February 19, 2020

BREARLEY WINS HIS FIRST WORLD CUP SNOWBOARD MEDAL

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — There seems no limit — but one — for Liam Brearley.

The 16-year-old snowboarder won bronze Sunday at a top World Cup event in Calgary.

Competing against some of the best athletes in the sport, Brearley turned in his best performance of his rising career in the slopestyle event at the FIS Snowboard World Cup Sunday.

After unexpectedly qualifying third in his heat last Friday for the final 16, he scored 76.58 points on his first run.

Good enough to podium behind New Zealand’s Tiarn Collins (80.50) and Japan’s Ruki Tobita (79.53), who won gold and silver.

That despite a scary fall on the second run of the course, which included rails, a half-pipe and a big air jump.

Brearley finished just behind New Zealand’s Tiarn Collins (80.50) and Japan’s Ruki Tobita (79.53), who won gold and silver.

He said Monday at a Family Day appearance he was “super happy,” especially with a number of pros competing.

And sharing the stage after at the presentations with fellow Canadian Laurie Blouin who won gold, which is also Brearley’s goal.

“Definitely.”

It was the first career World Cup medal for Brearley, who won silver and bronze for Team Canada last month in Lausanne, Switzerland, at the Youth Olympic Games, becoming the first Canadian athlete to win three medals at a Winter Youth Olympic Games.

**Liam Brearley gives his friend and training partner Nathan Wilcox a hug at Monday morning’s talk.**

He flew back home to Gravenhurst in the middle of the night early Monday, where his mother Janis picked him up.

With a few hours sleep he was at the Muskoka Discovery Centre to share his story and show his medals around and talk about his experience. He made a similar stop after noon at the YMCA.

His mother showed video of his winning run along with his No. 12 race bid, one of the 157cm boards he races and other competition souvenirs.

One of the first to greet him was his good friend Nathan Wilcox, who said he was “proud” of him.

The two Gravenhurst High School students train together at Mt. St. Louis on the weekends, with the SENDR training academy.

They’ve both been snowboarding for just over a decade.

And while Wilcox is doing well competing in club competitions, Brearley has excelled to the “Junior National Team” — known as NextGen development.

Brearley is off again shortly, after his 17th birthday this week, for competitions in Utah and Calgary again for the nationals. And possibly Chile for another World Cup event.

Meanwhile, he says he’s just happy to be back home to catch some sleep and be in school for a few days.

“For sure.”

See a video interview with Brearley below.