The ‘Spirit of Sarah Scholarship’ Recipient Announced

After much deliberation, the 2016 'Spirit of Sarah Scholarship' has been awarded to 14-year-old Megan Oldham from Perry Sound, Ontario. She will enjoy a Free Full Package Ski Camp with Momentum this summer in Whistler, BC worth over $2500, where she will be trained and mentored by Olympians and X Games competitors.

Megan is the 5th girl to receive the scholarship since Sarah passed away in 2012. She says, "Ever since the beginning of this year I totally and utterly fell in love with the sport of freestyle skiing! Whenever I am on the hill I feel at ease and in my happy place just like Sarah. She has inspired me in so many ways and I know as a fact that I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. Sarah was so cheerful and made skiing so enjoyable for everyone around her. I have come a long way this year and fulfilled my ultimate goal to land a backflip and a front flip! My goals for the upcoming season are to land a cork 5, misty, and try a double backflip into the air bag. My future goals are to make the Ontario Park and Pipe Academy Team, eventually make it to the X Games and hopefully one day compete in the Olympics!"

The judging panel, which includes Sarah's mother Jan Phelan, Sarah's husband Rory Bushfield, Canadian National Halfpipe Team Head Coach Trennon Paynter and Momentum Camp Director John Smart were impressed with Megan's drive and passion for Freestyle. 

Camp Director John Smart says, "It is always very hard each year to select the recipient of this scholarship, but Megan shows many of the characteristics, drive and love of skiing that helped Sarah achieve what she did." 

Jan says, "I thought she had great "Sarah spirit" – cheerful, good attitude, smiles, and she seems like a girl who would really try and work hard. Saying that skiing is her "happy place" could have been a quote from Sarah. Although she has only been at freestyle for a year I think her potential is really good, with her front and backflips and 720's on snow and her ambition to raise the bar and ultimately compete at X Games and the Olympics."

Megan, who was inspired by her older brother to take up freestyle skiing, is a member of the Agenda Freeski Club and participates in many other sports, including trampoline and gymnastics which will stand her in good stead. 

The 'Spirit of Sarah Scholarship' was created in honour and memory of long time Momentum coach and former camper Sarah Burke, who died in a tragic ski accident in 2012. One of the causes dear to Sarah’s heart was encouraging young girls to follow their dreams and believe in their skiing abilities. She inspired so many young women through her incredible skiing talent and strength, but more importantly through her demonstration of modesty, kindness and her wonderful approach to life. Sarah was a camper with Momentum for 4 years and a coach for 11 years.