The Prime Minister might be a frequent visitor to Whistler ever since his days spent living here as a snowboard instructor, but it seems carving down the resort's slushy slopes just doesn't offer a big enough adrenaline boost after six-and-a-half years in Canada's highest elected office.
Justin Trudeau and his family stopped by the Whistler Sliding Centre on Easter Sunday, April 17, for a thrilling trip down the world's fastest track, with some expert hands at the wheel. Trudeau rode in a bobsleigh piloted by two-time Olympian and former World Cup champion bobsledder Lyndon Rush, capping off the Olympic experience by trying on the bronze medal Rush won in Whistler during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
"I had the privilege of [p]iloting RCAF 01 today," Rush joked on Instagram, thanking the Prime Minister for "choosing to fly" with the Whistler Sliding Centre.
Trudeau was accompanied by his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau—who was taken down the track in a separate sled driven by four-time Olympian Christopher Spring—while the couple's eldest son, Xavier, caught a ride with bobsleigh pilot Taylor Austin, who made his Olympic debut in Beijing this year.
The Trudeaus participated in the Whistler Sliding Centre's public Passenger Bobsleigh program, on its final day of the season. In addition to competing (or in Rush's case, coaching) on the international stage, all three Olympic pilots work with the Sliding Centre's pilot team to drive Passenger Bobsleigh guests down the legendary track when the athletes' winter schedules allow.
"As a non-profit organization with the mission to grow sport and develop Canadian athletes, it was an honour having the PM at the Whistler Sliding Centre to experience our Passenger Bobsleigh activity, meet our athletes and learn about what we do," said Roger Soane, CEO of Whistler Sports Legacies, which operates the local track. "The PM loved his bobsleigh experience, and meeting the athletes. It was nice for him to see how the legacies are still flourishing and developing the next generation of Olympians."
The PM's official itinerary confirmed he was in the resort for personal matters over the holiday weekend.
