Shirley Firth (31 December 1953 in

Aklavik, Northwest Territories Aklavik ( Inuvialuktun: ''Akłarvik'') (from the Inuvialuktun meaning '' barrenground grizzly place'') is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Until 1961, with a population over 1,500, the community ser ...

– 30 April 2013) was a Canadian cross-country skier who competed in four consecutive Winter Olympics in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

, 1980 and

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

Career

Of Metis descent and a member of the Gwich'in

First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

, Firth was one of the first indigenous North Americans to represent Canada in the Olympic Games. Firth was the recipient of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, and the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

. She was also voted Canadian Women's Nordic Skier of the Year six times by ''Ski Racing Magazine.'' She was the twin sister of fellow ski team member

Sharon Firth Sharon Firth (born 31 December 1953) is a Canadian former cross-country skier who competed in the Winter Olympics in 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1984. Firth's mother was Gwich'in and her father was Métis. She and her sister grew up in the Gwich'in Fi ...

. The sisters participated in the Territorial Experimental Ski Training program that introduced cross country skiing to northern Canada. Consequently, the sisters made the first ever Canadian cross-country ski team that competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo. They credit the many important lessons they learned while trapping and hunting in their remote home community to their skiing success. In addition to the four consecutive Winter Olympics, the sisters competed in four World Ski Championships, and were members of the National Cross Country Ski Team for an unprecedented 17 consecutive years. Firth won 29 Gold medals, 10 Silver medals, and 3 Bronze medals at the Canadian National Championship level. Together, the siblings accumulated 79 medals at the national championships, including 48 national titles, figures that no other athlete has come close to reaching. Firth won a total of 42 medals out of the 79 won by both herself and Sharon. In 1972 the Canadian Ski Association awarded Firth the John Semelink Memorial Award for her contributions to skiing in Canada, which was shared with her sister. They became the first indigenous women to be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Firth had previously received a

National Aboriginal Achievement Award The Indspire Awards, until 2012 the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, are annual awards presented by Indspire in Canada. The awards are intended to celebrate and encourage excellence in the Aboriginal community. About The awards were fi ...

in the sports category in 2006. In 2008, Firth was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Banff Sports.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS). Shirley Firth-Larsson was inducted inducted into the NWT Sport Hall of Fame in 2012.

Olympic Games

World Championships

World Cup

Season standings

Personal life

Shirley Firth Larsson was the daughter of Stephen Firth (Métis) born November 20, 1922, at the Northwest Territories (NWT) and Fanny Rose Greenland (Métis) born January 21, 1922, also in NWT. Following her athletic career, Firth went on to live in France where she raised a family and lectured on the Dene and Inuit cultures. Firth died at her home in

Yellowknife Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...

, Northwest Territories, on 30 April 2013, at the age of 59. The two sisters were also the subjects of a CBC Documentary entitled ''The Olympians: The Firth Sisters''. In honour of Firth's memory, the Canada Post put her and her twin sister Sharon's faces on their stamp. Firth was honoured at Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in Calgary's Olympic Park, by her spouse and daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Firth, Shirley 1953 births 2013 deaths 20th-century First Nations people 21st-century First Nations people Canadian female cross-country skiers Cross-country skiers at the 1972 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1976 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1980 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1984 Winter Olympics First Nations women First Nations sportspeople Gwich'in people Indspire Awards Officers of the Order of Canada Olympic cross-country skiers of Canada People from Aklavik Sportspeople from the Northwest Territories Canadian twins 20th-century Canadian women First Nations sportswomen