Megan Imrie could point to the Maple Leaf stitched into her Olympic apparel.

She could drape a Canadian flag over her shoulders.

But when it comes to conveying what it would mean to represent Canada at Vancouver 2010, the Canmore-based biathlete would rather show off her own symbol of national pride--a fur hat.

There's just one catch: Canada's athletes aren't permitted to wear anything but officially sanctioned uniforms at Winter Games venues. And that means no fur.

"I'll still bring my hat," insists Imrie, 23, one of Canada's most promising biathletes. "I know I have to wear our uniform most of the time, but what if I have to go somewhere incognito? Wearing fur is the most Canadian thing you could possibly do."

The daughter of an avid trapper and hunter, Imrie grew up on a working ranch in Falcon Lake, Man. While that partly explains her desire to go where the politically correct fear to tread by wearing and actively promoting the use of real fur, her willingness to speak up on behalf of one of Canada's oldest industries has recently been fuelled by the sponsorship dollars she's received from scores of trappers.

As a result, the bubbly young biathlete has found herself in the unusual position of acting as a fur industry spokeswoman of sorts while animal rights' groups and politicians trade blows over the European Union's ban on seal imports and the debate over whether fur should be incorporated into Canada's Olympic uniforms (it won't be, despite an all-party vote by members of Parliament in favour of a Bloc Quebecois motion).

"I've been on the trap lines since I was a baby," says Imrie. "We always got to ride on a sleigh behind the snowmobile and it was exciting to see if there was anything in the trap.

"On the ranch, we rode horses, played with the little lambs and ducklings and I had pets of every variety you could possibly imagine. But at the same time, you understood the connection between life and death and what our impact is as humans.

"I'm completely proud of being able to support the trappers and wear fur."

Like many of Canada's Olympians, Imrie has struggled to scrape together the funding she needs to compete on the World Cup circuit. Her website estimates she spends around $30,000 a year on training and competition, but she says the final bill can be up to $50,000.

"It's been very difficult to get corporate support," says Imrie. "There have been times when I've decided not to attend certain training camps, not to get certain equipment, not to travel to Europe at a certain time. It takes away, here and there, the little pieces of the puzzle I need to do my best.

"When I'm at the start line and I see a competitor from Germany or Norway, it's like in a horse race and I'm on a Shetland pony and they're on a thoroughbred--you know which one's going to come out ahead. It's the same in a lot of amateur sports.

"But at the same time, I've been very aggressive with fundraising and I have been very successful with it. This coming year, I won't feel that same sense of frustration or anxiety."

Biathlon Canada coach Geret Coyne says biathlon's low profile in Canada compared to some European countries creates challenges for national team members, but as a group, they decided to tackle the problem together and "not be frustrated with it."

That led to the nation's best female biathletes, including Imrie, posing for a nude calendar that went on sale late last year.

Imrie's solo fundraising efforts have also taken her to golf and fishing tournaments, breakfasts and music festivals, many of them in her home town.

Then last year, her dad Murray, who just happens to be a member of the Whiteshell Trappers Association (the family ranch is in Whiteshell Provincial Park, east of Winnipeg), was informed by fellow trappers that they wanted to help his daughter navigate the road to 2010.

"At one of their meetings someone got up and said that they, as trappers, wanted to contribute. That was the first step," says Imrie.

"Some of those members are also on the Manitoba Trappers Association. They created a donate a fur program, so that trappers all across Manitoba can donate their furs."

Dave Bewick, of North American Fur Auctions (NAFA), says trappers attach tags bearing Imrie's name to pelts they want to sell on her behalf. To date, more than 75 trappers have donated fox, beaver and muskrat pelts, he says.

"It's doing very well," says Bewick, adding around $2,500 has been raised so far. "(Megan) is very special to the trapping community."

Imrie's passion for the great outdoors is genuine and, regardless of the sponsorship money she receives, she's comfortable in her role as unofficial ambassador for Canada's fur industry. But even in the wacky world of athlete sponsorship-- Imrie is also sponsored by a lumber yard, a meat and grocery store and a soap company-- her association with the trappers remains something of an anomaly.

"I get lots of comments from other athletes," says Imrie, who is a good bet to be one of the names on the list when Canada unveils its biathlon team for Vancouver 2010. "At first, they don't quite understand what trapping is and they say that to wear fur is bad. It allows me to clear up some of the stereotypes.

"To be an athlete going into a home Games is a once in a lifetime sopportunity and one of the cool things about it is that I've been given a voice. With the trappers, all the support I've had from my home town, I feel I'm able to give back and speak up about the things I'm passionate about."

The link between the fur trade and the Olympics has been a hot topic this year. In the spring, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals launched a campaign calling on Olympic organizers to convince the federal government to end the East Coast seal hunt. In May, the European Parliament endorsed a bill banning the import of seal products and, partly in response to the ban and the subsequent political fallout, Canadian members of Parliament voted in favour of a motion calling on the federal government to integrate seal pelts into athletes' uniforms. But the Canadian Olympic Committee refused, with president Michael Chambers describing the idea as an attempt to politicize the Games.

Imrie says she'd have loved to have worn fur in Vancouver, but when the COC unveiled its Olympic apparel a few weeks ago, it made it clear the athletes' clothing won't include real fur.

"I'm a little disappointed at the lack of fur on the home team uniforms," says Imrie from Austria, where she is training with the national team. "I can appreciate that the Olympics is a celebration of athleticism and humanity, not politics. But a little fur trim? I think that's a fashion statement, not a political statement."

Imrie was recently asked to speak at a NAFA open house and there's been discussion about her becoming a spokesperson for the Fur Institute of Canada.

She's yet to be contacted by animal rights groups and although she enjoys talking to fellow athletes about her cause, she doesn't have a lot of time for celebrities like Pamela Anderson, who has fronted several high-profile PETA campaigns.

"I think they could benefit from a day on the trap line because when you are not immersed in it, you don't understand it," she says. "These celebrities are living large, building massive homes, essentially destroying habitat by their methods of living and they really don't quite understand the full connection between population management and rural Canada."

Steve Keogh, director of communications for the Canadian Olympic Committee, says the rules about what athletes are permitted to wear at Vancouver 2010 are straightforward.

"Within an Olympic venue, athletes are required to wear specific wear for all the different functions and events and that's COC-issued clothing through our sponsors," he says. "It's not permitted for (there to be) any modifications or attachments. The same goes for competition wear."

Keogh says the Olympic Charter states that no kind of demonstration is permitted within an Olympic site or venue--which means officials won't take kindly to any athlete trying to sneak something like a fur hat into ceremonies or competition venues.

"Outside of an Olympic venue, however, an athlete can wear what he or she wishes," he says.

Imrie says that even if she has to leave her cherished fur hat back at her team hotel, the trappers and all her other supporters won't be far from her thoughts if and when she competes for Canada on the world's biggest stage.

"It's my career, but it's many people's journey with me," says Imrie.

"When it comes down to the final 100 metres, that's the kind of strength you can draw on."

kbradford@theherald.canwest.com