As skier and coach, Rhonda DeLong excelled during her years at Carleton. She won the individual Ontario Women's Interuniversity Athletic Association championship in 1986-87 and 1988-89 and was boh a member and the coach of the championship teams in 1987-88 and 1988-89. She made a major contribution to the skiing program at Carleton by establishing the Polar Bear Challenge, a promotional relay race held annually on campus for high school and university teams. Rhonda's many accomplishments were recognized during her time at Carleton. She was twice named Female Athlete of the Year (the Ruth Coe Memorial Award) and in 1988-89 she was also selected as the Outstanding Graduating Female Athlete; she won the women's ski team's Most Valuable Player three times. Rhonda continued to ski at a national level after graduation, and was the recipient of the Keri Award of Excellence as the top female cross-country skier in Canada in both 1992 and 1993.
