Canadian snowboarder competes with heavy heart

Canadian Evan Bichon had to change boards on the fly Thursday when a binding snapped in the start gate during the Olympic snowboard cross competition.

LIVIGNO – Canadian Evan Bichon had to change boards on the fly Thursday when a binding snapped in the start gate during the Olympic snowboard cross competition.

But the 27-year-old from Mackenzie, B.C., had to deal with far worse in getting to the Milan Cortina Games.

His mother, Trish Bichon, died of cancer in November while Bichon was at a training camp in Austria preparing for the World Cup season and a last-ditch attempt to qualify for the Olympics. She was just 63.

Bichon, who shared a home with his mother in North Vancouver, immediately flew home. The games were put on hold as life interjected.

Trish had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in the summer and had undergone surgery to remove a tumour before undergoing chemotherapy because the cancer had spread through the lymph nodes.

She was on her fifth round of chemo when she passed away.

“It unfortunately was fairly sudden,” Bichon said, fighting back his emotion. “She was doing very well up until that point with everything. She was positive. She was planning to come to Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec (in March) to watch the final World Cup because she wasn’t able to make it here during chemo treatment.

“She had more belief in me than anyone that I’d be here.”