A popular West Coast chef who thrives on the edge is bringing her vibrantly positive energy to Top Chef Canada. 

乌鸦传媒淚 think they were looking for something unique and different,乌鸦传媒� Chef Lisa Ahier said. 乌鸦传媒淚 have a very colourful past. I乌鸦传媒檝e never seemed to like to walk the straight line. I乌鸦传媒檓 always teetering to the edge.乌鸦传媒� 

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. 

乌鸦传媒淚 haven乌鸦传媒檛 ever seen somebody go on Top Chef Canada that乌鸦传媒檚 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,乌鸦传媒� 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. 

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 kind of a stranger to competition. I乌鸦传媒檓 more of a gal who likes to share with my neighbour rather than compete with my neighbour. So, it乌鸦传媒檚 not something I really ever set my sights on personally, but a lot of folks egged me on, gave me encouragement and said, 乌鸦传媒榃hy wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 you?,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭hen my kids said, 乌鸦传媒榃hy wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 you mom?乌鸦传媒� And I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 come up with a good reason, so I thought why not? We乌鸦传媒檝e got one life to live.乌鸦传媒� 

After putting her name forward, she was shocked when she was told she had been selected as one of the new season乌鸦传媒檚 10 contestants. 

乌鸦传媒淗onestly, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 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?,乌鸦传媒� she said. 

乌鸦传媒淚 was really in shock. It was a big shock, but then I thought, 乌鸦传媒極h my God. I乌鸦传媒檓 so excited.乌鸦传媒� Fear never came into it乌鸦传媒�I was just really excited for a new challenge.乌鸦传媒� 

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. 

乌鸦传媒淭his is home and I knew it the first time I was driving on Sutton Pass. I knew I乌鸦传媒檇 come home for the first time in my life. I乌鸦传媒檝e lived so many times during my life and done so many different things in my career and this is the only place I乌鸦传媒檝e ever felt home. They乌鸦传媒檙e going to have to take me out of here kicking and screaming. I love it. I don乌鸦传媒檛 even travel very much because why would I leave paradise?乌鸦传媒� she said. 

乌鸦传媒淭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乌鸦传媒檙e not a fast food community. We乌鸦传媒檙e a community full of gardeners, fishermen, foragers; what乌鸦传媒檚 not to love? It乌鸦传媒檚 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.乌鸦传媒� 

Top Chef Canada乌鸦传媒檚 11th season will kick off on Oct. 14 at 10 p.m. on Food Network Canada. 

乌鸦传媒淣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乌鸦传媒檚 Top Chef,乌鸦传媒� read a media release announcing the new season. 

乌鸦传媒淭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乌鸦传媒檚 diverse heritage and culinary scene. In the end, only one chef will emerge victorious, earning the grand prize and the coveted title of Canada乌鸦传媒檚 Top Chef.乌鸦传媒� 

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. 

乌鸦传媒淥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,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚 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乌鸦传媒檛 try to self-sabotage and that I was really looking out for myself and my well-being.乌鸦传媒� 

She added that going through the experience was life-changing. 

乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 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, 乌鸦传媒業 could乌鸦传媒檝e. I would have. If I did.乌鸦传媒� I got in and I tried,乌鸦传媒� she said. 

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 always going to be a winner and there乌鸦传媒檚 always going to be a loser. That乌鸦传媒檚 life and, experiencing life, you乌鸦传媒檝e got to show up to be either one or the other and sometimes you fall in between, but they乌鸦传媒檙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.乌鸦传媒� 

She hopes her participation on the show encourages viewers to pursue their dreams. 

乌鸦传媒淚 wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 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乌鸦传媒檛 think they乌鸦传媒檙e flexible enough for, or whatever it is or how small or how big it is,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淪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.乌鸦传媒� 

Ahier had previously and she said she has never shied away from cameras. 

乌鸦传媒淚 never see a camera. I never have. I乌鸦传媒檓 so engaged in what I乌鸦传媒檓 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,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭he cameras are non-existent to me. I乌鸦传媒檓 just trying to have the best time that I can in the situation that I乌鸦传媒檝e been put in and fear isn乌鸦传媒檛 part of that process for me. I embrace it.乌鸦传媒� 

She added though that watching herself on screen afterwards is a different story. 

乌鸦传媒淲hen I look at myself on film, I乌鸦传媒檓 a bit mortified. But, while I乌鸦传媒檓 doing it, I乌鸦传媒檓 happy as a lark and I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 care less,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淔ilm me all day long, but don乌鸦传媒檛 make me watch.乌鸦传媒� 

She plans to overcome that reluctance over Thanksgiving as she乌鸦传媒檒l be watching the season opener with her son in the Okanagan with her mother and daughter joining them online. 

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 going to be with my family, my kids and my mother, watching the show,乌鸦传媒� she said .