Racing for the podium

From the halls of Mount Royal to the slopes of Milano Cortina, Mount Royal Bachelor of Health and Physical Education — Ecoutourism and Outdoor Leadership (ETOL) student Jared Schmidt is set to represent Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Games.

This will mark Schmidt’s second Olympic appearance on the men’s ski cross team. The freestyle skier made his debut at the 2022 Games in Beijing, where he placed 10th overall. In between Olympics, he has competed in and podiumed at numerous international ski cross events.

Skis are as natural for Schmidt as shoes. He’s been skiing since he was two years old. Heading into his second Olympic appearance, he knows what to expect.

“I think for sure there will be less nerves. I have more races under my belt. I have proved in the last three or four years that I can win so I am excited,” Schmidt says.

Already on the ground in Italy, Schmidt has been competing in a different region in World Cup Events since mid-January.

However, with the scheduling of his events, he has a few days to enjoy the Olympic Village and support his fellow athletes.

“It’s pretty cool to be amongst some of these freestyle athletes that I looked up to. Some of them are still competing from when I was a kid.”

Schmidt says it’s still a bit surreal for him to go to dinner and see the likes of Marielle Thompson and Mikaël Kingsbury, both of whom will be the flagbearers for the Opening Ceremonies.

“Just being in and around the village, you get excited to be here and compete.”

Classroom support

Assistant chair and ETOL program coordinator Ian Sherrington was thrilled, but not shocked, to learn that Schmidt was headed back to compete in the Olympics.

“He has worked so hard to get back to the Olympics and he has seen success in his sport on the international stage over the past years since the last Olympics,” Sherrington says.

Sherrington also commends Schmidt for his ability to balance his studies and his training.

“Watching him juggle post-secondary education at Mount Royal and his training and competition schedule was incredible, if not sometimes complicated.”

He says the young athlete had to be very proactive, even in his first semesters.

“I think that holding him to account and putting the onus on him to come up with solutions to his many scheduling conflicts was key to his continued success.”

Sherrington recognizes it was never simple. He says most high-performance athletes have drive and ambition, but not all have the ability to fit everything into the bigger picture.

“Jared has become very adept at prioritizing and balancing his schedule, which will set him up for success moving past his athletics career.”

For his part, Schmidt credits Sherrington for helping him strike that balance.

“He’s helped me a lot along the way to balance the athletics versus school dilemma that I find myself in every winter,” he says.

ETOL foundations

Schmidt says the foundational skills learned through the ETOL program will help him as he competes this time around.

“The leadership side of the ETOL degree has improved my leadership skills on the team,” he says, noting that since many of the athletes on his team compete as individuals, leadership is an important quality to have.

“Having studied and knowing leadership skills has greatly improved my ability to be a great leader, not just for myself but on the team.”

Sherrington says another skill learned through the ETOL program that will come in handy for Schmidt is critical thinking.

“Especially in higher-risk environments, where decision making has real and immediate consequences. Jared has taken these learnings gleaned from areas like avalanche safety, wilderness survival and expedition planning and transferred them into his world of ski cross.”

Undoubtedly, he says, this makes Schmidt a more resilient, empathetic and situationally aware athlete.

Schmidt is a few courses shy of completing his degree, and is, of course, taking some time away from his studies as he represents Canada on the world stage.

Another part of his education that he reflects fondly on is the people in the ETOL program.

“We all like spending time outdoors, whether it be in the summer or in winter, or for sport or recreation, and it’s great for your mental and physical health to be surrounded by that.

“I’m really happy that I have almost completed my ETOL degree because I met a lot of really cool people in the program that are still some of my great friends today.”

No sibling rivalry on the slopes

The Schmidt family is well represented at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, as Jared’s older sister Hannah is part of Canada’s women’s ski cross team. She, too, made her Olympic debut in 2022.

Schmidt says there’s something extra special about getting to share this experience with his sibling.

“Our team is our family on the road since we spend so much time away, but to have one of my biological family members there with me is pretty special.”

Sharing the experience, he says, allows them to grow as both athletes and siblings.

“It makes the good days great and the bad days a little bit better when you have your sister there. That’s pretty cool.”

Additional MRU Olympic connections

Schmidt isn’t the only Olympian with a Mount Royal connection.

Alumna Eden Wilson was named as an alternate for the 2026 women’s bobsleigh team. Graduating with her Bachelor of Health and Physical Education — Sport and Recreation Management in 2019, this will be Wilson’s first Olympic appearance.

Curler Jocelyn Peterman attended Mount Royal for two years before transferring over to the University of Calgary where she earned her kinesiology degree. Peterman made her Olympic debut in 2022 in Beijing with the women’s team and is competing once again in 2026. However, in this year’s Olympics she competed in the mixed doubles event with her husband, Brett Gallant.

Bachelor of Aviation Management student Xavier McKeever, who is 22 years old, made his Olympic debut in Milano Cortina 2026. The cross-country skier’s mom and dad are both Olympians and his uncle has medaled in multiple Paralympic Games. McKeever finished 13th in the men’s 20km skiathlon.

Mount Royal’s General Counsel and University Secretary Amy Nixon has an Olympic medal under her belt. She won bronze at the 2006 Winter Olympics as the vice-skip for Shannon Kleibrink’s team. Nixon has also competed in multiple Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Director of Cougars Athletics and Recreation Karla Karch is another former Olympian on Mount Royal’s roster. She represented Canada in basketball at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. Karch also competed at world championships and the Pan American Games during her athletic career.