INUVIK
The most famous twins to have come out of Inuvik are heading to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

Shirley Firth Larsson, left, and Sharon Firth, seen during the NWT Sport Hall of Fame induction ceremony November 2012, were announced as inductees into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame on April 22 in Toronto. - Darren Horn photo

Skiing dynamos Sharon Firth, and her late sister, Shirley Firth-Larsson, were among the athletes nominated for the 2015 class of inductees into the hall of fame.

The announcement was made April 2 in Toronto, with an ecstatic Sharon Firth in attendance.

The sisters are already among the inaugural members of the NWT Sport Hall of Fame in 2012. They've also received the Order of Canada and a Queen's Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medal.

So there's an argument to be made that their inclusion in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame should have occurred long ago, but Sharon shrugged that off and was more than happy to accept the honour.

"Things come in time," she said during a telephone interview April 27. "I didn't expect it myself, because I had never thought about being inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame.

"It's a huge honour, one of the highest you can receive in sports. And it's just not only about us. It's about sports in the NWT in general, and how one can reach for the top."

The twins were born in Aklavik, but spent much of their childhood in Inuvik training with the Territorial Experimental Ski Training (TEST) program initiated by Father Jean-Marie Mouchet in the 1960s.

Both sisters competed in four Winter Olympic Games - from 1972 to 1984 - and amassed an incredible total of 79 medals across several competitions.

They will be joining former NHL star Paul Coffey, five-time Olympic speedskater Susan Auch and the iconic hockey player Danielle Goyette when they're officially inducted Oct. 22 in Toronto.

Sharon said she was also more than gratified that Shirley, who died of cancer at 59 in 2013, was entering the hall with her.

"It's only fair," she said. "This way, with both of us, it's natural. When I found out, I was

shocked," she said. "I first thought of Shirley's passing and thought about how big this is.

"The reaction has been overwhelming," Firth added. "Canada's Sports Hall of Fame ... sounds beautiful, doesn't it?" she said. "What a thrill for me and for my sister."

The Firths will be the third and fourth aboriginal athletes to be honoured by entering the hall, which is also a momentous moment.

"Shirley and I were always aware of our heritage (as Gwich'in) and we were proud to promote it to people," Sharon said.

Keeping the announcement a secret for so long was perhaps the toughest part of the entire moment.

"I wanted to tell everyone right away," said Sharon. "I was so proud to be told and I wanted everyone to be as excited as I was. This doesn't happen all the time. There's so many people who share this with me - the GNWT, the Gwich'in, the Inuvialuit. They're the ones who believed in the TEST program and made it last for so long."

Firth was in Inuvik only two weeks ago, helping to coach ski clinics with local participants. It's one of the many ways she continues to give back to the sport and the territory.

"The Board and Members of the Inuvik Ski Club want to congratulate the Firth sisters on their nomination to the Canadian Sport Hall of Fame," said spokesperson Fraser Pearce. "It is a long-overdue honour and our only disappointment is that it did not come in time for Shirley to receive the honour in person.

"To this day, they continue to have an enormously positive impact on cross-country skiing in Inuvik, and the entire NWT. Sharon was just recently in town hosting a technical and coaching clinic. We can not think of more deserving recipients of this nomination."

- with files from James McCarthy

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