A coffee with Alex Gough

You might expect Canada’s most decorated luge athlete to have a touch of hubris, but that’s not Alex Gough’s style.

Tenacious yet charming, this 31-year-old third-year civil engineering student made history in becoming the first Canadian luge athlete to win a World Cup race in 2011 (breaking Germany’s streak of 105 consecutive World Cup wins. Since then, Gough has continued to turn heads, becoming the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal in luge: a Bronze in the women’s competition and a Silver in the team relay at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Gough got her start by taking advantage of the facilities at Calgary’s WinSport. Here, visitors can bobsled, luge, and skeleton down the same tracks as world-class athletes. Also on-site is Skyline Luge, a wheeled gravity ride that comes highly recommended by Gough.

Beyond WinSport, she has more recommendations on how to live like an Olympian in Calgary. If you love the outdoors as much as she does, follow her lead and explore the city’s riverside pathways or the mountain bike trails outside Bragg Creek.

Refuel like an athlete with French toast at her favourite Calgary diner: Cadence Coffee. When Gough hangs up her sled for good this autumn, you just might find her celebrating at a lively spot called Anjeo, a frosty margarita is Goughʼs cocktail of choice!

alexgough.com