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1959 even after they had children. As soon as they began competing in 1942, they won almost every race they entered, in Canada and the United States - including the Kate Smith
International, the Alta Cup, the Roch Cup, the Silver Dollar Derby and in the 1950s, the Harriman Cup. In 1943 Rhoda swept the Taschereau downhill at
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They were Canada's first official women's
Olympic alpine ski team, and competed in Canada and the United States from 1942 to 1948, representing the Penguin Ski Club. They were married in a double ceremony at St. Stephen's Church in Montreal on November 13, 1948. They continued to compete through to
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Despite their disappointments at the
Olympics, the Wurtele twins continued competing and eventually turned to teaching skiing, first to children (through the Ski Jays and Ski Chicks clubs, founded by the Penguin Ski Club), then in the 1960s to the mothers who brought their children to the slopes.
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Well into their 90s, they remained active with some cross-country skiing and golf (they were at one time members of the Quebec provincial team in golfing). As pioneers, they set the stage for
Canadian women in skiing, directly influencing a long line of medal winners from
322:. Her husband Gene was included on the American alpine skiing team for the 1948 Olympics. Like his wife, he injured himself during a training run and withdrew from all events. She died in Montreal in 2020, four days prior to her 98th birthday.
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Alain M. Bergeron, popular Quebec children's author chose to adapt their story for a children's book: Les
Merveilleuses Jumelles "W", 2012 Québec Amérique; now translated into English: The Amazing Twins "W", Twinski
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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.
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In 1945 the twins were awarded the Velma
Springstead Rose Bowl as Best Canadian Woman Athlete (sic) of 1944, presented by the Women's Amateur Athletic Federation. In 1946 they were
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245:. The twins never stopped skiing. By age 11 they had skied off the senior ski jump on Mount Royal (women were finally allowed to compete in
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Rhoda is the mother of Bruce Eaves, golf and ski teacher John Eaves, and world champion acrobatic skier David Eaves.
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and Canada's women's skiing pioneers and champions of the 1940s and 1950s. Together they made up the entire
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They were named
Members of the Order of Canada, by Governor General Julie Payette, on December 27, 2018.
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at age 104 on
January 21, 2023, Rhoda Wurtele became the oldest living Canadian Olympian at age 101.
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caused the cancellation of two
Olympics in a row; the twins were finally able to compete at the
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No Limits: the Amazing Life Story of Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele, Canada's Olympian Skiing Pioneers
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Rhoda and Rhona were the Honoured Alumnae at the Trafalgar School for Girls, Montreal, in 2009
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445:"Trailblazing ski twins, now just shy of 97th birthdays, among Order of Canada appointments"
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On November 19, 2012 the twins were inducted into the Panthéon des sports du Québec.
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The Twinski Club was inducted into the Laurentian Ski Museum's Hall of Fame in 2005
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induction to the Laurentian Ski Hall of Fame, St-Sauveur-des-Monts, Québec in 1986
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718:[Sport and Society | Unlimited publication] (in French). Archived from
641:"Canada's Sports Hall of Fame to induct 93-year-old ski twins in Legends Class"
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Flamborough Review: Canada's skiing twins will carry Olympic torch in Oakville
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at the Olympic games in 2014). For their secondary education, they attended
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560:"Rhona Wurtele, One of Canada's 'Flying Twins' Ski Champions, Dies at 97"
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611:"Governor General Announces 103 New Appointments to the Order of Canada"
592:.Traduction: Sans Limites, Michelle Tisseyre, Editions Histoire Québec,
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General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor (December 21, 2018).
349:(now the American Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame) in 1969 and to the
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482:"Canadian sailor Dave Howard was the second-oldest living Olympian"
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RĂ©sultats des courses de l'Alberg Kandahar Ă Chamonix (1948-2006)
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Canada Sports Hall of Fame, Legends Class, 2015, Rhona and Rhoda
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induction to the Musée du Ski de Québec at Mont Ste-Anne in 1988
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Olympic fires still burn 70 years on for proud Trafalgar alums
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Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame: 1953 Rhoda Wurtele Gillis
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The Wurtele twins were born in 1922 in the province of
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462:General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor.
423:"Grace Rhona Wurtele Obituary - Pointe-Claire, QC"
716:"Sport et Société | Publication de Sans Limites"
306:Rhona was the mother of noted Canadian dancers
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400:Order of Sport recipients and inducted into
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275:with the best result of ninth place in the
742:U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame: Rhoda
737:U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame: Rhona
369:named "Canadian Skiers of Distinction" by
201:(January 21, 1922 – January 17, 2020) and
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793:Alpine skiers at the 1952 Winter Olympics
788:Alpine skiers at the 1948 Winter Olympics
558:Goldstein, Richard (January 26, 2020).
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732:Panthéon des sports du Québec: Rhona
727:Panthéon des sports du Québec: Rhoda
443:Peritz, Ingrid (December 27, 2018).
221:With the death of Canadian Olympian
705:Canadian Ski Museum archives: Rhoda
700:Canadian Ski Museum archives: Rhona
382:They carried the torch during the
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783:Olympic alpine skiers for Canada
218:Women's Alpine team for Canada.
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639:Donna Spencer (June 16, 2015).
803:Members of the Order of Canada
615:The Governor General of Canada
468:The Governor General of Canada
53:Rhona (left) and Rhoda in 1945
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798:Canadian female alpine skiers
359:Other honours have included:
710:Musée du ski des Laurentides
464:"Grace Rhona Wurtele Gillis"
402:Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
210:(born January 21, 1922) are
142:St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada
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251:Trafalgar School for Girls
667:"| Hall of Famers Search"
351:Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
347:National Ski Hall of Fame
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580:. Twinski Publications,
34:Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele
778:Identical twin females
548:. chamonixworldcup.com
536:. sports-reference.com
519:. sports-reference.com
126:Isabella Rhoda Wurtele
808:Canadian centenarians
647:. The Canadian Press
576:Byron Rempel (2007)
273:1952 Winter Olympics
269:1948 Winter Olympics
113:Rhona Wurtele Gillis
517:Rhoda Wurtele-Eaves
490:. February 8, 2023.
384:Olympic Torch Relay
151:Rhoda Wurtele Eaves
66:Grace Rhona Wurtele
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564:The New York Times
487:The Globe and Mail
449:The Globe and Mail
312:Christopher Gillis
301:Kerrin Lee-Gartner
722:on March 3, 2016.
671:www.sportshall.ca
388:Oakville, Ontario
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110:Other names
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265:World War II
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223:David Howard
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216:1948 Olympic
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96:(2020-01-17)
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320:Jere Gillis
247:ski jumping
239:Mount Royal
79:St. Lambert
767:Categories
409:References
371:Ski Canada
335:runners-up
316:ice hockey
132:1922-01-21
71:1922-01-21
353:in 1982.
404:in 2015.
373:magazine
337:for the
243:Montreal
102:Montreal
85:, Canada
676:July 4,
651:July 4,
386:in the
329:Honours
318:player
169:Country
596:
588:
235:Quebec
181:Canada
178:
83:Quebec
199:Rhona
187:Sport
164:Sport
678:2023
653:2023
594:ISBN
586:ISBN
310:and
299:and
122:Born
91:Died
63:Born
241:in
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