She's a gold medal winner in freestyle skiing for Canada, she's won four consecutive world cup titles, she works with charitable organizations (David Suzuki Foundation and Plan), and she studies commerce at McGill University. To boot, Jennifer Heil is the new BIRKS' ambassador, designing her own line of inspiring silver jewellery for the Canadian institution.

Although the leap from mogul skier to jewellery designer might seem unusual, Jennifer explained to me that she's always had a love for designing her own wearable art, since she came back from the 2002 Olympics:

JH: The real story is that, after the 2002 Olympics, I was 18 and I wanted to get a tattoo to commemorate that moment in my life. My mother begged me not to and she told me to get some jewellery instead and she won as mothers usually do. I wanted to get a ring and I couldn't find any that I liked, so I decided to design one and have it made.

Jennifer brings her love of skiing to the pieces themselves, from their texture to the sense of movement:

JH: I wanted the pieces to be playful and have movement, so that's why we have all the chains and nothing is static.

Jennifer worked with BIRKS' design director, Marion Cameron, to bring her ideas to life. The pieces (earrings, bracelet, necklace, stackable rings and bracelets) all incorporate five rings. Each represents word she considers fundamental: Dream, focus, teamwork, courage, and joy.

JH: Coming back to the words, they are what it requires every day to go out there and be successful.  I think these are values that everybody shares and they are universal. There are more than five values for success, but I think a lot of people can relate to these. So I wanted people to be able to wear them and look down and have a friendly reminder to cherish what they are doing in their lives and what they bring to the table.

With prices ranging from $150 to $395, Jennifer sees her pieces as being accessible and wearable by the contemporary woman who wants to have fun with her jewellery. Hey! That's me! 

Here's we are wearing necklaces from her collection. OK, hers is from her private collection, and it is the closest I will ever come to an Olympic gold medal in my life (it's beautiful, and very heavy!).

As Jennifer and BIRKS prepare for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, there will be more training, more competitions, and possibly more jewellery designing, using other materials, including gold.

Whether it's with BIRKS or on the slopes, or both, one thing is for certain: There will be gold in Jennifer Heil's future.

www.birks.com