Even though she is still in the early stages of her career, her story shows that the path to the elite does not have to be planned from childhood. Sometimes it is enough to keep options open and not be afraid of change when the time is right.

She was born on December 5, 2005, on St. Nicholas Day. And as she adds with a smile, had she been born three weeks later, she would still have been a junior last year. Even so, Anna Marie Jaklová is among the youngest athletes of her generation. Last season, in both of her World Cup debuts, she was the youngest woman on the start line.

According to Bezky.net, however, her story does not begin in the Czech mountains. Her birthplace is Kelowna in British Columbia, Canada — a region of lakes, forests, and long winters. That is where she first stood on skis. In fact, even before she properly learned to walk. She took her first strides on cross-country skis at the age of one.

A childhood on the move

Because of her father’s job, Anna grew up quite literally on the move. The family lived or spent extended periods in Canada, the United States, Australia, and the Czech Republic. And everywhere, sport was part of life. Skis were as natural as mountain bikes, the running track, or the gym.

Her parents never planned a professional career for her. They emphasized versatility instead. Anna went through children’s gymnastics, swimming, basketball, and soccer. She competed in mountain biking — even against the now well-known Canadian Holmgren twins — and in track and field, she favored demanding events: the 400-meter hurdles and the steeplechase.

Music also had its place in her childhood. Learning the basics of violin and piano was as natural as playing sports.

A professional career did not come as a plan, but as a natural development. Anna grew up in a training environment led by her parents — often alongside older children or adults. She joined in spontaneously and competed in school and extracurricular events — in swimming, cross-country running, track, cycling, triathlon, and cross-country skiing.

Back to the Czech Republic

Gradually, however, it became clear that the Canadian racing environment was limiting her further development. Insufficient club and provincial support when transitioning from junior categories, unclear selection criteria, enormous travel distances, and the fact that even elite athletes in Canada often have to self-fund — all of this played a role.

After gradually integrating into the Czech skiing system, with strong support from the Olfin Car Ski Team and its coaches, a key decision was made in 2023: switching her FIS license from Canadian to Czech.

Without great expectations. Without certainty that a performance breakthrough would come. And certainly not with the idea of being quickly selected for the senior national team. Rather, it was about creating a more stable environment for further growth.

Among the coaches who have shaped Anna along the way are primarily her parents from childhood, and later Vladimír Šlofar, Vojtěch Haman, and Aleš Lejsek.

Breakthrough among the elite

The 2024/2025 season brought results that suggest the decision made sense.

At the 2025 Junior World Championships in Schilpario, she finished eighth in the classic sprint and 16th in the 20km classic. At the senior World Championships in Trondheim, she placed 23rd in the 10km classic — a result that definitively introduced her to the broader international scene.

In the World Cup, she made two starts and scored her first points.

Her strength is versatility — she handles both sprints and distance — and especially classic technique.

A student of health sciences

Alongside elite sport, she is in her second year of a health sciences program at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. The program is fully online — otherwise it would be practically impossible to combine a Canadian university with a European racing season.

She speaks English, Czech, and French. Moving between cultures and languages is as natural to her as switching racing techniques.

Skiing as a lifestyle

For now, Anna Marie Jaklová can primarily be described as a talent with enormous potential. But an even more fitting description might be this: skiing is her lifestyle.

She does not come across as someone pushed by results, rather, as an athlete who fully enjoys the daily process — training, traveling, racing, and all the pros and cons that come with elite sport.

And even though she is still only at the beginning of her career, her story already shows that the path to the elite need not be planned from childhood.

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