Success Stories

[Victoria]

Ivan Babikov focuses on the goal

Cross-country skier Ivan Babikov wasn’t handed success on a silver platter. His first World Cup gold medal, won last January in Val di Fiemme, Italy, is testimony to hard work and perseverance paying off.

Ivan Babikov was born and raised in Syktyvkar, Russia. At the age of nine, he enrolled and trained with his school's cross-country team. Babikov struggled and pushed himself in order to catch up with his teammates. Through ambition and dedication, he steadily improved and became one of the best cross-country skiers in Russia.

“I worked hard, trained hard, and pushed myself as hard as I could. I am really stubborn and kept training even when I wasn’t getting great results in Russia. I kept doing it,” says Babikov.

He immigrated to Canada in 2003. His sister, who has lived in Toronto since 1998, sponsored him and his mother. He didn’t move to Canada with the intention of building a career in skiing — at first he got a job in Toronto in order to sponsor his wife and son.

“I didn’t move here because I wanted to ski for Canada. I moved here because of the lifestyle, for my future, for my son and my wife, and to be able to have a better life. I love the way of life in Canada. Canadians want to see you be successful.”

Babikov even thought of giving up skiing but he was quickly recruited by the X-C.com racing team. He then moved to Canmore, Alberta to pursue what he loves to do. The following three years were the hardest times of his life. He was training and racing in North America and spending his summers with his wife, Svetlana, and new born son, Sergey in Russia.

In 2005, he applied for his citizenship so he could compete for Canada in the 2006 Olympics, but he had not been in the country enough days to qualify. Babikov was stuck in between two worlds: he was living and training in Canada, but racing internationally for Russia. He finally qualified for Torino, competed with the Russian team and came in 12th.

“It was hard for me to go back and try to fit in their systems. I had already moved to Canada and they already considered me Canadian,” he says. I wasn’t Russian in their eyes anymore but it was really important for me, I needed this experience for the Olympic Games in Vancouver.”

His wife and son joined him in Canmore in 2006 but he was often separated from them. To survive and provide for his family, he travelled to as many prize money events as he could, most of them outside Canada.

The Canadian National Ski Team took him under its wing but couldn’t provide him with sponsors and government grants. Babikov couldn’t become Canadian fast enough. It took three years of hardship and financial struggle before he finally became a Canadian in 2008.

“As athletes, we have to make money, we have to live, eat, and travel. The National team tried to help but couldn’t do much,” he says. “When I got my passport in February 2008, I could breathe. I was finally racing as a Canadian on the National Ski Team and I had sponsors.”

Becoming Canadian gave Babikov a new start in life. That was the end of his struggle. Winning the World Cup last January qualified him for the 2010 Games in Vancouver, he is looking forward to representing Canada.

“It took me so long to get my citizenship, over three years. I am so happy that I finally became Canadian and I can compete for Canada”.

[vaquero]

Go, Babikov!

[mypka]

one down, 10 to go.....for Canada!