Team Canada luge athlete Maya Yuen visits Grande Prairie school
The 19-year-old Calgary slider shared her journey and setbacks with students as part of a Classroom Champions mentorship visit.
Students at Grande Prairie's Alexander Forbes School met Team Canada junior luge athlete Maya Yuen on Oct. 29, during a visit arranged by Classroom Champions and Whitecap Resources. The 19-year-old from Calgary spoke about her path in the sport, which she took up at age 10 after being introduced to it through her Girl Guides group.
Yuen competed at the 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics, finishing 11th out of 31 in women's singles at age 16. She told students that success in the sport isn't only about reaching the podium, and described working to balance the perfectionism common among luge athletes with a more positive outlook on her performances.
Yuen is now racing on the Junior World Cup Circuit, with events in Europe including Winterberg, Germany, home to her favourite track. As one of her final seasons as a junior athlete, she said she is focused on proving herself to senior national team coaches, with a goal of competing at the 2030 Olympics in France.
Yuen said she hoped her visit would inspire the Grande Prairie students the way she wished to be inspired at their age.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.