SKELETON CHAMP COUPLE CYCLES FOR CLEAN WATER
The first time they met, he said he was going to call her “Dish,” a play on her last name. For a moment she was taken aback — but just for a moment.
“I was drawn to Jon’s energy for sure,” says Darla Deschamps-Montgomery of that auspicious meeting a decade ago with fellow skeleton racer Jon Montgomery. “He was also vibrant, fun and incredibly good looking.”
Since then, together they’ve faced some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. At the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Montgomery became an instant international star when, after capturing gold in the men’s skeleton event, he was seen swigging down a jug of beer in true Canadian celebration style.
A Kelowna wedding followed in the summer of 2011, just a few months before Deschamps-Montgomery suffered a careerending brain injury during a training run.
Then, Montgomery’s disappointment in not making the cut for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics was in time replaced with the excitement of becoming the host of Amazing Race Canada, the northern version of the wildly popular reality TV series.
Still, this is a pairing that focuses on the good fortune and gives back to show their gratitude. For years now, both have been involved in a variety of charitable and community endeavours.
Nothing, though, compares to their latest project when it comes to combining their shared passions: sport, exotic travel, fundraising for a great cause and simply being together.
They’re currently in training for what will be a 500- km November bike trip across Central America, roughly following the route of the Pan- American Highway through Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The trip is part of Water Aid Canada’s Bucket List Adventures (wateraidcanada. com), the first of five major challenges they will take on.
The couple hopes to raise, over the five challenges, more than $ 1 million for the organization that helps the world’s poorest get access to clean drinking water, basic sanitation and hygiene education.
“We aren’t cyclists, nor have we ever been in our lives,” says Deschamps- Montgomery of the upcoming trip that invites other participants to join them on their journey.
Still, when the call came from Water-Aid Canada, they simply couldn’t resist.
“We did some philanthropic work that took us to Africa,” says Montgomery, a native of Russell, Manitoba who lived in Calgary for 14 years. “It was the first time I was able to witness first- hand how people’s lives there completely revolve around the daily chore of collecting water.”
For much of his adult life, Montgomery’s life revolved around skeleton racing, the sport that requires its rider to slide facedown on a sled at speeds of more than 130 km/ h.
That iconic beer swilling moment came courtesy of a British tourist, who happened by Montgomery in Whistler’s town square.
In 2012, Montgomery’s adventurous nature attracted producers at CTV, who were casting about for an Amazing Race Canada host.
“It’s an amazing job,” he says of the reality TV show now airing its third season. “I certainly feel grateful to showcase some of our precious natural areas to other Canadians.”
Over the next four years, their relationship with WaterAid Canada will include such bucket list adventures as an Everest Base Camp trek ( 2016), a Zambezi-- River Adventure ( 2017) and a Kilimanjaro climb ( 2018).
There’s just one downside to the exciting new series of adventures they’re about to go on, says the auctioneer-turned- athleteturned TV star.
“After the 2010 Olympics they did a review, asking us what were the highlights,” says Montgomery, who’s had to temporarily trade in the battery- powered bikes he and Deschamps- Montgomery usually ride for ones powered by human effort alone.
“I said my favourite thing was the bionic bikes. And, oh yeah, winning a gold medal was pretty cool too.”