As the Winter Olympics makes its return to the airwaves, one Sault Ste. Marie woman is recounting her own Olympic journey that happened 50 years ago.
Diane Acton went by her maiden name Pratt when she competed in alpine skiing events during the 1972 Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan. At the time she was living in Rouyn-Noranda, Que.
“I started skiing when I was seven and racing when I was 11. By 15 I was on the national alpine ski club and then at 18 I went to the Olympics,” said Diane in a recent interview by phone.
Diane said she was one of only a few Canadian women chosen to compete in the alpine events that year.
“There were more than six of us on the Alpine Canadian Ski Team, but only six got chosen and only four can compete in each event,” said Diane.
There was no wall-to-wall coverage of Olympic games on television back in 1972 for family and friends back home to keep track of how she was doing at the games.
“I think it was televised, but maybe just clips during a sports broadcast,” said Diane. “We didn’t have all of this live stuff we are able to do now.”
Diane said her family was not able to attend the games in person to cheer her on.
“I was the oldest of five and I am originally from Rouyn-Noranda, so my parents stayed home with the other four kids,” said Diane. “I think it was lack of money and not being used to travel so much.”
Athletes competing in Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics are not able to bring family because of strict COVID-19 rules.
Diane said she sees one parallel to her time competing in Asia 50 years ago.
“When you look at some of the photos of people in the streets, people were wearing masks even back then, so I guess for them it’s normal,” she said.
Acton placed 15th overall in the Giant Slalom during the 1972 games and registered a ‘did not finish’ in the Slalom event.
“It always comes back to when someone has a goal and sets their sights on that goal and work toward it you don’t always get it. It’s not a straight paved road, it has lots of ups and downs,” said Diane about her Olympic journey. I think you just keep having to put your focus on that goal and working toward what you wanted to accomplish.”
Diane said she often thinks of her time at the Olympics, and counts herself as one of the lucky few who has been able to represent Team Canada over the years.
“All of the beautiful venues and the people we met along the way. Those coaches and all of the people who were supporting me during that time,” said Diane. “It was pretty special.”
Diane married her husband Gordon Acton, and the couple moved to Sault Ste. Marie in 1979, where they have lived ever since, raising three children and welcoming 11 grandchildren.
“He was also part of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, but he didn’t have the fortunate experience to make it to the Olympics,” she said of Gordon, ”but he did get to do a lot of travelling and going to Europe and the States and all over Canada.”
The pair became involved locally with the Searchmont Ski Runners and had three children, including youngest daughter Brigitte Acton, who had an Olympic career of her own.
”(She) went to two Olympics in Alpine Skiing — in the 2006 Torino Olympics and also in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics,” said Diane of Brigitte. “Skiing has been our lives and now our oldest son, who lives in London, his second child is involved in the southern Ontario alpine program, so there is still lots of skiing in my family.”