An Okanagan ski hill is throwing its financial support behind a skier with local roots aiming for Olympic glory. Big White announced that it will be financially sponsoring Ian Deans.
For the ski cross competitor, who spent his formative years living in Lake Country, having the ski hill’s financial support is “massive,” as he tries to quality for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“As an athlete, you work so hard and it takes so many hours to get any extra step against your competition. Right now, I’m working full-time because I have to pay for a portion of my season,” said Deans.
“Any financial support allows me to take a step back and focus on my training even more… It’s massive. It is a really big deal.”
The ski cross athlete said that representing Canada at the Olympics has been his goal ever since he was a young ski racer.
“To be an Olympian, you can hang your hat on that at the end of the day, and know that you are one of the best in the world,” said Deans.
“It would be an absolutely amazing feat if I was able to accomplish that. I’m really looking forward to pushing as hard as I can and hoping to make that happen.”
Deans said that Big White has played a central role in his life. It’s where he learned to ski and where he met his wife.
The pair now live in Seattle where Deans works as a kinesiologist.
Comments