Steve Podborski

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Steve Podborski made his World Cup debut in downhill ski racing in 1974, scoring two top ten finishes in his first World Cup season, at the age of 17. He was a member of the Crazy Canucks team, famed for their daring moves on European slopes. In 1980, he won the bronze medal in the downhill ski racing at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. In 1982, Podborski became the first North American to win the World Cup season title in downhill ski racing. He retired from ski racing following the 1984 season, at age 26. Podborski was on the podium in World Cup races 20 times in approximately 100 races with 8 victories. His racing career and successes led to many accolades. In 1982, Podborski was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was inducted to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1985, Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 1986 and Canadian Sport Hall of Fame in 1987. He was honored with the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. In 2006, Podborski was inducted into the Ontario Sport Hall of Fame and his former team the Crazy Canucks were honored on Canada's Walk of Fame. He covered snowboarding for Olympics on CBS in 1998, and freestyle skiing for NBC in 2002 and 2006. Podborski also covered the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens for NBC. Podborski was on the bid committee for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, responsible for international relations. He also worked as a sports newscaster in Salt Lake City during the 2012 Olympics. Podborski was named the Chef de Mission for the Canadian Olympic Team for the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014. Podborski's endeavors also include senior leadership roles in the corporate and non-profit sectors. In 2003, Podborski joined the Telus telecommunications firm, leading to a position of National Director, Community Sports and remained with the organization until June 2017. In June 2017, Podborski became President and CEO of Parachute, a Canadian charitable organization which focuses on injury prevention. Podborski describes his move into the injury prevention field as a natural extension of his athletic training: "I was the guy who wanted to win, and you can't win when you fall and get hurt. I was an early, dedicated fan of preventing injury."