We are delighted that Kyle has joined our BRIT Ambassador family. Kyle has represented Great Britain in the Olympic discipline of Snowboard Cross since 2010. As a Team Member of the Great Britain Snowboard Cross Squad, he has competed at two Winter Universiades and on the World Cup and Europa Cup circuit for over ten years. Kyle is a British, English, Scottish, British University and British Indoor Champion.
“I am delighted to be joining the BRIT Ambassador family and admire their determination to ensure that every Higher Education and Further Education student in Scotland has the opportunity to take part in their annual BRIT Challenge. It’s great to see that they have built relationships with Universities Scotland (through Universities UK), Colleges Scotland, sportscotland, Scottish Student Sport and are strengthening relationships with universities and colleges throughout Scotland.
With COVID-19 compounding existing mental health challenges faced by young adults, many charities are seeing an increase in demand for the vital support they provide. I applaud BRIT for their collaborative approach and their partnerships this year with PAPYRUS – Prevention of Young Suicide, Nightline Association, Student Minds and the Charlie Waller Trust. This means that all donations raised by the BRIT 2021 Challenge will be shared equally between five mental health charities who support students and young adults. All BRIT’s charity partners are actively supporting students in Scotland.
The BRIT Challenge has been designed to be inclusive and is enabling students and staff of all abilities to take part. To ensure every student in Scotland has the opportunity to participate, I hope every Scottish university, college and students’ union embraces the BRIT 2021 Challenge, enters teams and encourages their students and staff to take part; at home or on campus.
I am delighted to be part of the BRIT Ambassador family, and uniting with Olympians, Paralympians and sports personalities, to encourage universities and colleges to enter teams and support their students and staff as they complete their BRIT Challenge. I know that many more GB Snowsport athletes will want to join me to support universities and colleges throughout the UK and I will do everything I can to encourage them to be part of the BRIT Ambassador family; we must do more to help as this is such an important time to support young adult mental health. I would be thrilled to encourage students and staff at Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, should they enter teams in the BRIT 2021 Challenge.”
Kyle competed a Bachelor of Science degree in Planning and Property Development at Heriot-Watt University between 2008 and 2013. He was a Sports Scholar for Snowboarding, a Sports Ambassador and recipient of Sports Blues, alongside his voluntary work with the university's snowsports club where he recieved Gold Plus Volunteering Awards, and the Duncan Murray Memorial Award in both 2010 and 2011. Between 2014 and 2016, Kyle was a member of the Snowsports Sport Advisory Group at British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS).
Since 2014, Kyle has been an Athlete Mentor for the Champions in Schools programme, run by the Winning Scotland Foundation; he has hosted motivational talks and workshops to students around Scotland with the aim to inspire young people to pursue their passions, work hard to overcome challenges and learn how to manage their responsibilities through his own experiences as a snowboard athlete.
Kyle has recently joined as a volunteer and ambassador for Socialtrack, a social enterprise, helping promote the use of pumptrack and cycle facilities in the UK. Encouraging people, particularly children, to get involved in active travel and leisure, and helping provide education and training.
Since 2010, Kyle has been a Team Member of Great Britain's Snowboard Cross Squad, and is a current member of their Europa Cup team, combining this alongside a career as a Chartered Town Planner.
For more information on Kyle and the Great Britain Snowboard Cross Squad, please visit the GB Snowsport website.