Gus Johnstone

Gus has been identified as a consistent performer at all events he entered over the season. Known to both his junior and senior teammates at Team Hotham as a positive and hard-working role model, he is a high achiever both on and off the snow. 

Gus’s on snow achievements this season reflected his hard work and dedication, with improvement in both speed and finish rate helping to secure first place in the Division 2 Alpine and Ski Cross at the 2023 Victorian Interschools Championships.

At the Australian Children’s Carnival, he had two first places and two second places in the Slalom.

Awarded 2023

mia cape

Mia was a hopeful to join the Para Alpine development program as a sit skier during the 2022 season, but unfortunately, she was unable to be classified as her condition does not meet the current minimal impairment criteria for Para Alpine Skiing . 
 
Devastated by the outcome, Mia's strong will and undying spirit willed her to still show up to training and get on with the job of being a ski racer. Mia continued to train and ski, again competing in the multi class Interschools events and wowing everyone with her skill, determination and talent.
 
Mia, now a role model at her school, showcases how disabilities do not define you. She proves to her classmates that despite being differently abled, she continues to push boundaries and strive for larger goals. In this way, she is a disability advocate for her school and her community. 

Awarded 2022

hugo Hinckfuss

Since he got his start in cross country skiing in year five at Interschools, Hugo has gone on to make a name for himself in the sport already, earning a team position at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games,

Although COVID made for interrupted training throughout the year, Hugo’s resourcefulness saw him access various sources of coaching expertise including a personal coach from Norway, strength and conditioning coaching in the ACT, and on-snow coaching at Perisher.

At the 2021 Australian Championships, Hugo's hard work paid off with his first ever Open Sprint final and fifth overall in the 15km, which also qualified him for the 2022 World Junior Championship.

Off snow Hugo has excelled academically, undertaking a double degree in Engineering and Advanced Computing at the Australian National University (ANU).

His passion for the sport goes beyond competing, including coaching roller skiing with ACT junior skiers, assisting with the ACT Snowsports sale, and delivering sessions of Little Gliders within the Sport Australia Sporting Schools program.

Hugo is on the long list for the Beijing 2022 team. Along the way he hopes to complete his double degree and continue to be a part of a growing cross country skiing community.

Awarded 2021

jack adams

This year, Jack was active within the community, providing advice, support and mentoring to young athletes and families on balancing academic and sporting ambitions post school and into tertiary education and the pathway of an alpine skier from grass roots level to an international level, through his work as an Interschools Snowsports Alpine Ambassador. Jack is completing full time university studies whilst spending 6 months overseas each year for his sport. Jack is currently ranked 2nd in Australia on a 2 discipline FIS point average (Slalom & GS).

Awarded 2019