PROFILE

Biography

Name: Helen Nelson

Birth Place: Inverness, Scotland

Date of Birth: 24th May 1994

Home: Glencoe, in the Highlands of Scotland

Ski Club: Scottish Ski Club

National Teams: Scottish Ski Team

First Race: Lochaber Ski Club Race

2010 Update

I started skiing when I was six years old at Glencoe. I then went on to ski training at Nevis Range for the next five or six years. When I was 12 I won the Rannoch Bursary which allowed me to train for six weeks in Les Houches with the British Ski Academy. This was my first time racing and I loved it. After doing well in races throughout the season, I then competed in the British Championships with the Scottish ski club FAST. I came 4th in the giant slalom which I was very happy with for my first season of racing.

For the next two years I was lucky enough to win the Rannoch Bursary again and attended the British Ski academy for six weeks each winter. I also trained with FAST for two weeks in October , and trained and raced over the Christmas holidays in my last year of childrens.

In my last year of childrens I won the Welsh Slalom Championships, won the British Interschools Giant slalom and came 2nd in the Anglo-Scottish slalom. I was also selected for the World Schools Ski Championships and our team came 2nd in 2008.

I then moved up onto juniors and was asked to train with the Scottish team. After two weeks of training in October, I was selected to be a full member of the Scottish Team.

In January I skid in my first F.I.S. race in Oppdal, Norway and scored a respectable 128. As I was sitting my standard grade exams in May I spent most of the season at home, training with the team in Scotland, we were lucky enough to have one of the best winters in Scotland for years.  I was selected for the World Schools Ski Championships in Italy and our team this time came 5th.

At the end of my first season my lowest score was 103, I was disappointed not to score sub 100 points, but I hope that this year with more races I will be able to get under 100!

I have just got back from Tignes where I was training for two weeks. I am next going out to Norway during the Christmas holidays for training and then races.

My goals for this season are to keep improving my technique and scoring lower FIS points. I will also be sitting my higher exams in May which I hope to do well in, so I can fully concentrate on skiing the year after.

I would like to thank the Ladies Ski Club for sponsoring me which has been a big help.