Young athlete in the running for Sports Illustrated ad campaign

THUNDER BAY — A local athlete has secured a spot in the top 10 of his category in a youth athlete of the year contest.

The international contest gives one competitor the opportunity to win $25,000 and appear in a custom 3BRAND ad campaign designed exclusively to highlight the 2025 youth athlete of the year champion and be published in Sports Illustrated magazine.

Dexen Vescio is a 14-year-old snowboarder in Thunder Bay.

“I started snowboarding five years ago on New Year's Eve," he said. "The first time I was snowboarding, I almost quit because I wasn't very good at it."

“Then I took a 30-minute break in the chalet and went back out. Now it's my favourite sport.”

Most remaining entrants in the SI competition aren't from the winter sports world, he said, adding that if he can secure the win, he’d be proud to represent a winter sport.

“Winter sports are a very underground sort of sport, so it'd be getting recognition for them too," he said. “There are already some places in the world that have indoor snowboarding spots, and all year round."

"I would love to have that, same with the trampoline park, because we don't have one here, and trampoline parks are a great place to train.”

He said he is thankful for all the support he has been receiving with votes so far.

“It’s great because all my friends are helping me out from my school, and my mom is really helping with all the votes by posting on Facebook," he said. "It feels great to be top five, and I'm hoping that I can get first, but let's see.”

Amy Vescio, Dexen’s mother, said it has been cool to see his progress and how dedicated he is.

“He practices off-season on the trampoline all the time, and when it's in season, he's out at Loch Lomond all the time, after school, every weekend," she said. “It’s encouraging that the community is backing him and supporting him. Just to see our local athletes and highlight all of the local young talent that's in our area.”

The contest is ongoing and won’t be completed until about the end of September or early in October.

Each week, Dexen must secure enough votes to stay in the contest.

“I'm so proud of him out there, and I haven't been snowboarding for a long time, and he got me out there last year," Amy Vescio said. "I have a membership to go out with them this upcoming winter."

“He takes risks and does really cool moves that I could never do. It's just really amazing."