Skiers Trust Announces New Ambassador
29th April 2022
Last modified on May 5th, 2022
Nickie Mabey, Founder and owner of adventure ski specialist Mabey Ski has become an ambassador of the charity, The Skiers Trust.
For over fifty years the Skiers Trust has been empowering young people, helping them to thrive and reach their potential through snowsports.
It gives a life chance to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, with physical disabilities or with special educational needs, such as autism and down’s syndrome.
It also supports the next generation of British competitors to develop so that they can compete internationally and at the Olympics.
The Penny Mabey Fund, part of the funds allocated to these young people by The Skiers Trust, was established in 1990 by a major donation from Penny Mabey (1923-2002), Nickie Mabey’s Grandmother.
Penny was an active member of the Ladies’ Ski Club and had a lifelong passion for skiing, given to her by her mother and which she passed on to all members of her family.
“My family has this incredible, historical connection to The Skiers Trust and, whilst researching my family’s skiing history, I wanted to make sure the Trust and our family connection with the charity continues,” said Nickie Mabey.
“We are a family of passionate skiers and whilst many of the family went down the ski racing line, I found myself escaping the crowds, skinning up remote mountains and exploring off-the-beaten-track ski destinations.
“This love for discovering new places like a local was behind me setting up Mabey Ski in 2017, and now as an ambassador for The Skiers Trust, I am looking to help the charity grow to keep supporting upcoming young skiers.”
See here for more on Mabey Ski
David Budge, Chairman of the Skiers Trust adds, “We are delighted that Nickie Mabey has agreed to come on board and work with us to take the Skiers Trust forward in our mission to help young people.”
Nickie Mabey’s family have been skiing since 1912.
Her great-grandmother Dorothy was one of the British pioneers of skiing, spending winters in Switzerland, learning to ski in long woollen skirts on 230cm wooden skis.
Dorothy Mabey, 1912. Image © Mabey Family
Nickie’s grandmother, Penny, was unsurprisingly a natural skier.
Tackling the slopes without gloves or a hat (let alone a helmet) she learnt to ski on the slopes of Murren.
She skied on old wooden skis, which eco-conscious Grandpa Bevil would then cut down to size for daughters Biddy and Isy.
Penny Mabey. Image © Mabey Family
Penny Mabey, 1946. Image © Mabey Family
Bevil Mabey. Image © Mabey Family
Nickie’s father and five aunties progressed from ski school to trainees, two of whom made the British Ski Team.
After competing at the FIS World Cup, Nickie’s auntie Isy, became the first ever female racer to be selected by BUSC in 1972, breaking a 47-year tradition.
Isy Mabey. Penny Mabey. Image © Mabey Family
The Penny Mabey Fund is given as a single award and is presented to a young amateur female skier who shows exceptional commitment and drive to become an international skiing competitor.
Nomination for the award is made by the Ladies’ Ski Club.
Recent awards have been given to members of the GB Snowsports Alpine World Cup and Europa Cup squads including current Alpine ski racers Alex Tilly ,Charlie Guest and Telemark athlete Jasmin Taylor.
Skiers Trust logo
ABOUT SKIERS TRUST
The Skiers Trust is the UK’s oldest and widest reaching national snowsports charity for young people.
It was created in 1966 to be the formal charity element of the triumvirate of British Snowsports alongside the National Ski Federation (now GB Snowsport) and the Ski Club of Great Britain.
It was established by a core group of National Ski Federation and Ski Club members guided by Sir John Hunt who had been the first Director of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award which he played a major part in devising and led for its first ten years.
Sir John Hunt is internationally renowned for having led the first successful Everest expedition in 1953.
Today it supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who couldn’t otherwise access snowsports.
It operates a Pool of Talent to recognise up and coming talented young competitors and has supported four of the current six person GB Snowsports World Cup Squad over recent years.
It supports activities at UK dry ski slopes, snowdomes and ski resorts across Europe.
The Penny Mabey Fund is a Foundation Fund operated by The Skiers Trust.
Its aims are to support young female ski racers.
Nickie Mabey. Image © PlanetSKI
ABOUT MABEY SKI
Mabey Ski creates out-of-the-ordinary ski adventures across the globe that push boundaries and challenge the conventional.
Mabey Ski is a British-owned adventure ski specialist based in Whistler on a mission to conquer every continent.
Founded by Nickie Mabey, whose family have been ski pioneers for over a century, skiing is more than just a hobby.
It’s a lifestyle that has led her to ski peaks less tracked, explore remote regions, and create unforgettable ski adventures not found anywhere else.
Find out more about Mabey Ski and its unique trips at mabeyski.com.
Image © Mabey Family
