XTM shows its support for ski world champion

TORQUAY-BASED snow and outdoor clothing brand XTM has honoured one of its athletes with a grand gesture at its Spring Street headquarters.

XTM invited Geelong-based four-time Paralympian and world champion skier Mitch Gourley to attend a special plaque unveiling ceremony last week, where Gourley joined the company’s elite list of snow sports athletes on its “Wall of Champions”.

Mr Gourley said he was taken away by the gesture made by the team at XTM.

“It was really cool to see myself on that wall next to a lot of people I consider friends and borderline family.

“And after talking with the team, an Australian company, earlier about race kits and alpine skiing, a sport less on the radar for a lot of Australians but one close to my heart, it was a super cool feeling for me personally.

“It almost makes me want to come out of retirement, but none of it would have been possible without the athletes that came before me.

“Hopefully I can keep kicking the can down the road.”

XTM founder Pete Forras said it was only recently he found out Gourley was a gold medallist at the World Championships in 2017 – a key criteria to qualify for XTM’s Wall of Champions – so the former Olympian wasted no time acting on the discovery.

“It’s a fun thing for the athletes and it’s a fun thing for the team we have here.

“As soon as we had Mitch come aboard XTM, we made sure he went up on the wall as our first Paralympian.”

Mr Gourley is presently the general manager of Sport4All, run by Get Skilled Access, which was founded by Australian tennis player and Golden Slam winner Dylan Alcott.

Mr Gourley and his team work to give people with a disability the opportunity to participate in sport at both a club and school level.