Hey! My name is Toms Petrusevics, I am a 24-year-old athlete from Riga, Latvia. I’m a fanatic of extreme sports. My passion for snowboarding started when I was 12 and had a chance to stand on top of the hill with the snowboard for the first time in my life. Despite that I rode the board only for half an hour, I learned to turn and stop very quickly and got hooked. So I joined “Riga’s snowboarding school” and set my goal to outcompete others. No matter how hard I’d fall, I still stood up and kept going.
A few years later, when I was 14, I started competing across the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania & Estonia). In year 2009 I had won every single competition in Baltics that I participated as well as Burton Baltic Rookie Challenge. Later on I was looking for options how could improve even more, so when I got invited to join Latvian Freestyle snowboarding team I accepted the invite.
FAILURE LEADS TO SUCCESS
When you think about it, snowboarding is pretty straightforward: you go up the hill, you stand onto a plank of wood and you slide down. In reality though it's way harder than it seems and I realized that one again after I finished 22nd during the 2011/2012 winter season when I competed in FIS Europa Cup. Snowboarding is all about pushing the boundaries. So back then to push my boundaries even further I teamed up with my coach Inars Birmanis and followed his advice on how to improve my techniques. Due to our persistent teamwork we succeeded – the next season I became the Europa Cup overall Champion (2013). A year after I secured a 2nd place (2014) and became 3rd in 2016.
WHAT DO I WANT?
My goal is to be the first Olympian from Baltics that represents its country in Winter Olympics in Snowboarding Slopestyle and Big Air that's going to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in year 2018. I want to make my country and the fellow Baltic neighbors proud. At the moment I'm the only one from Baltics that has completed all the individual selection criteria for both disciplines - BIG AIR & Slopestyle, for Winter Olympics.
Since I got the Europe Cup Champion title I got into Latvian Olympic team that is supporting me financially. To qualify for the support, I have to accomplish certain criteria to get back in the team. Given the requirements I compete under any circumstances despite being injured or sick. There are no excuses. No way back. Only the hill, snowboard and me.
HELP ME ACHIEVE MY OLYMPIC DREAM
Unfortunately, the support that I'm getting from Latvian Olympic team and Federation is not enough to cover all the expenses. Our financial resources are very small and are limiting our growth as we have to limit the quality of trainings and environment we need. The average time I spend on the mountain during the year is 3-5 months as most of the money goes out to competitions and it's not enough.
Qualification for the 2018 Winter Olympics started from this year. This season I trained the most of all the seasons and first time in my life I attended almost all of the World Cups. This season is very intense and long; almost any participation in a training camp or contest is a story of luck and cannot take place without the support of others.
This is where I need your help. I have a goal of raising $ 30 000 to help me cover the costs of attending these training camps and traveling to the contests which I need to be at in order to be able to qualify for the Games.
Also I provide the opportunity to follow me throughout the qualifying process through my video reports.
Olympic qualify season 2017/2018 budget
Training Camps and Contests
Summer
01. - 31.08. 2017. Training camp in Perisher/ Australia
$ 8440
01.-10.09.2017. FIS Snowboard World Cup Slopestyle and Big Air in Cardrona/ New Zealand
$ 3410
Autumn
22.09. -14.10. 2017. Training camp in Saas-Fee/ Switzerland
$ 5140
21.10. –25.11. 2017.Training camp in Stubaeir glacier/ Austria
$ 4250
8.-11.11.2017. FIS Snowboard World Cup Big Air in Milano/ Italy
$ 1260
Coach expenses
$ 7500
TOTAL Expenses $ 30 000
With your support I can get the best possible trainings I've ever had and those would be equal to other national teams.
With your help, I can focus on my snowboarding 100% by training and competing without the burden and stress of figuring out how to cover the occurring costs.
If you want to support my Olympic dream you can do so through my Pursuit Campaign.
Thank you so much for your time and for supporting my Olympic dream.
Priekà!
Arturs Nesaule
Es ar jums lepojos un velu visu to labaako!
Raitis Stalazs
Santa Audere-Zaļaiskalns
Tom un Inār, Jums izdosies sasniegt augstākas virsotnes! :)
Santa Audere-Zaļaiskalns
Kristaps Kleinbergs
Silva Brikule
Turi Buru!
