BIOGRAPHY

Name : Chimene Mary Alcott
(Chemmy pronounced "Shemi")
Born : 10th July 1982
Height : 169cm (5 ft 6 inches)
Weight : 69kg (10 stones 12 pounds)
Family : Mum - Eve (died 2006), Dad - Tim,
Brothers - Rufus, Alex and Mark

I started skiing as a toddler aged 18 months. Although initially purely on family holidays, my competitive urge was clear to be seen as I tried to ski and keep up with my older brothers.

It wasn't until the age of 8 that I started to compete properly, and although at that stage the girls and boys were competing together, no boy was going to beat me! I started to dream about Olympic medals.

At the age of 11 I had a serious skiing accident, but far from deter me it focussed my mind onto skiing and away from the other sports I enjoyed. Aged 13 I won the World Children's Championships in Germany and it was then that I, and those around me, realised that I had the talent to fulfil my dream.

Encouraged by my parents and directed by my mother Eve in particular, both individually and as part of the Surbiton High School Ski Team I dominated the National Schools Ski Championships for the next few years.

During the summer months, from the ages of 10 to 18, I travelled alone to New Zealand for their winter to ensure I was skiing as much as possible. This was incredibly exciting for me as not only did my skiing improve dramatically, I grew up as a person as well.

Whilst I was at school at Surbiton High, each year I was allowed from November to December to partake in a winter schooling/ski programme at Waterville Valley Academy in New Hampshire, USA.

Amazingly I left Surbiton High in 2000 with four 'A' Levels at A grade. Since then I have been a professional ski racer, spending the winter living at the British Team base in Lofer, Austria, and the summer either in Twickenham, London or chasing the snow in the southern hemisphere. None of this would be possible without the support of the British Team and my personal sponsors, Witan Investment Trust.

My results are posted elsewhere on the website, however there are a few recent highlights that stand out for me such as last season becoming the first British woman to qualify for and race in a World Cup Final, and winning the British Land National Ski Championships for a record fifth time in a row. My 7th place in a World Cup Super Combined, 9th place in World Cup Downhills in Cortina and Tarvisio, and my 11th place in Downhill in the 2006 Winter Olympics are results I am also very proud of.

Looking forward things look very, very bright. I have a new team of people working with me and new sponsors along with Witan Investment Trust to help pay for all the coaches, and although it is early days the results are very promising.