Most parents are more than proud to help their child if they have athletic, or even Olympic, aspirations. They'll drive them to practices, take them to meets, buy their equipment.

But if an athlete shows promise and starts to head into elite levels, with government funding dropping, what does a parent do?

In the case of the parents of two Kimberley cross country skiers — both of whom are showing great potential at the National level — you cough up the funds, even if it means going into debt.

Colin Ferrie and Stefan Sander-Green started skiing at the age of four, with the Kimberley Nordic Club.

Both have done very well, regionally, provincially and nationally. They have each won medals in B.C. Championships, Western Canadian Championships, Nor-Ams and the National Championships. In 2009, at the Nationals in Duntroon, Ontario, Stefan won a silver in the Juvenile Boys category in the individual Sprint, against 70 other skiers. Also at Duntroon, Colin had a 4th, a 5th and a 6th place finish. At this year's Nationals in March in Whitehorse, Colin won gold - 10 km classic technique race and also silver, Stef - 4th (5 km classic technique race) against 90 skiers. Together, as a sprint relay team at the Nationals, they placed 6th overall and in the 7.5 km Skate technique race, Colin placed 4th.

While they're training six days a week, they are also attending school. Stefan has the top marks in his grade at Selkirk Secondary, and Colin is in the top 5. Colin has done some work as a paperboy and a server at a local restaurant and Stefan has done some baby-sitting. However, given their training, travel and academic schedules, regular part-time employment is not really possible. They've both done some volunteering in the community: pulling invasive weeds, helping with local soccer, and Colin serves at church.

Every camp they attend — and as members of the BC team they must attend these camps — costs money. Every meet costs money.

And funding for these athletes through BC Gaming funds has been cut.

To prepare for next year, their training began 10 weeks ago. Each member has detailed training plans for each week. Team members have already attended one BC team camp at Whistler in May ($350 plus transportation there and back at their own expense), two regional camps in Rossland with former National coach, Dave Wood (who coached Canadian athletes to Olympic gold) and they leave this coming Sunday for Canmore for eight days of training on the Haig glacier. The cost for the Haig Camp has increased from $350 in 2009 to $650 this year ($750 for the Development Squad members).

“A substantial amount of funding has been removed,” said Ian Ferrie, Colin's father. “And it's had a dramatic effect. Colin's subsidy has decreased from 75 per cent to less than 20 per cent. Whereas last year, locally, we paid a maximum of $750 per skier, this year it was approximately $2000 per team member. As well, the subsidy for the various mandatory off-season training camps was reduced and our cost has gone up. By accepting the invitation to the BC team last May, Colin made a committment to attend these BC camps, BC cup races and the Nationals. In a sense, we now feel penalized by accepting team membership.

“We want to do it, we want to support him, we want to make this commitment, but we go in debt to do it and we're not alone.”

Ferrie has embarked on a campaign contacting government ministers trying to get some kind of indication of what they feel support levels will be for these athletes in the coming years.

“Young athletes like Colin and Stefan could very well be future Olympians,” said Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald. “It is our responsibility as a province to ensure that young athletes have every opportunity to excel.”

Macdonald finds it ironic that future elite athletes find themselves in this funding predicament so soon after the Own the Podium effort at the 2010 Games.

“Especially at this time, following the Olympic games, we should be mindful of the amount of commitment it takes, both on behalf of the athletes and their families, for them to be successful,” he said.

“For the government to cut gaming grants to young athletes at this time is shameful. Opportunities will be lost because of these funding cuts.”