CALGARY, Alberta (BVM) – Ever since she was introduced to snow sports at the age of 5, Charmaine Ironside has been the definition of perseverance.

Her family enjoyed weeklong ski vacations at Sunshine Village, fueling her passion for snow sports early on. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Ironside always enjoyed snowboarding, first trying the sport at age 12, but did not pursue it until she was an adult.

“When I started competing at the age of 18, I was told that I was way too old to go anywhere with the sport,” Ironside said. “I had a deep belief that, if I worked hard, and had a vision and enough passion, I could make it happen.”

After six years of intense training, Charmaine was ranked No. 2 in Canada for halfpipe snowboarding and was on track to represent Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. On Feb. 1, 2009, a year before she would compete, everything changed.

“I had been practicing different tricks all morning, so after lunch I decided to push myself and go a bit faster,” Ironside said. “The snow speed had changed dramatically, and I caught the heel edge of my board as I was taking off a huge jump. I knew something was very wrong as I over-rotated through the air.”

Ironside landed directly on her tailbone with no slope to ease the impact. Immediately, she tried to move her legs but failed, as any action sport athlete’s worst nightmare began to set in.

“Being paralyzed would mean never doing the sport I was so invested in – let alone walking or living a full life – ever again,” Ironside explained.

She was mounted on a spinal board and rushed to Banff Hospital, only to be immediately sent to the Foothills Hospital in Calgary due to the severity.

“Much of this experience was a blur due to all the drugs I was prescribed for nerve pain, but there are certain moments I’ll never forget,” Ironside said. “One moment in particular was seeing my father with tears in his eyes. The neurosurgeon had just told my father the worst-case scenario: I potentially would never walk again.”

Ironside suffered extreme damage to her vertebrae, with multiple fractures, severe bruising, and countless bone fragments thrust into her spinal cord upon impact. The surgery to repair what could be fixed with screws and rods went quite well, and she now had a long road ahead of her to regain mobility through rehabilitation and physical therapy.

“Through years of competitive snowboarding, I truly became an ‘Iron Woman,’ with metal in my knees, right arm and now plenty in my back,” Ironside said. “As a national-level athlete, injuries were part of the process and usually just a speed bump to overcome.”

For six months, Ironside re-learned motor patterns with the confidence that she would make a full recovery.

“After being told that I might never walk again, taking my first step was an incredible moment,” Ironside said. “The recovery process was challenging, frustrating and life-changing, but it shaped me into the person I am today.”

With six months remaining until the 2010 Olympics, Ironside was still determined to compete. Her body had healed better than expected, and she returned to snowboarding just six months after the crash. Ten months post-injury, Ironside competed in the last-chance Olympic qualifying event in Colorado. Her heart was set on competing, but sadly her body was not ready, and Ironside fell in a training run, breaking her tailbone.

“This was a really frightening experience, given what had happened less than a year prior,” Ironside said. “I took a good look at my life and made the painful decision, along with the strong influence of my doctor, to let my body heal rather than pushing for the Olympics. It was the right decision, but not easy to give up that dream.”

To this day, Ironside still suffers from the crash. Despite tireless physiotherapy and training efforts, she has permanent nerve damage in several major leg muscles and she still dedicates one workout per week to strengthening these areas.

After the 2010 Olympics, Ironside finished her final semester of kinesiology at the University of Calgary and became a personal trainer, with plans of becoming a physical therapist. However, once she started training people, she fell in love with helping them reach their fitness and injury rehabilitation goals.

In 2011, Ironside started her own fitness company from the ground up, Ironside Fitness. In 2013, she opened two Calgary locations. That same year, she married Patrick Hughson. The couple now has two amazing children, Kennedy and Emmett.

For eight years, Ironside ran her fitness centers with heart, passion and perseverance until they were both closed permanently in 2020 due to the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, she offers online programs to help women transform their bodies and love the skin they’re in.

“I am loving this new way of inspiring and empowering my clients,” Ironside said. “From live, interactive full-body workouts to one-on-one nutrition and accountability coaching, I offer many ways to get results virtually.”

An inspiration to many – as well as an experienced coach, motivator, speaker and friend – Ironside continues to strive and excel.

“My career in snowboarding taught me perseverance, the importance of goal setting, and taking risks that push you out of your comfort zone,” Ironside said. “I use the power of positive thinking, meditation and regular goal-setting to keep moving forward in a life filled with purpose, passion and joy.”