Saskatoon skeleton athlete crowdfunds to make it through season

An Olympic hopeful from Saskatoon is attempting to raise funds to be able to represent Saskatchewan at the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea. 

As part of Canada's skeleton team, Evan Neufeldt , has competed around the world with the winter sliding sport. 

Last season, Neufeldt was ranked 2nd in Canada and 22nd in the world.

But being a world-ranked skeleton athlete comes with a price.

According to Neufeldt, since the start of the 2015 season, Own the Podium cut most of the funding for skeleton from the federation that represents skeleton athletes, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton.

He said the federation made major changes to the organization of the skeleton team.

"We fired all of our staff. We started fresh [and] like a forest fire, there will be a rebuilding period," said Neufeldt. "Patience is required here [and] it's tough."

The athletes are also feeling the financial pinch. This prompted the Saskatchewan athlete to create a gofundme campaign with a goal of raising $30,000.

"Our World Cup team fees are $22,500 for this season. On top of that, I bought my own beautiful new race sled at roughly $15,000. I am lost," wrote Neufeldt on the crowdfunding page.

"I work hard in the off-season, training six days of the week, while working up to 40 hours bartending, but it's not enough. The math is broken. I have lived at a deficit for years, but the next step will be too much."