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White quits winter sports

by Anmar Goodridge-Boyce
Barbadian freeskier Victor White has called time on his sporting career.
Following an array of head injuries, the first-ever winter sports athlete to compete for Barbados was forced to make the tough decision no competitor wants to make in order to save his life.

“It was a very hard decision and not one I made alone,” White said during a telephone interview. “Everything has a price, and even though I very much contemplated it seriously, to continue, although doctors informed me of the risk I was taking last season competing, the consequence of another crash being coma or death, as my head is extra fragile from the many severe concussions I’ve suffered was not worth it,” he said.




The Swedish born White was dreaming of becoming the first Barbadian to participate at the Winter Olympics.
“I’ve lived, breathe and eaten skiing for all my life and worked for years towards the goal of representing Barbados in the Winter Olympics. At the end, when reality hit me, I understood that it’s not worth losing my life, literally, to make the Olympics. I’m proud over what I accomplished, happy to come out unscathed, though very sad I never reached the Olympics for Barbados,” he said.

The 22-year-old who will now pursue a degree in management has described his short but eventful career as one with both “highs and lows”“The highs being representing Barbados throughout the World Cup and world ski championships, as well as my medal last year. The lows, having to deal with the loss of family members, while on tour competing as well as injuries. With that said, representing Barbados has been the greatest honour of my life, to put our island on the map in the winter sports community is something I fell truly blessed about and will cherish for the rest of my life. I hope that I have inspired others,” White said.

White etched him named in local sporting history when he became the island’s first-ever winter games medallist, winning a silver at the Europa Cup last year in the Men’s Big Air Event in Poland. He also finished 31st at the World Ski Championships.

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