Whitefish honors Olympic athlete
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 3 months AGO
Nicole Heavirland is set to compete in the Toyko Olympics. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot file)
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | July 21, 2021 1:00 AM
Mayor John Muhlfeld has proclaimed Friday, July 23 Nicole Heavirland Day to honor the Whitefish woman who is set to play rugby in the Tokyo Olympics.
Heavirland grew up in Whitefish and began playing rugby as a sophomore in high school.
She played basketball at a prep school in New Hampshire out of high school before transferring to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to fulfill a dream of playing Division I basketball. After checking that off her to-do list, she transferred to the rugby team and was soon chosen as an All-American. Then she was recruited by the U.S. women’s national team and began playing rugby professionally.
“While she relocated to California to train full time at the Elite Athlete Training Center alongside fellow Olympians, she still calls Whitefish home, and returns often to spend time with family and enjoy mountain biking and fly fishing in the Big Sky State," the proclamation states.
"Heavirland is a strong proponent off the field for health and local entrepreneurship and has facilitated co-branded opportunities to advance Whitefish businesses and causes," the proclamation says. "Heavirland is proud of her Whitefish roots and looks forward to proudly representing her hometown on the global stage for Team USA in Tokyo this summer."
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