A former Olympian is helping local skiers improve their technique while raising money for two organizations that are close to his heart.
As a dentist in Jasper, Dr. David Leoni is known for improving his patients’ smiles, but on two separate weekends last month it was Leoni’s passion for skiing that had folks grinning from ear to ear.
On February 16 and 23, Leoni organized two skate ski clinics—one for beginners and another for intermediate skiers. The sold out events donated proceeds to the Wildflowers Childcare Centre and the Jasper Trails Alliance.
“I felt like it was a double win,” Leoni said. “We succeeded in raising a reasonable amount of money and got a few more people getting out and enjoying winter.”
Leoni knows something about winning in winter. The 37-year-old spent his teenage years on the cross country ski circuit in Alberta, eventually transitioning to the sport of biathlon. He did well enough in Alberta Cup races that he progressed to the national team, and after he graduated from his Camrose high school, moved to Canmore to train full time.
“I lived like a monk from Grade 10 onward,” he laughed. “Every hour I was awake was spent working out or resting or recovering.”
The dedication paid off when he qualified for the 2006 Olympic Games in Turino, Italy. Leoni was one of 191 Canadian athletes who competed on amateur sports’ biggest stage. Racing in the Olympics had been his dream since he was nine-years-old.
“It was pure elation. My feet weren’t touching the ground,” he recalled about receiving the news from his longtime coach, the late Richard Boruta.
After Turino, where he finished 43rd out of 130 fellow biathletes (subsequent doping infractions discovered among competitors has since bumped up his placing by 20 spots or so), Leoni, then 25, set his sights on Vancouver 2010. But although his skiing was improving, his shooting results had skidded. After a period of reflection, Leoni decided to hang up his speed suit and focus on school. Like his twin brother before him, he chose to pour his passions into dentistry. The grind he had become familiar with from all of those years of ski training was directly transferable to the hard work of studying. A few years and several life decisions later, Leoni and his wife, along with their son, moved to Jasper from eastern Alberta.
“We always said if we got the opportunity we’d move west,” he said.
Soon after relocating, Leoni discovered not just the magic of the trail system but the selflessness of the folks who dedicate their free time to improving it. At the same time, his family, which added another boy in 2016, was introduced to the incredible staff and learning environment at the Wildflowers Childcare Centre.
As such, when the Leonis were deciding on how to give back to the community that so quickly opened its arms to them, choosing the two organizations was easy.
“Without the trails and the people contributing to them, Jasper’s a picture postcard with no way of using it,” he said. “And I just can’t say enough good things about the daycare.”
Now that the two skate ski clinics are finished, participants can’t say enough good things about their instructor. Via Facebook, the ski students sent their feedback.
“Absolutely loved it! Thank you for making it possible!”
“So well organized and so fun and helpful!”
“Thank you David for the amazing day of teaching!”
Leoni will offer another course next winter.
Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
