Gerri Sametts has her hands full. She works as a mortgage underwriter in between wrangling two children, aged one and five years. She’s the communications director for the Saskatoon Snowmobile Club. She’s hoping that Saskatchewan’s recent cold, wet summer means that Mother Nature is going to balance the scales with phenomenal snowfall on the Prairies. And currently, she’s in preparations to ride in the annual Prairie Women on Snowmobiles’ (PWOS) ride to raise money for breast cancer research.
“We found out in August that I was picked as one of the core riders,” said Sametts. “It’s exciting but it’s also overwhelming. But my husband (Cley) is so supportive—it was his idea—so we’ll make it work.”
This year’s ride will again cover a lot of ground; Meadow Lake, Raymore (north of Regina), Yorkton and Hudson Bay are all part of the10-day journey in January 2011.
Sametts and her husband have been members of the Saskatoon Snowmobile Club for nine years, but she is the only woman director in the club.
She said that while the number of female members has increased, she feels that many of them are reluctant to hit the trails unless there are a number of women in a party.
“I think a lot of women are intimidated,” said Sametts. “It’s always been a male-dominated sport, and I think a lot of women don’t have good support to get out there . . . I think knowing an active snowmobiler definitely helps, and I think PWOS is a huge way to get women involved.”
