WeWorkingWomen Interview: Alexa Loo

Even if you've been living in Canada for only a little while, the chances are that you'll realize just how much the Winter Olympics are adored in this country. Among the celebrated athletes who bring home medals every four years is Alexa Loo, a two-time Olympic athlete, and world-class snowboarder.

Alexa's life can only be described as endlessly fascinating. As both a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a City of Richmond councilor, Alexa always steps forward to lead in every field she engages with. Perhaps her most existing identity is that of a professional snowboarder, with two Olympic games, five world championships, and nine Nor-Am Cup gold medals under her belt! Alexa's incredible dedication won her a bronze medal in the women's parallel giant slalom (PGS) at the World Cup in Italy, becoming the first Canadian woman to win an award in alpine snowboarding.?

Alexa is a fourth-generation Chinese Canadian native of Richmond. Her great-grandfather came to Canada from China to build the Pacific Railroad while her mother is French, landing the family line well within the confines of Canadian history. Alexa's upbringing was the usual Western variety, involving plenty of skating, swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, football, rowing, and even cheerleading. Her academics, however, were of the usual Chinese variety, given that many Chinese parents in North America urge their children to pursue stable and respected careers such as law and accounting. Alexa's father was no exception, encouraging his children to become CPAs. After graduation and for her father's sake, Alexa began working at KPMG. If Alexa had gone on with her life, perhaps she would've lived the life her father wanted for her. Incidentally, Alexa stumbled upon an entirely new world.

At age 23, Alexa suddenly discovered that she held a deep passion for snowboarding. Even with her comparably advanced age and amateurish approach, she won sixth place in Canadian Nationals—an incredible outcome and a life-changing event. Alexa decided to quit her job and become a full-time snowboarder, launching her life in a completely new direction.?

Throwing herself into full-time training despite opposition from her family, Alexa put her all into qualifying for the Olympics. When she failed to be eligible in 1998, she worked harder. Where she lacked in talent, she more than made up with hard work. Finally, with unmatched perseverance, Alexa competed in the Winter Olympics in 2006 and 2010 and the age of 34 and 38, respectively, bringing home a bronze medal for Canada!?

With her vast breadth of knowledge, Alexa turns cliches into unfaltering truths. Do something that makes you happy, reach outside your comfort zone, take small steps to get a big goal. Failure isn't the end of the world but rather a new beginning; address your fears by overcoming them, follow in the footsteps of role models, and so forth. Alexa's overarching motto is simple: aim high, work hard, and give back to the community.?

Nowadays, Alexa has retired from sports. However, her experience with sports helped launch her into the next step in her life: politics. Proposal after proposal submitted to the finance committee, lobbying to ministers for more sports funding, and the resulting $7 million a year she helped distribute to 1400 athletes only sparked her interest in another field. Realizing that she could change even more lives and help even more people through politics, Alexa successfully entered the political arena. After all this time and all her years, her goal is simple: to ensure that our children have the opportunity to pursue whatever they fall in love with.

WeWorkingWomen,?North America's Leading Chinese Women Leadership Platform, connects and showcases global Chinese women's capabilities and influence.