Name Shirley Firth Role Cross-country skier | Height 1.64 m | |
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Died April 30, 2013, Yellowknife, Canada | ||
#Induction2015 Sharon and Shirley Firth
Shirley Firth (31 December 1953 in Aklavik, Northwest Territories – 30 April 2013) was a Canadian cross-country skier who competed in the Winter Olympics in 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1984.
A member of the Gwich'in First Nation, Firth was one of the first indigenous North Americans to represent Canada in the Olympic Games. Firth was the recipient of the Order of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
She was the twin sister of fellow ski team member Sharon Firth. They became the first indigenous women to be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Shirley had previously received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the sports category in 2006.
Firth died at her home in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, on 30 April 2013, at the age of 59.
