It seems Olympic and World Cup skiers Art and Andy Tommy did a lot together over the years, even winding up with a fracture on the same leg — in the same room at The Ottawa Civic Hospital in 1955.
Art, then 21, broke his leg first when the two brothers were in a car accident on their way to a competition in the U.S. Twenty-two-year-old Andy walked away with a few bruises, only to break his leg at Camp Fortune, landing them in the hospital together with matching injuries.
Andy would endure six breaks over the span of a very successful career that included both brothers qualifying for the 1956 Olympic Games in Italy. Sadly, Art would pull an ankle ligament a month before the Games and Andy would suffer a double fracture on his right leg — neither was able to compete. However, a third brother, Fred, was a member of Canada’s Alpine Ski Team and did compete in the 1960 Olympic Games on a team that Andy coached. Art and Andy were both inducted to the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
The Tommy family might be best known for how they enrich our region’s ski and sporting experience through the success of their retail stores Tommy & Lefebvre and the Edelweiss Valley Ski and Golf Resort.
