Sarah, it all started on my wedding day. That was the beginning. Every day I am alive, I get to spend it with the man I love. And what if all that went away? For Rory, her husband, it did. Isn't that any newlywed's worst nightmare? I don't know how it must feel, but I couldn't even imagine the pain of loosing your spouse... It is my biggest fear. I have been praying for him, and for Sarah's family.

My husband and I have a party to go to next Saturday and for that reason, I was going to go shopping this weekend to buy a new dress. This morning, I put the money I was going to use to buy the dress and I donated it to help with Sarah's medical bills. It just felt like the right thing to do. I know my small little donation may not make that big of a difference on their $550,000 medical bill but it will make a difference to me.

I guess what I hope you take away from this today is please don't take one day for granted. Kiss your spouse. Hug your children. Tell them how much you love them. Live your life to the fullest, just like Sarah Burke did.

Thanks for reading,

Danielle