A popular West Coast chef who thrives on the edge is bringing her vibrantly positive energy to Top Chef Canada.
鈥淚 think they were looking for something unique and different,鈥� Chef Lisa Ahier said. 鈥淚 have a very colourful past. I鈥檝e never seemed to like to walk the straight line. I鈥檓 always teetering to the edge.鈥�
Top Chef Canada is set to air its 11th season and Vancouver Island's Ahier is officially the oldest chef to ever compete on the show at 63.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 ever seen somebody go on Top Chef Canada that鈥檚 my age, so it was a way to represent and show up for the senior demographic, have an adventure and who knows? I had just as good a chance to win as anybody,鈥� she said.
She said she was initially reluctant to apply for a spot on the show, but was encouraged by friends and family to give it a shot.
鈥淚鈥檓 kind of a stranger to competition. I鈥檓 more of a gal who likes to share with my neighbour rather than compete with my neighbour. So, it鈥檚 not something I really ever set my sights on personally, but a lot of folks egged me on, gave me encouragement and said, 鈥榃hy wouldn鈥檛 you?,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen my kids said, 鈥榃hy wouldn鈥檛 you mom?鈥� And I couldn鈥檛 come up with a good reason, so I thought why not? We鈥檝e got one life to live.鈥�
After putting her name forward, she was shocked when she was told she had been selected as one of the new season鈥檚 10 contestants.
鈥淗onestly, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I couldn鈥檛 believe it. I knew that I had the stamina, but would this network or production company feel like I could hang on, get through and compete like a 30 year old?,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 was really in shock. It was a big shock, but then I thought, 鈥極h my God. I鈥檓 so excited.鈥� Fear never came into it鈥 was just really excited for a new challenge.鈥�
Ahier has lived on Vancouver Island's West Coast for about 25 years, first in Ucluelet and then Tofino, and experienced love at first sight when she arrived.
鈥淭his is home and I knew it the first time I was driving on Sutton Pass. I knew I鈥檇 come home for the first time in my life. I鈥檝e lived so many times during my life and done so many different things in my career and this is the only place I鈥檝e ever felt home. They鈥檙e going to have to take me out of here kicking and screaming. I love it. I don鈥檛 even travel very much because why would I leave paradise?鈥� she said.
鈥淭here is just so much to love about the West Coast: the communities, the natural environment, obviously the abundance of beautiful food. This community gets it. We鈥檙e not a fast food community. We鈥檙e a community full of gardeners, fishermen, foragers; what鈥檚 not to love? It鈥檚 captured my heart and my soul. I really, really love this West Coast community and everything that the members of the community have done for the last 24 years to embrace me. I feel like I have been here for my entire life.鈥�
Top Chef Canada鈥檚 11th season will kick off on Oct. 14 at 10 p.m. on Food Network Canada.
鈥淣ow it is time to usher in a new era, with 10 new skilled, creative, and boundary-pushing chefs ready to compete for the title of Canada鈥檚 Top Chef,鈥� read a media release announcing the new season.
鈥淭he chefs will be put to the test, facing off in grueling challenges where they must put their best plate forward or be sent packing. Viewers we be delighted to see that this season pays homage to Canada鈥檚 diverse heritage and culinary scene. In the end, only one chef will emerge victorious, earning the grand prize and the coveted title of Canada鈥檚 Top Chef.鈥�
The season has already been filmed and Ahier declined to disclose any spoilers, but said her main goal throughout the competition was to be genuine and remain steadfast to her character.
鈥淥ne thing that was really important to me, and is in my every-single-day-life, is to stay completely 100 per cent true to who you are, what you do and at no time waver from that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 wanted to make sure that I stayed humble because I think I am kind of a humble human, that I stayed positive, I love positive energy, that I didn鈥檛 try to self-sabotage and that I was really looking out for myself and my well-being.鈥�
She added that going through the experience was life-changing.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I was ever ugly with anybody, I try not to be in life, and I think I came away from the experience really proud of myself for having the courage. Regardless of how I started and how I finished, I had the courage to get into the arena, not be in the cheap seats saying, 鈥業 could鈥檝e. I would have. If I did.鈥� I got in and I tried,鈥� she said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always going to be a winner and there鈥檚 always going to be a loser. That鈥檚 life and, experiencing life, you鈥檝e got to show up to be either one or the other and sometimes you fall in between, but they鈥檙e all experiences. I really wanted to have this experience and I did and it actually meant 1,000 times more to me than I expected it to.鈥�
She hopes her participation on the show encourages viewers to pursue their dreams.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 trade the experience for anything in the world. If I can just be the encouragement or set a little bit of an example for those people that are at home wishing they could change their careers, wishing they had the courage to go out there and take that fencing class, or show up to the yoga that they don鈥檛 think they鈥檙e flexible enough for, or whatever it is or how small or how big it is,鈥� she said. 鈥淪how up for your life, do the best you can and be 100 per cent true to yourself and your life will become fuller and fuller.鈥�
Ahier had previously and she said she has never shied away from cameras.
鈥淚 never see a camera. I never have. I鈥檓 so engaged in what I鈥檓 doing. The host talking to me, the person asking the questions, whatever it is, I truly, truly forget the camera is there. I have the absolute opposite of stage fright,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he cameras are non-existent to me. I鈥檓 just trying to have the best time that I can in the situation that I鈥檝e been put in and fear isn鈥檛 part of that process for me. I embrace it.鈥�
She added though that watching herself on screen afterwards is a different story.
鈥淲hen I look at myself on film, I鈥檓 a bit mortified. But, while I鈥檓 doing it, I鈥檓 happy as a lark and I couldn鈥檛 care less,鈥� she said. 鈥淔ilm me all day long, but don鈥檛 make me watch.鈥�
She plans to overcome that reluctance over Thanksgiving as she鈥檒l be watching the season opener with her son in the Okanagan with her mother and daughter joining them online.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to be with my family, my kids and my mother, watching the show,鈥� she said .
