Vernon Olympian to share stage with tennis legend

First it was Rob Gronkowski…and now John McEnroe.

Those are two of the famous athletes Vernon’s Elena Gaskell has — or will — share the stage with as part of a fundraising event in B.C. this month.

Gaskell, a freestyler skier with Canada’s Olympic program, will appear at the 31st annual RBC JCC Sports Dinner Feb. 28 in Vancouver, with the likes of seven-time Grand Slam singles champion John McEnroe.

(submitted image/JCC Sports Dinner)

Gaskell, who won a World Cup event in 2018, also attended the event last year.

“It was a great experience, meeting so many sports fans who are also really passionate about supporting community-level recreation in B.C.,” Gaskell said. “During the reception there was also a very competitive game of giant Jenga, with hundreds watching – which I won of course!”

Gaskell, who is currently recovering from a knee injury suffered last month in training, will be taking photos with more than 600 guests, and helping raise funds for more accessible community programming in the greater Vancouver region.

“Last year I shared a stage with Rob Gronkowski, so I think I’ll be ready for John McEnroe,” Gaskell, 22, remarked. “They’re both big personalities so it will be a lot of fun.”

Vernon’s Elena Gaskell with former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski at the 2023 RBC JCC Sports Dinner in Vancouver. (submitted photo)

Fellow BC Olympians Phil Wizard, a gold medal contender and world champion in ‘Breaking’ at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, and Nate Riech (defending gold medalist in Paralympic 1,500m) will be joining Gaskell at the eventat the Hyatt Regency

The JCC provides scholarships and programs for members of the greater Vancouver community who wouldn’t otherwise have access.