| Born | 1997 |
| Hometown | Calgary, Alberta |
| Currently living | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Club | Foothill Wanderers Orienteering Club, Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club |
| Occupation | Physical Geography Student at UBC |
| Training log | Attackpoint |
What was one of the highlights of your 2016 season?
I had a ton of fun at the Seattle Adventure Running Tournament, an orienteering weekend involving a series of bracketed, mass start sprint races. It was also the first orienteering race series I’ve ever done in which I was happy with every race I ran.
Which race/races are you most excited about for 2017?
I’m really excited for the upcoming JWOC in Finland!
What race/event is on your orienteering bucket list?
Jukola.
Tell us one fun fact about yourself.
When I’m not orienteering or studying, I play competitive quidditch
What are some of your 2017 goals outside of orienteering?
Maintain a high academic average and help my quidditch team to become more cohesive and driven.
What orienteering technique are you currently working on to improve?
In December, I was working on route choice, for example with World of O’s Route to Christmas series in which every day, a long leg from a 2016 event was displayed. You choose what you think the best route choice is, and then can compare it to the GPS track of the athletes who ran the race.
Tell us about other ways you are involved in orienteering (eg, coaching, mapping, organizing events…)
I organize training events with GVOC and help coach the junior program in Vancouver, OAK.
What tip would you give a beginner or intermediate orienteer?
I’d say to stop immediately when you realize you’re lost or if the terrain doesn’t match up with the map. By stopping immediately, you can relocate and figure out where you are rather than running around in circles, losing more time and getting more lost and panicked.
What sort of mental training do you do to improve your orienteering?
I recently started using an app called Headspace which is a series of online guided exercises that help with focus and relaxation, both of which are very important for orienteering.
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Emma is a member of Orienteering Canada’s 2017 High Performance Program.