Kristine
Sorry I am a tight ass and didn't give more.
Hope it helps. Best wishes! Enjoy the ride of your life!
Maris Batars
Es gribu redzēt Tevi pa LTV7 tiešraidē no Phjončhanas.
Gustavs Petersilis
Zane Andrejeva
ARN SPROGIS
Veiksmi!
Madara Smite
Tikai uz priekšu!
Zigmārs Rudzītis
Lai izdodās! Es par Tomu! Latvija var!
Indra
Lai veicas ar līdzekļu vākšanu un mērķu sasniegšanu!!!
PS. lūdzu Antique grey cepuri:)
Vita Valheima
Удачи! Надеюсь ты попадёшь на Олимпийские игры :)
JEKATERINA SEDJUKA
Arnis Sprogis
Andrejs Citcers
Veronika Udalova
Удачи тебе)))*
Karina Verzbicka
Alise Duce
Jana
Hope your dream will come true!
Inga Jakubovska
Good luck buddy!
Jelena Salikova
Go for your dreams. Good luck
Aksana Kosenko-Ruzycki
Gints Gritans
Aiziieeeeet!!! :))
Inese Grinberga
Lai izdodās!
Dāvis Jansons
https://files.fm vēl veiksmi un izdošanos!
Janis Viklis
Lai izdodas!
Laura Rrahmani
Maucam !
Aivars Krastins
Ieva Matisone
Lai izdodas!
Sandijs Jercums
Uz priekšu! :)
Edite Zviedre
KRISTINE STEINERTE
Ceru, ka Tu savāksi vajadzīgo summu.
Mikelis Grivins
Lai izdodās!
Karlis Bardelis
Lai izdodas!
Lelde Tikmere
Lai veicaas!
Andrejs Gavars
Go for it! All the best wishes and good luck making your dream come true! Work hard and stay motivated!
Klavs Vasilevskis
Vita Slaidins
Good luck! :)
Liva Deksne
Janis Pavlovskis
Lai veicas un izdodas piepildit sapnus! :)
Agnese
Agnese Graudina
Katrina Zvaigznite
U will make it brotha!!!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed
Good luck
Michal
michal ligocki
Janis Gailis
good luck
Alvis Rozenbergs
Veiksmi!!!
Paula
Lai izdodas!
Lasma Brantevica
Dažreiz vajadzīgs tikai viens piliens, lai straume sāktu plūst. Sometimes only one drop makes flow to flow. Let it be !
Lauma Stare
Impossible is nothing!
Jana Ezerina
Good luck!
Samuel Ilnicki
Go Toms!
Eriks Klotins
Good luck Toms!! :)
Alise
Piepildi sapņus...
Aiga Goldmane Mathilevica
I believe in you! ;)
Ance
Just do your thing!
Mārtiņš Indāns
“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.”
– George Sheehan
Es ticu, ka Tev izdosies!
Ulrika Hibnere
Heyo, Toms, give it all you got!
Ivo Malecs
Tom, Tev viss izdosies! Veiksmi un izturību! :)
Lauma Jākobsone
Veiksmi un panākumus olimpiādē!
Karlis Vejs
Maksims Feofilovs
Vidrik-Jaan Korp
Arturs
Arturs
Arturs
Andris Pilvers
Arturs
Arturs
Arturs
Arturs
Arturs
Arturs
Arturs
Ja Tu tici, Tu vari :)
Zane Tikuma
Andris Jonaitis
Lai veicas!
Gatis Zemanis
Lasma Pilvere
Lai izdodās tikt uz Koreju! Būs ko redzēt!
Davis Grazuls
Lai izdodas!
Kristaps Zabarovskis
Best of luck, Toms. Stay safe and rip it up! The Baltics will be represented 🇱🇻
Ian Kirk
Anna Berga
Marta Zunde
Lai izdodas. Prieks ka jus esat jau tik tuvu.
Arturs Alsins
Lai veicas, Tom!
Andis Blukis
Hei! Lai izdodās!
Janis Bergs
Lai izdodas!!!
Anna Cukule