Damon Hayler
1976 -
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Discipline: Snowboard Damon was 22 when he competed in his first Snowboard Cross event in Whistler in 1998. Damon contributes his time on snow for his progression in the sport. He would travel to Canada before the first snow and not leave till the mountain closed. He would then do the same in Australia, often spending time after the season was finished hiking and snowboarding around the backcountry. He self-funded his travel and training toward his participation at the Torino Games. He came nail-bitingly close to the podium, when he was disqualified in the semi-final, finishing seventh overall. Winning the 2009 Bad Gastein World Cup was the pinnacle of his competitive career. Leading up to the Vancouver Olympics, he was a member of the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia Snowboard Cross team where he thanks Ben Wordsworth for his invaluable help in navigating logistics and providing opportunities to train and improve as an athlete. He also thanks Ken Pederson, the team wax technician, who he could not have competed without him. And his good friend and teammate Alex Chumpy Pullin, who was always nipping at his heels before eventually becoming the champion he was. |
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