The Brown sisters, from Ashbourne, competed in the recent Aiglon College Cup in Villars, Switzerland. Elektra aged 11 was named the U12 British Ski Cross Champion, Isobel, aged 15 was named the U16 British Ski Cross Champion, and Jemima aged 13 gained 3rd place in the U16 category. Abbotsholme gained third place behind the hosts Aiglon and the International school of Lausanne.
In the Inter school ski challenge Les Houches, France, Abbotsholme finished tenth overall out of 121 schools, many of which were there in great numbers. Isobel and Elektra both had two podium finishes at this event.
Isobel won the slalom by more than six seconds which is outstanding in its own right but taking in to account she had a tear to the lateral tendon in her right knee and had to take pain killers to make it bearable to race, added to the win. She also picked a stomach flu and having been ill all night she crawled from her bed and showed that true Abbotsholme spirit by not letting the team down.
Elektra then went on to qualify for the French ski championships, the Golden Rooster, which is great in itself. She then won the Golden Star, a French national skiing competition held in Courchevel since 1850 and as a result qualified directly for the finals of the Golden Rooster. This was held in Megeve, France over Easter, she was the highest finishing girl from her adopted home of Val Thorens, not bad for an 11 year old from rural Derbyshire!
Isobel has been awarded a grant to buy new ski’s, boots and poles from the Ashby fund via Foundation Derbyshire. She impressed the panel with what she had achieved in skiing and what she was hoping to achieve with the Youth Winter Olympics, as well as being a member of the English Ski Cross Team. Many applicants were turned down but Isobel was successful. She had to go to get fitted for her new equipment last weekend, which is being made especially for her at the Dynastar factory in France.
Congratulations to all three girls for their amazing achievements!