Locally raised skier, Granger Campbell, was selected and raced for Canada in the Valtellina - Valchiavenna 2019 Winter Deaflympics in Italy on Dec. 15-17.
The Winter Deaflympics brought together 483 deaf athletes from 33 different nations, in events including alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and ice hockey. Campbell, who lived on Hornby Island for his school years, skied and raced on Mount Washington, raced in the super G and giant slalom in the Italian races. Although not receiving a medal, Granger placed well in the races and represented Canada well in the prestigious event (and he was pleased to place ahead of all the Americans). Campbell, a 29-year-old project manager in the construction trade, said it was a dream come true for him to ski for Canada and meet and compete with athletes from all over the world.
Local businesses Ski Tak Hut, Hornby Organic, and the Courtenay branch of the Bank of Montreal supported Granger in his pursuit.