SKI FOR LIFE is aimed at encouraging people in the communities of Ontario to participate in an activity which we are certain will target one of the most crucial risk factors for cardiovascular disease, namely lack of physical activity. The recreational pursuit we promote to accomplish this is cross country skiing.

The term SKI FOR LIFE reflects two different aspects of life. Firstly, we are stressing the vitality and longevity of life by promoting a healthy lifestyle which can prevent cardiovascular disease from putting a premature end to one's life by the occurrence of debilitating heart attacks or strokes. Secondly, by starting with an active, enjoyable, fun pursuit for youngsters at age eight or nine, we are promoting a lifelong pattern of activity which can be carried on with vigour into one's sixties, seventies, and eighties. This is in marked contrast to other sporting activities for youngsters such as hockey, basketball, or baseball which tend to come to an end during one's late teenage years.

In contrast to the thousands of Canadians who shudder at the thought of another approaching winter and long for the beaches of Florida or the Caribbean, cross-country skiing enthusiasts welcome the arrival of a traditional Canadian winter and are sorry to see the snow leave again in March. Given our geography and traditional climate, cross-country skiing is as Canadian as the beaver, hockey, and the R.C.M.P. Yet, too few of us have learned to enjoy the exhilaration and heart-healthy impact it can have on our lives because the sport has suffered from a lack of exposure, especially to youngsters.

The goal of activities for SKI FOR LIFE sessions is straightforward: to teach the sport of cross-country skiing to a wide variety of citizens in Ontario ranging from nine years old to seniors and to pass on to them the passion, enjoyment, and physical benefits which we ourselves derive from it.