VALÉRIE GRENIER
Canadian Alpine Ski Racer
Valérie Grenier made a stunning entrance on the international ski racing stage by clinching a bronze medal at the 2015 World Junior Championships. She followed this achievement with a stellar performance in 2016, winning the downhill and securing a silver in the super-G at the World Junior Championships in Hafjell, Norway. At just 21, Valérie made her Olympic debut at PyeongChang 2018, competing in the giant slalom, super-G, downhill, and alpine combined events, with a standout 6th-place finish in the alpine combined. She continued her Olympic journey at the 2022 Beijing Games.
A native of St. Isidore, Ontario, Grenier embraced the full World Cup circuit early in her career, competing in both technical and speed disciplines. A significant injury sidelined her for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, but she made an impressive comeback in 2020-21, achieving four top-30 finishes.
The 2022-23 season marked a historic moment for Grenier, as she secured her first World Cup victory in the giant slalom at Kranjska Gora, becoming the first Canadian woman to win a World Cup giant slalom since Kathy Kreiner in 1974. Throughout the season, she notched three Top 5 World Cup finishes and helped Team Canada claim a bronze medal in the team parallel event at the 2023 World Championships in Courchevel-Méribel, France.
Grenier continued to excel during the 2023-24 season, achieving 10 top-10 finishes, including another win in Kranjska Gora and a podium finish with 3rd place in the downhill at Cortina, Italy.
However, her season took a dramatic turn two days later when a crash in the super-G resulted in a broken humerus and torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus. She underwent shoulder surgery in Innsbruck, followed by knee surgery two weeks later at home in Canada. Displaying relentless determination, Valérie spent the spring and summer rehabilitating and training, eventually returning to skiing in Chile in September. She is set to make her racing comeback in the 2024-25 season.
Grenier’s love for skiing began at the age of two, when she first tried on her brother’s gear. She raced down her first course at seven, and her passion for the sport has been unshakeable ever since. Despite setbacks, her commitment to the sport is unwavering, and her resilience in overcoming challenges continues to inspire.