Canadian alpine skier Brad Spence will honour eight-year-old Gage Ferguson of Calgary during upcoming races. (CP PHOTO/Adrian Wyld)Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Canadian skier Brad Spence delivered a young fan quite the early Christmas gift Friday.
The Olympic and World Cup skier will wear a special logo on his helmet bearing the name of Gage Ferguson, an eight-year-old from Calgary who suffers from Asperger Syndrome. Spence will wear the head gear for the World Cup slalom event in Wengen, Switzerland, on Jan. 15.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, one of Alpine Canada's sponsors, will fly Ferguson and his family to Switzerland to watch the competition.
Spence met Ferguson shortly after the 2010 Winter Games and the two quickly struck a friendship. When Ferguson learned Spence was looking for ski sponsors, the young fan began saving up money in his piggy bank.
Asperger Syndrome is often considered a high functioning form of autism.
Spence was so touched by the letters and videos Ferguson sent that the skier visited him Friday at Canada Olympic Park to tell him the good news in person.
"I was quite taken aback Gage wanted to spend his piggy-bank savings to help me follow my dreams," the 27-year-old Spence said. "In a world where generous people often aren't rewarded to the extent they deserve, I wanted to do my best to return the favour.
"I am extremely thankful KLM has come on board to make this entire journey possible. I'm really looking forward to Gage seeing one of my races in person. I hope it will be a trip he and his family will never forget."
Ferguson's family kept the news of the one-race sponsorship and ensuing trip to Switzerland a secret so Spence could deliver the news.
"This is the best Christmas present ever," Ferguson said. "I don't know what to say!"
Jenn Ferguson, Gage's mother, said it might take a while for her son to fully understand what he's in for considering he's never travelled outside of Canada.
"Gage has pictures of Brad skiing on his bedroom wall and sometimes at night, he will lie in bed, close his eyes and imagine that he's at the bottom of a ski hill watching Brad race," she said. "He won't have to rely on his imagination any more when it comes to Brad racing.
"He can actually be there. This will show him that dreams can come true."
Spence said the money Gage saved in his piggy bank — a total of $149.39 — will be donated to the Branch Out Foundation. It raises funds for research into therapy for neurological disorders to find a cure for the various complications of the nervous system.