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LETTER: Thanks for supporting Summerland athlete

Family of Justin Kripps grateful for community support
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Libby Harrison and Dale MacDonald show the Canadian flag presented to Summerland Olympic athlete Justin Kripps during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Harrison is Kripps’s mother. This year, Kripps has retired from being an Olympic bobsleigh athlete and has taken a role in coaching the national team. (Contributed)

Dear Editor:

As Justin has recently announced his retirement from bobsleigh and is moving on to coaching, on behalf of the Kripps family we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in Summerland for their tremendous support over these past 16 years.

There are so many who have contributed in one way or another but in particular we would like to thank Felicity and Bernd Stahl of Summerland Pharmasave who have supported Justin financially and enthusiastically since the beginning.

READ ALSO: Summerland bobsleigh athlete joins Canadian coaching staff

READ ALSO: Kripps retires from bobsleigh competition

Thanks also to his various teachers who played a big role in setting him on the athletics path, especially Randy Jones at McDonald School and Summerland Middle School and Tom Brickenden at Summerland Secondary School, and to Derek Pariag and Carol Ireson, his club track coaches.

Thanks to Dale McDonald and Brenda Ingram for their rallying of hometown support during his first Olympics at Whistler in 2010. The Canadian flag signed by what seemed all of Summerland was very much appreciated and a big hit. A big thank you to all those who bought Team Kripps T-shirts and attended fundraising events in the early days, to the members of SADI and the Summerland Fall Fair for their enthusiastic support. Also a shout out to the Summerland council and Summerland Chamber of Commerce for their tributes to Justin. Thank you to John Arendt and his colleagues at the Summerland Review for their coverage of his career.

And a huge thank you to everyone in Summerland who cheered, sent messages of support, and followed Justin and his team for 16 years. It has been a fabulous journey. There is nothing quite like small town support, and Summerland has been wonderful.

The Kripps family

Summerland

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