“It works for me!” – Ashleigh McIvor

She’s an Olympic medallist and world champion freeskier, but B.C’s Ashleigh McIvor is passionate about more than just hitting the slopes.

She shares her healthy living secrets, dreams for the future and favourite indulgences with us in this installment of ‘It works for me.’

10 words that describe you: Passionate, compassionate, reliable, adventurous, creative, pragmatic, fun, driven, positive, friendly.

First paid job: Bookkeeping for a nuclear physicist.

Dream job: Architect or interior designer.

Where you see yourself in five years: I hope to have one or two kids by then and live in Whistler, where I can ski and bike whenever possible. I also see us running soccer camps in Pemberton (B.C.) every summer.

Most memorable moment: When my husband Jay was reading his vows and he started to tear up.

Favourite sport (other than skiing): Mountain biking.

Favourite sport to watch: Soccer. My husband is a soccer player.

Diet: I grew up with a public health nurse for a mother, so eating well is second nature. I eat whatever I want, but I want healthy foods most of the time. I also recently decided to adopt my sister’s mentality on sustainability and avoid meat at lunchtime.

Go-to healthy snack: Triscuits with a dab of cream cheese, cherry tomato, balsamic reduction and basil.

Favourite food indulgences: Cheese and ice cream.  

Wine or beer? Red wine.

Coffee or tea? Both. I have an espresso at home every morning or go to Starbucks.

Indoor or outdoor workouts? Outdoor every time.

Morning or evening workouts? I prefer to work out in the evening, but training with the Canadian National Team I started to get used to morning workouts as well.

Celeb crush: My husband (Jay DeMerit, a soccer player with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC).

Dream travel destination: Machu Picchu, Peru.

Healthy living philosophy: All you can do is your best. Eat what makes you feel good. Find activities that you love and recognize the value of exercise but don’t stress about it.

Want to hear more from Ashleigh? Check out her thoughts on the new sports being introduced at Sochi 2014. You can also check out her coverage of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games. She’ll also be joining CBC’s Olympic broadcast team as an analyst.

-by Katharine Watts, associate web editor