Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele
Encyclopedia
Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele are identical twins and Canada's women's skiing pioneers and champions of the 1940s and 1950s. The two of them made up the entire 1948 Olympic
Women’s Alpine team for Canada.
The Wurtele twins were born in 1922 in the province of Quebec
. They began skiing at age five when their father strapped two planks of wood onto their feet and pushed them out the front door; which happened to be on top of Mount Royal
in Montreal
. The twins never stopped skiing. By age 11 they had skied off the senior ski jump on Mount Royal (women still do not compete in Ski Jumping
at the Olympic games).
They were Canada's first women's Olympic alpine ski team, and competed in Canada and the U.S. from 1942 through 1959 after they were married and had children. They were true pioneers for women in sports and for Canadian downhill skiing. As soon as they began competing in 1942, they won almost every race they entered. Rhoda swept the Taschereau downhill at Mont Tremblant Quebec, winning by 24 seconds (an eternity in today’s ski racing), bettering both the women and all the men in the competition. Rhona placed second among the women, ninth overall. The men grumbled for a while about rotten weather and malfunctioning signals, but eventually it was acknowledged: Rhona and Rhoda were monarchs of the slopes.
World War II
caused the cancellation of two Olympics in a row; the twins were finally able to compete at the 1948 Olympics
in St. Moritz
, Switzerland. The two of them made up the entire Women’s Alpine Team, but accidents during training and trials meant both left without medals.
Despite their disappointments at the Olympics, the Wurtele twins eventually turned to teaching skiing, first to children (through the Ski Jays and Ski Chicks clubs) then in the 1960s to the mothers who brought their children to the slopes. Still skiing well into their 80s, Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele continue to run the Twinski Club, and set the stage for a legacy of Canadian women in skiing, directly influencing a long line of medal winners from Lucile Wheeler
, the first woman to win an Olympic skiing medal for Canada, to Anne Heggtveit
, Nancy Greene
, Kathy Kreiner
and Kerrin Lee-Gartner
.
Rhona Wurtele is the mother of noted Canadian dancers Margie Gillis
and Christopher Gillis
and of ice hockey
player Jere Gillis
.
for the Lou Marsh Trophy
, given by the Canadian Press
to Canada's Most Outstanding Athlete.
They were inducted into the Canadian Amateur Athletic Hall of Fame in 1953 for both their swimming and skiing achievements. Both were inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame
(now the American Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame) in 1969 and to the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
in 1982. Other honours have included:
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
Women’s Alpine team for Canada.
The Wurtele twins were born in 1922 in the province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. They began skiing at age five when their father strapped two planks of wood onto their feet and pushed them out the front door; which happened to be on top of Mount Royal
Mount Royal
Mount Royal is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the city to which it gave its name.The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachians...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. The twins never stopped skiing. By age 11 they had skied off the senior ski jump on Mount Royal (women still do not compete in Ski Jumping
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
at the Olympic games).
They were Canada's first women's Olympic alpine ski team, and competed in Canada and the U.S. from 1942 through 1959 after they were married and had children. They were true pioneers for women in sports and for Canadian downhill skiing. As soon as they began competing in 1942, they won almost every race they entered. Rhoda swept the Taschereau downhill at Mont Tremblant Quebec, winning by 24 seconds (an eternity in today’s ski racing), bettering both the women and all the men in the competition. Rhona placed second among the women, ninth overall. The men grumbled for a while about rotten weather and malfunctioning signals, but eventually it was acknowledged: Rhona and Rhoda were monarchs of the slopes.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
caused the cancellation of two Olympics in a row; the twins were finally able to compete at the 1948 Olympics
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Switzerland. The two of them made up the entire Women’s Alpine Team, but accidents during training and trials meant both left without medals.
