Send Elijah Barron to Val di Sole, Italy

I'm Elijah Barron, a 17-year-old from Cobble Hill, BC.

I started mountain biking with my dad when I was 13. At the time, I just did it for fun but before long I was inspired by all of the amazing riders from Vancouver Island, and I started training in earnest. In 2019, I placed 1st in the Canadian National Enduro Series for U15, and also 2nd overall for the Canadian DH Championships.

After feeling like I lost a lot of ground through 2020, this year I set my sights on qualifying for world DH championships. It totally felt like a long shot, but with the support of my family, sponsors, coaches, mentors and my team, I have been working towards that goal.

And guess what?

On August 7, I received an invitation to join the Canadian National Team and participate in Downhill at the 2021 MTB World Championships in Val di Sole, ITA! And, bonus - as a junior racer, I've been invited to participate in a second event at the UCI World Cup in Lenzerheide, Switzerland right after the MTB World Champs.

I am so stoked to be invited to be part of this team.

I have to be in Italy in 10 days.

I haven't had a lot of time to think about funding a trip like this.

• Roundtrip, the flights costs about $1900
• Cycling Canada offsets the costs of travel and lodging while we're in Italy and Switzerland, but there are still some fees that feel pretty big to me (like $2100)
• Downhill racing is tough on bikes, so I have to take extra parts, like spare wheels, tires, derailleur, chain, hub. These things are easily going to run more than $1500 but I've got to be prepared.
• Food and spending money! I don't know how much it costs to eat in Italy and Switzerland, but I'm a teenage boy, and I want to be sure I'm covered.

I am really lucky to have the support of companies like Cowichan Cycles, Forbidden Bikes and Gravity MTB; I wouldn't be here today without them. And I still have the goal of raising some money to make this trip happen. In all, I think the trip will cost around $6,000 - so that's my goal. It might be a big goal, but really, every little bit helps.

If you have it in you to help me get to Italy, it would mean a lot to me. At 17, it's crazy that I have this opportunity, but it really is a dream come true and I want to thank you so much for helping me make it a reality.