The Ukrainian Outreach Initiative is the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation’s effort to help winter athletes through a disruptive and violent time in their country.
Eleven Ukrainian curling athletes and their coach arrived last weekend in Salt Lake City after responding to a humanitarian gesture from the Olympic Legacy Foundation. CEO and President Colin Hilton said the violence in Ukraine prompted his organization to reach out to the Olympic teams and offer them the opportunity to spend the summer training at Utah’s Olympic facilities.
The curling team athletes will live at the University of Utah and train at the Olympic Oval in Kearns and the Weber County Ice Sheet in Ogden. Hilton said more athletes are expected in Park City next month.
“And then around June 1, we'll see the next wave of arrivals of a rather large group of almost 40 freestyle skiing athletes, coaches, and family members, and we'll be primarily putting them up at the Residences at Utah Olympic Park along with a home that a generous family donated.”
Hilton said the residences at the Olympic Park include 42 apartments and 30 hotel units. Athletes’ families are also welcome.
“One of the Ukrainian freestyle aerialists is actually a silver medalist from the Beijing Games that just happened. He and his wife will be here, plus they’re newborn. So obviously, having the family unit be able to travel and be in one location was something we absolutely wanted to facilitate.”
Hilton said it’s common to accommodate athletes from around the world at the training facilities. With the conditions in Ukraine, he said there might be more athletes and families that want to spend time training in Utah. The Olympic Foundation may need more donations of services or living facilities should more winter athletes decide to spend the summer in Park City. Donations are accepted through uttaholympiclegacy.org/Ukraine/
“Some of the needs are outlined on the website, but we would encourage there's a portion of the website that if anybody wants to communicate, we can do that.”
Anyone interested in participating in the Ukrainian Outreach Initiative can find the link on KPCW.org in the web version of this report.
