On Saturday 12th October, Gloucester Ski and Snowboard Centre ran a Summer Race League Race and Raffle and raised over £1000 for the British Disabled Ski Team.
Having heard me speak at the 2013 Snowsport England Conference in June, Jean White, the Gloucester Ski and Snowboard Centre Manager contacted me proposing the fundraising for the unfunded members of the team.
Despite rain in the morning, the races went really well and everyone seemed to have fun. It was great to see the racers going for it on the slope and supporting each other. Cakes were baked and sold and loads of great raffle prizes were donated. Thank you so much to everyone involved, it was a great day.
Racers from the Midlands Ski Club
- Artistic and sporty – thanks for the picture girls!
Intense training in New Zealand proved useful for GB as we competed in the World Cups in Thredbo, Australia. Mick Brennan and I both won bronze in the Giant Slalom and I was pleased to take another bronze in Slalom, although couldn’t beat the Americans, this time.
Conditions were trickily soft due to the hot weather and unfortunately the second slalom had to be cancelled. The Australians did well to run any races at all.
Thank you to my sponsors and supporters, particularly to MacuShield UK, Bridgestone, McDonald’s, Strakka Racing and Hackleton Primary School who made this trip possible thanks to sterling fundraising efforts! I couldn’t do it without you.
Both Mick and I are thrilled with our first World Cup medals. The team is now training in Wanaka, New Zealand until the end of September, in preparation for an important season ahead.
I met the children and staff of Hackleton Primary School, Northamptonshire last summer when I launched the ‘Be the Best you can Be’ Project for 21st Century Legacy, but I had no idea that they really are the best!
The school decided to secretly raise funds to help cover my training costs but was broken into in March and £350 was stolen. However, the children had taken the be the best you can be message to heart and were determined not to be beaten. They went all out to raise more money and presented me with a check for over £5000 last week!
I was overwhelmed and had to fight back the tears – I have wonderful support since breaking my back 7 years ago but this is something else! I cannot believe their monumental fundraising achievement!
Funds raised will help cover my paralympic ski training costs. I am travelling to New Zealand to train with the British Disabled Ski Team in August and the funds will pay for my flights, accommodation, coaching and race fees.
Backing like this does more than just help pay the costs, it really spurs me on to be the best I can be!
