BARNSLEY skiing prodigy Elliott Bennett already has plenty of medals to hang in his collection but securing the Under 16s overall title at the upcoming English Alpine Skiing Championships remains his most pressing concern.

Jetting over to Bormio in Italy for the much-coveted annual competition, the 15-year-old could hardly imagine where his talents would take him from the cold of Castleford, to the tips of the Alps.

While clinching gold at this month’s English Championships 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.

“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,” said the Kandahar Race Club skier.

“I was there from aged three until I was 13. I think I caught the bug then. I’ve loved it ever since I started.

“Two years ago, I won the Giant Slalom and then last year I finished second in the GS. It’s been a pretty good competition for me down the years.

“I’m targeting to win the overall Under 16. It would make me pretty happy and something that I will always remember.”

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.

But Elliott is not the only member of the Bennett family competing, with sister Grace also set to take to the slopes in Bormio.

The 14-year-old is no stranger to the competition having participated since before reaching the age of 10, and now the South Yorkshire skier 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 is 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 aim is to win. My target [in Bormio] 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