From Canada West to Milano Cortina: CW Connections at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Feb. 9, 2026 – With the Olympic flame burning bright, the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games are officially underway - and there are plenty of connections from Canada West institutions to cheer on.
Among the participants are an impressive list of current and former Canada West student-athletes, coaches, and support staff, along with officials, physicians, and broadcasters, as well as participants who received degrees from Canada West member institutions.
The Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games will run until Feb. 22, with the Paralympic Games to follow from March 6 to 15.
CW Member Olympic Connections
Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas
Melissa Lotholz - Bobsleigh
A former Pandas Track & Field student-athlete, Lotholz has qualified for her third Olympics games and second as a pilot with the women's bobsled team.
Lotholz competed with Pandas Track & Field from 2011-2014, earning a Canada West Gold medal in the women's 4x200m relay in 2014.
Kelsey Mitchell - Bobsleigh
A Pandas Soccer alumni (2012 & 2013), Mitchell becomes the first former Panda to compete in both the summer and winter Olympic Games. A 2020 Olympic gold medalist in track cycling, Mitchell will be making her Winter Olympics debut in Bobsleigh in 2026.
Along with capturing gold in women's sprint in Tokyo, Mitchell competed in the Paris 2024 Games two years ago.
Rachelle Brown (née Pidherny) - Curling
Brown will be making her first Olympic appearance as an alternate on Team Homan, who won the 2025 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Halifax. She competed with Pandas Curling from 2007-2010, participating at the national championship in each of her three varsity seasons, and was a CIS All-Canadian in 2009 and 2010.
Rachel Homan - Curling
One of the most accomplished curlers in Canadian history, Homan earned an education degree from the University of Alberta in 2020. Milano Cortina will mark Homan's third Olympic appearance, as she placed sixth in 2018, and fifth in mixed doubles in 2022.
Sarah Wilkes - Curling
The lead for Team Homan, Wilkes earned an education degree from the University of Alberta in 2016. Milano Cortina 2026 will be her first Olympic appearance.
Marc Kennedy - Curling
Kennedy, who earned a Business degree from the U of A in 2005, is one of the most decorated curlers in Canadian history. 2026 marks his fourth Olympic appearance for Canada, with his Olympic resume already including a gold medal at the Vancouver 2010 Games, bronze at the Beijing 2022 Games, and fourth place in 2018.
Dr. Dhiren Naidu - Physician
Dr. Naidu will be one of two Lead Physicians who will be responsible for the NHL athletes competing in men's hockey. He is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the U of A, and one of the lead physicians for Golden Bears and Pandas Athletics.
Dana Ferguson - Coach
A former Pandas curler and teammate of both Rachelle Brown and Joanne Courtney, Ferguson will be heading to the Paralympic Games as an assistant coach with the Canadian National Wheelchair Curling Program.
Dr. Michael Lizmore - Coach
Lizmore, who competed with the Golden Bears Curling program from 2011-2013, is the head coach of the Canadian National Wheelchair Curling Program. He was a CIS Championship-winning student-athlete with the Golden Bears, winning the 2012 CIS Championship in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Joanne Courtney (née Taylor) - Broadcaster
A former Pandas Curler in 2008 and 2010 alongside Rachelle Brown, Courtney will be on the CBC broadcast as an analyst for curling. Courtney was a member of Team Homan's rink that placed sixth at the PyeongChang 2018 Games.
Dr Helene Jørgensen - Coach
Jørgensen has been named to Canada's national biathlon coaching staff, helping prepare Team Canada for competition on the world's biggest stage. Jørgensen earned her PhD in Sport Psychology and Coaching from the UAlberta Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation.
Did you know: Milano Cortina 2026 will mark the 14th Winter Olympiad featuring University of Alberta alumni, with this the sixth-straight Winter Olympic Games with representation.
Including the Summer Games, U of A student-athletes, coaches, and alumni have competed at 29 Olympic Games, earning 11 medals (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 7 Bronze).
Learn more about UAlberta Olympic connections here.
