Ski cross athlete India Sherret carries major momentum towards world championships
Team Canada is a ski cross powerhouse. And the stats more than prove it.
Once again this season, Canada leads the FIS Nations Cup ski cross standings. The Canadian team claimed its third straight Nations Cup last season, which was the country’s seventh in nine seasons.
There’s rarely a race on the World Cup circuit that doesn’t see a Canadian find the podium.
India Sherret has been finding it a lot this season. It’s been a huge breakthrough for the 28-year-old from Cranbrook, British Columbia, who has landed on six podiums, including two victories. She hasn’t finished lower than fifth in any race this season and has reached the big final to place top four in all but three events.
This consistency has vaulted Sherret to top spot on the FIS World Cup rankings, just ahead of her Team Canada teammate and two-time Olympic medallist, Marielle Thompson.
Olympic.ca chatted with Sherret ahead of competing on home snow at the FIS Ski Cross World Cup in Craigleith, Ontario, where she’ll hope to continue her hot streak.
How did you get into ski cross?
I started ski cross pretty young, especially in comparison to most of my teammates. I first tried it out when I was 13, and then at 14, I decided that was what I wanted to do. When I was FIS age, so 15, I kind of left alpine behind and went fulltime to ski cross. I just really fell in love with it.
You just got your sixth podium this season and you’re leading the World Cup standings. How would you describe this season?
It’s been a bit of a crazy year, to be honest. Since mid-February last year, I had my first World Cup win (I hadn’t had a podium for, I don’t know, four years or something prior to that). I had a good end of the season last year, and then things just started off really strong, and I’ve been skiing super consistently this year.
It’s definitely a little bit new to me. There’s a lot of new pressure to get used to being at the “top of the pile,” so to speak. But I’ve really been enjoying it. I’m super proud of what I’ve been doing. I’m really happy with my skiing. I feel like I’m just carrying a lot of momentum right now, and it’s super cool.
Are you doing anything differently to embrace that pressure?
I’ve done some work with our sports psychologist, just sort of around managing the expectations, and really working on trying to stay present.
Prior to this year, the overall [World Cup title] was maybe more of, not a pipe dream, but it felt like a distant goal. And then all of a sudden this year, I’m like—oh, this is a thing that I’m really in the mix for—and something I know that I can achieve.
There’s a part of me that’s kind of like: Okay, you just have to keep your cool and not get in your own way. I think that’s going to be the hardest part of the next four races. So I’ve been working on trying to manage that and the expectations and to take it race by race.
How are you feeling heading into the world championships?
If I am honest, there’s a part of me that’s almost like: Nice! There’s a race that doesn’t count towards the overall and the result is just the result! I don’t know if that makes sense [laughs].
But, I’m really looking forward to it. I haven’t qualified for a world champs since the first time I went in 2017, so it’s been quite a long time for me. To be coming into my second world champs with the momentum that I’m carrying right now, I’m super excited. I know the results that I’m capable of, but at the same time, I know anything can happen on race day. So I’m just going to go in there and have some fun.
Team Canada is such a ski cross powerhouse, especially on the women’s side. Can you talk a little bit about the team dynamic? What’s it like to be on a team that is so strong internationally?
It is so cool. Especially when you look at other European teams, it is so incredible the depth we have, on the women’s side, especially.
Unfortunately, we are not all healthy right now. We are down to three out of seven. But when we have all seven girls, we can be seven in the top eight, and nobody else has that. I’ve been part of two podium sweeps with the other girls, with Marielle [Thompson] and Britt [Phelan] and Hannah [Schmidt]. It is just the coolest experience ever.
The fact that we have so many of us is what really makes us so strong. Our level of training is really high, especially in comparison to other teams that only have one or two girls. Marielle has been at the top of her game for so long, and we all know that’s what we’re aiming for.
Is there anything that you wish more people knew about ski cross?
It is funny, the idea that a lot of people have… that it’s very aggressive, with contact and knocking people over. You can’t do that.
It used to be a little more “wild west,” but these days, like, if you make contact with someone and they crash, you get a yellow card, [which means] your rank is last in your heat. If you get two yellow cards a year, you get a red card, [which means] you can’t start the next race, you’re disqualified.
Do you have a favourite moment of your own skiing career?
I think one of my favourite moments was my first World Cup win [at Alleghe in February 2024]. That one was very special. I didn’t expect it. I didn’t really see it coming. And then I just had a day where it really felt like it all came together.
I remember kind of coming around the last turn, coming into the finish and realizing that I was going to win—I started crying.
My teammate Kevin [Drury] ran into the finish and gave me a big hug, and was like, “Oh my God, you did it!” It was really special for me.
Do you have a favourite moment as a ski cross fan?
There are some that I remember from when I was younger, like Ashleigh McIvor and Marielle winning the Olympics, individually. In 2010 I hadn’t even started ski cross yet, but I was like, wow, that’s really cool to see a Canadian woman win an event that I knew I wanted to do.
Rapid fire with India Sherret
An athlete that you look up to?
All of my teammates, in individual ways!
Favourite place to train?
I do really love training at the gym in Whistler. In terms of ski training, I would say that the preseason training in Idre Fjäll this year was really awesome.
Any pre-race rituals or routines? When I asked your teammate Jared Schmidt about this, I heard about his lucky socks…
I listen to the same few songs every race that get me in the right headspace.
Otherwise, I’m very much just, a right side of things first [person]—right boot, right ski, right mitten. I do the same thing every time I get in the start gate—tap my poles, clap my hands, that sort of thing. I’m not a hugely routine-oriented or superstitious person, though.
What’s on the pre-race playlist?
I listen to a fair bit of metal. Bring Me the Horizon is probably the band that’s most frequently on there. The specific songs are secrets, though!
Yes, we wouldn’t want the competition to get their hands on the playlist! If you weren’t a ski cross athlete, what sport would you do?
I think it would be really cool to be good at halfpipe skiing. In terms of things that are realistic for me to do, definitely not halfpipe skiing! Maybe short track speed skating? I think that’d be neat.
Team Canada will compete at the FIS Ski Cross World Cup in Craigleith, Ontario, March 12-15. The FIS Freestyle World Championships will take place in Engadin, Switzerland, March 16-30.
