Cordano Russell is not your typical Olympian.

Heck, Cordano Russell is not even your typical skateboarder.

Born in London (ON) but raised in St Louis (Missouri, USA), the former football player certainly does not look the part, conventionally speaking. That said, his 6'4" 230 pound ultra-athletic frame has opened the door to skateboarding skills that few other competitors would even attempt.

And given that his mother actually hails from Sudbury, local fans will have a unique opportunity to watch the 20 year-old who represented Canada at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris up close, this coming weekend.

Ollie North, the de facto regional skateboard association has worked hard to make this happen, with the likes of Nico Taus and Darryl Bobbie front and centre in bringing the rising star to northern Ontario.

Long-time practitioners of skateboarding in all of its various incarnations, the pair have undertaken a rather pragmatic agenda to try and establish their passion in a more legitimate fashion locally.

"Ollie North is just trying to create a safe space for everyone who wants to partake, creating positivity within the community," said Bobbie, who figures he has been skateboarding, largely on the streets of Sudbury, for some 36 years or so.

"When you are just getting into the sport, it takes time. You need smaller obstacles and things that aren't discouraging."

As anyone who has a keen interest in skateboarding is aware, the venue located in front of Carmichael Arena on Bancroft Drive (Minnow Lake Skatepark) sits as the one true setting where these athletes can hone their skills.

Ollie North jumped in to add an indoor off-season option at the site of the former St Michael Catholic Elementary School (Samson Street - off McNaughton) in addition to initiating some programming for newcomers and veterans alike.

"We want to increase accessibility to skateboarding within the community," said Taus. "We've worked with the city in the past few years as they have been able to integrate some skateboarding at parks," said Taus.

"Our support has been to provide expertise in terms of layout, what kinds of ramps could fit into the space and fit into the footprint of the park."

For as much as there is an obvious physical component to creating an environment where youth can pursue an interest in skateboarding at minimal costs, there is also a social reality, the ability to target certain demographics which might not normally avail themselves to the local sports environment.

"There are the benefits of physical and mental health, just to get out there and blow off some steam and get creative," said Taus. "And then there's the social side of meeting other people like you."

And in that sense, the role model that is Cordano Russell should help their efforts, to be sure.

Ollie North is hosting a presentation and question and answer session with Cordano Russell on Friday evening (July 25th) from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Delki Dozzi Sports Complex clubhouse.

The following day, Russell will be staging a public skate event and demonstration from noon until 4:00 p.m. at the Minnow Lake Skatepark. Both events are free to the public.