With England gripped by freezing winter in recent weeks, a brother and sister from Gawber have escaped to even more snowy climes to continue their journey towards the Winter Olympics.
Elliott and Grace Bennett are due to take part in the English Alpine Skiing Championships in Bormio, Italy which start on Sunday.
Their dad Russ said: “I’ve been involved from the first day the kids put skis on their feet and to see them both now makes me very proud.
“Elliott’s desire to get to the top is a rollercoaster which of course has ups and downs but his sister is always pushing along and the support for each other is nice to see.
“Watching them both race can make me and their mother quite nervous but both kids appear to deal with it better than us.
“With Elliott in the British team and Grace in the England team it’s a very competitive household with goals and aspirations to go all the way to the top.”
Elliott already has plenty of medals to hang in his collection but securing the under 16s national overall title remains his most pressing concern.
While clinching gold would be a huge step towards the Penistone Grammar School student’s professional racing ambitions, it’s the prospect of reaching a Winter Olympics that drives him.
Elliott said: “I first started in Castleford. My dad was into it and he took me down to an indoor club called Lions. It all started from there. I was there from aged three until I was 13. I think I had caught the bug then. I’ve loved it ever since I started.”
The English Alpine Championships, where Olympian Dave Ryding started his career before competing in the World Cup, is one of the biggest annual competitions in the skiing calendar.
“Two years ago, I won the giant slalom and then last year I finished second. It’s been a pretty good competition for me down the years. I’m targeting to win the overall under 16 title. It would make me pretty happy and something that I will always remember.”
Elliott is not the only member of the Bennett family competing, with sister Grace also set to take to the slopes in Italy. The 14-year-old is no stranger to the competition having participated since before reaching the age of ten, and now she is determined to make good on months of intense preparation.
Grace will compete in each of the super-G, slalom and giant slalom disciplines for Kandahar Racing in Bormio, a championships which she describes as one of the bigger races for English competitors.
She said: “My experience previously has been fine. There are a lot more competitors there and it’s one of the bigger races.I just want to keep going, get my points down and just focus on the training side of it as well.
“My target is to be in the top five in the year of my birth and then maybe have a podium in a speed event. My preparation has been good. My race season started training in July last year in Norway and I’ve been going on camps since then.
“I would love to be able to represent Team GB at an Olympic Games one day. It’s what you dream of, and I’ve always watched the Winter Olympics and been interested in it from a really young age.”
Snowsport England is the national governing body for skiing and snowboarding in England, aiming to inspire as many people as possible to try snow sports. Find out more about Snowsport England’s affiliated clubs, athletes, competitions, coaching and campaigns here: www.snowsportengland.org.uk.