Despite their disappointments at the Olympics, the Wurtele twins eventually turned to teaching skiing, first to children (through the Ski Jays and Ski Chicks clubs) then in the 1960s to the mothers who brought their children to the slopes. Still skiing well into their 80s, Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele continue to run the Twinski Club, and set the stage for a legacy of Canadian women in skiing, directly influencing a long line of medal winners from Lucile Wheeler
Lucille Wheeler
Lucille Wheeler, CM is a Canadian former Alpine skiing world champion. She was born in Montreal, Quebec.-Biography:Wheeler grew up in the village of Sainte-Jovite, Quebec, in the Laurentian mountains...
, the first woman to win an Olympic skiing medal for Canada, to Anne Heggtveit
Anne Heggtveit
Anne Heggtveit, CM is a Canadian alpine skier born in Ottawa, Ontario.- Biography :Her father, Halvor Heggtveit, a Canadian cross-country champion, encouraged her at a young age. A student at Lisgar Collegiate Institute in Ottawa, she learned to ski in the nearby Gatineau Hills of Quebec...
, Nancy Greene
Nancy Greene
Nancy Catherine Greene, OC, OBC, OD is a Canadian Senator for British Columbia and a champion alpine skier voted as Canada's Female Athlete of the 20th Century...
, Kathy Kreiner
Kathy Kreiner
Kathy Kreiner-Phillips is a former Canadian alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist. She won the giant slalom at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria...
and Kerrin Lee-Gartner
Kerrin Lee-Gartner
Kerrin Lee-Gartner is a former alpine ski racer. She was born in Trail, British Columbia, Canada.Lee-Gartner started skiing for the Canadian Women's Ski Team in 1982, but suffered a number of knee operations over the years including two complete reconstructions...
.
Rhona Wurtele is the mother of noted Canadian dancers Margie Gillis
Margie Gillis
Margie Gillis, CM, CQ is a Canadian solo dancer and choreographer whose most commonly known dance style is modern.Born in Acton Vale, Quebec, the daughter of Gene Gillis, an Olympic skier, and Rhona Wurtele, a Canadian Olympic skier. Her brother, Jere Gillis played professional hockey...
and Christopher Gillis
Christopher Gillis
Christopher Gillis was an important gay male dancer and choreographer and member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company....
and of ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player Jere Gillis
Jere Gillis
Jere Alan Gillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, actor and stuntman....
.
Honors
In 1946 the twins were awarded the Thelma Springstead Rose Bowl as Best Canadian Woman Athlete (sic). In 1947 they were runners-upRunner-up
Runner-up is a term used to denote a participant which finishes in second place in any of a variety of competitive endeavors, most notably sporting events and beauty pageants; in the latter instance, the term is applied to more than one of the highest-ranked non-winning contestants, the...
for the Lou Marsh Trophy
Lou Marsh Trophy
The Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936...
, given by the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
to Canada's Most Outstanding Athlete.
They were inducted into the Canadian Amateur Athletic Hall of Fame in 1953 for both their swimming and skiing achievements. Both were inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame
National Ski Hall of Fame
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the City of Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States...
(now the American Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame) in 1969 and to the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
The Canadian Ski Hall of Fame was created by the Canadian Ski Museum in 1982 to honour skiing pioneers, competitors, coaches, officials, and builders.-A:*Dennis Adkin, 1983**Pierre Alain, 1984*Verne Anderson, 1990**Peter Andrews, 1994...
in 1982. Other honours have included:
- induction to the Laurentian Ski Hall of Fame, St-Sauveur-des-Monts, Québec in 1986
- induction to the Musée du Ski de Québec at Mont Ste-Anne in 1988
- named "Canadian Skiers of Distinction" by Ski Canada magazine
- The Twinski Club was inducted into the Laurentian Ski Museum's Hall of Fame in 2005
- Rhoda and Rhona were the Honored Alumnae at the Trafalgar School for Girls, Montreal, in 2009
- They carried the torch during the Olympic Torch Relay in the Oakville, OntarioOakville, OntarioOakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
area in 2009