Vernon resident Kevin Hill is competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics snowboard cross event.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Kevin Hill
January 27, 2022 - 6:00 PM
A Vernon Olympian paying his own way to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China is getting some help from the community.
Kevin Hill, 35, is competing in the snowboard cross event next month as part of Team Canada.
READ MORE: Vernon Olympian gets third shot to land podium spot in Beijing
The athlete said in a previous iNFOnews interview his passion for the sport originally started with BMX, which was easier to get into as it had a lower upfront cost. He then found snowboarding after realizing he didn’t quite have the build to make it into the Olympics with BMX.
A GoFundMe was started yesterday, Jan. 26, to support Hill in his third Olympic competition. The online fundraiser has already raised more than $2,000 as of Jan. 27.
“After learning that Kevin has already paid out of pocket over $11,000 and counting in travel fees to compete for Canada at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing for 2022, we wanted to find a way to help support him,” wrote organizer Jacs Spence.
“Let's show Kevin our love and support and take the financial stress off of him so that he can compete with a clear mind.”
When Hill isn’t training, he’s landscaping in the summer to pay off his snowboarding in the winter. The future is open, depending on how the body and bank account feels, Hill said.
Big White snowboarder Tess Critchlow and Vernon freestyle skier Elena Gaskell are also competing in the Olympics, from Feb. 4 to 20.
Hill's GoFundMe can be found here.
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