Calgary Dinos
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant - Curling
A UCalgary alum, Peterman is the co-founder and current program director of the Dinos curling program that was brought back to campus in 2022. She’ll be competing in mixed doubles in Milan with her husband, Brett Gallant, who serves as a skills coach for the Dinos. Brett will also compete on the Canadian four-man team in Italy. Gallant will also compete for the men's four-man curling team, skipped by Brad Jacobs.
Laine Peters - Coach
Two-time Canada West Men’s Curling Coach of the Year Laine Peters will serve as the mixed doubles coach for Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant in Italy.
Geoff Carr - Technical Official (Hockey)
Geoff Carr is set to attend his second Olympic Games, once again serving as a hockey technical official. A former University of Calgary student, Carr has spent more than two decades with Dinos Athletics in a variety of roles. He has also been a key contributor to Canada West, serving as the conference’s Statistical Recorder over the past three seasons.
Brad Kirkwood - Coach
The long-time goaltending coach for both the Dinos men’s and women’s hockey teams will once again be on the coaching staff for the Canadian women’s hockey team.
Carla McLeod - Coach
Former Dinos head coach and current Ottawa Charge bench boss Carla MacLeod leads the Czechia women's national team. MacLeod coached the Dinos for two-plus seasons before moving to the PWHL. She was named the Czechia head coach in April of 2022.
Emily Clark and Blayre Turnbull - Women's Hockey
Suiting up for the Canadian women's national hockey team, Emily and Blayre were members of the Dinos women’s hockey coaching staff during the 2022-23 season.
Dawn Richardson Wilson - Bobsleigh
The former Dinos track star returns to the bobsleigh track where she will compete for the second time on the world's biggest stage in 2-woman bobsleigh. Richardson Wilson was a dominant force for the Scarlet & Gold, winning the Canada West 60m title for three straight years from 2023-25, while also helping the Dinos to multiple medals in U SPORTS relay events.
Gabriella Durante - Women's Hockey
Durante is making the most of her dual citizenship and will play for the host nation of Italy after three years of starring in net for the Dinos. The Calgary product played in 77 total games for the Scarlet & Gold before moving to Italy over a year ago to pursue her Olympic dream.
For more information on Calgary Dinos and UCalgary Olympic connections, check out this article.
Manitoba Bisons
Sebastien Regnier - Skeleton
Former Bisons sprinter and team captain Sebastien Regnier is now one of the top up-and-coming skeleton athletes in Canada, training alongside current Olympians with aspirations of making it to the biggest stage himself.
Read this terrific feature by Mike Still detailing Sebastian's journey from UManitoba to the skeleton track.
Mount Royal Cougars
Scott Rivet - Coach
Mount Royal Cougars women's hockey head coach Scott Rivet is set to take the international stage, once again serving as an assistant coach for Czechia women's national team.
He was also behind the Czechia bench for the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship where the team finished fourth, narrowly missing a medal after a strong semifinal run.
UBC Thunderbirds
Vanessa Schaefer - Women's Hockey
Second year Thunderbirds forward Vanessa Schaefer will once again represent Switzerland in international competition after being named to the Swiss national women's hockey team for the Milano Cortina games.
Schaefer is no stranger to international competition, having already played in two IIHF World Women's Hockey Championships for the Swiss.
Prior to joining UBC, Schaefer spent a year playing professionally for the ZSC Lions. The dual citizen enjoyed a dynamic rookie season with the Thunderbirds last year, earning a spot on the Canada West 2024-25 All-Rookie team. She has six goals and 14 points in 21 games this season for the first place T-Birds.
Rich Lam - Photographer
Long-time UBC Athletics photographer Rich Lam is on site serving as Venue Photo Manager at the Cortina Sliding Centre. Widely respected for his exceptional work behind the lens, Lam has spent the past 25 years covering premier international events around the world, including multiple Winter and Summer Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Claire Hanna - Broadcaster
A former three-time national champion with UBC women's volleyball, Claire Hanna's incredible broadcasting journey will see her covering the Olympic women's hockey tournament with TSN and CBC. Claire was part of three straight T-Birds U SPORTS national championship teams from 2008-10. She also represented the Canadian women’s national volleyball team.
Did we miss a CW connection? Email jamin.heller@canadawest.org to fill us in!