Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday night to celebrate the life of the late Colin Hilton, a beloved father, Park City resident and Olympic leader who made a “worldwide impact” in the winter sports industry. “He made room for people, especially those who didn’t have some of the advantag es others had, and always for kids and young people at the core of it,” said Richard Bezemer, who first met Hilton in the early 1990s. “He knew that they needed a chance to surprise themselves by what they could be, what they could do and what they could become, by being given an opportunity to try something new, something different because that’s exactly what happened to him, and he wanted others to have that, too.” Hilton died by suicide on Aug. 21. He was 58. Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1968, Hilton was the youngest of seven children. He entered the world of professional sports after sending a letter to the organizers of the World University Games and volunteered to help run the event following his graduation from Binghamton University in 1990. He met Bezemer during a job interview for a leadership role with the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and the two became fast friends. After the World Cup, the young, enthusiastic duo relocated to Atlanta to work for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, where Hilton met Missy, who would become his wife for 26 years and the mother of his three children. “That (Olympic) wave that swept us up took us to Atlanta, and it eventually brought us here to Utah for the 2002 Games,” Bezemer said. “But it was here in Utah and in Park City where our lives really took hold and where we established some roots. We built our families here. We fell in love with this place.” Hilton was ultimately named president and CEO of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, which gave him a unique opportunity: a chance to reinvent how Olympic venues are maintained after the Games leave by transforming them into functional community recreation centers. Friends of Hilton’s said the phrase “community recreation center” likely carries a lot of weight for those close to him. Hilton’s philosophy behind the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation was not to preserve the venues in perpetuity as a museum. Instead, he wanted them to be active places for local kids and athletes across the world to train, build life skills and form a community. “I’m an athlete who was so touched and impacted by Colin Hilton and everything that he did for me and our community,” said Nick Page, a Park City Olympian and freestyle skier. “As a kid who wasn’t even alive yet during the 2002 Olympics, my whole career has been on the piggyback of what Colin helped leave behind after 2002. The infrastructure, the support, everything the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation stands for is really what made me who I am, and so many athletes can say the exact same thing.” Fraser Bullock, the president and executive chair of the 2034 Winter Olympics organizing committee, said Hilton was a driving force behind the Games’ return to Utah, telling the crowd they should think of the upcoming international event as “Colin’s Games.” “Colin had a worldwide impact,” Bullock said. “I feel like I’ve got a hole in my heart, but at the same time, I put that aside and celebrate his life. I feel blessed in my life that I got to work with him and learn from him and grow from him. … Colin was absolutely my brother. We loved him. I loved working with him every time I got the opportunity because I knew he would teach me.” Bullock said Hilton was always at least one step ahead of him, a sentiment many speakers echoed as they reflected on Hilton’s ability to plan for the future and build strong communities. “We started working together back in 2012 in trying to bring the Games back together because we had such a passion for what the ’02 Games did and the opportunity to bring the Games back because we knew what it would mean, not only to our community, but to the world,” Bullock said. “This is the best place in the world to host the Games, bar none, and we know that, and that’s because of this, and that’s because of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation that he built with his team.” Friends and family members sign a Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation flag to honor Colin Hilton, the organization’s late president and CEO. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Hilton was passionate about his employees, too. Brett Hopkins, the chief financial officer for the 2002 Games and upcoming 2034 Games, said Hilton cared about his employees more “than he cared about himself,” often working overtime to prevent his employees from having to stay late or taking on more assignments. “He thought it was important that they had clear goals, that they had a mentor, that they had feedback,” Hopkins said. “He was concerned about their compensation. He was concerned about their families. He always put his employees first above his own personal needs. When I think about the definition of humility, I think of Colin Hilton, the legacy builder.” Three of Hilton’s siblings also spoke during the service, reflecting on their brother’s adventurous spirit and the activities he would make them try when they visited Utah, like hiking Angel’s Landing at Zion’s National Park or riding side-by-sides in the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park. “Just two months into my retirement, he had me hiking Angel’s Landing in Zion, with 1,500-foot drops on both sides and nothing between you and the edge and a chain,” said Rick Hilton. “I’d read about people who had died on that trail and made it known to Colin, and he just looked at me and said, ‘You can do it. Look at the beauty around you, and you’ll want to keep going,’ and he was right. It was beautiful, and we made it.” Hilton’s sister, Lisa Zoltak, said his enthusiastic energy was present in every conversation they had, with Hilton often telling Zoltak that things may be hard, but she should push through anyway. “Colin was the only one who ever got a nickname, and his nickname was Bomber,” Zoltak said. “How that came together was Colin would put his head down, and he’d crawl, pushing himself until he hit something. He’d stop, pick his head up, look around and find a new direction to go in. This was Colin’s work ethic in life. He’d put his head down, see a pass, and he’d … move forward with his plans.” John Hilton, the oldest of the seven siblings, said life circumstances prevented the family from seeing their brother as often as they would have liked. But he said Hilton’s passion for the “wildness of Utah” was evident, and he loved seeing the pride his brother had when he would show visitors some of Utah’s most impressive natural wonders. “He was one of those rare shooting stars that one might see in a crystal-clear Utah sky, a cold black night,” John said. “You know the kind. Brilliant for an instant, then gone, leaving but a faint trail as an afterglow that slowly dissipates. … We may not mention his name as often, but remember this: He was here. He was alive. He was a man of vision. He was our brother.” If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide Crisis Lifeline, which provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day. For immediate danger or a life-threatening emergency, call 911. Attendees also signed a flag with the logo for the new Colin Hilton Legacy and Community Care Initiative. The initiative will honor Colin Hilton’s life by supporting work that reflects the values he championed such as youth sports, mental health and wellbeing. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record The post Hundreds celebrate Colin Hilton’s life as a family man, Olympic leader appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less