Sandra Paul named Snowsport Official of the Year
Published Thu 11 Nov 2021
Snow Australia is pleased to present the Snowsports Official of the Year Award to Sandra Paul, who has demonstrated excellence in her volunteer role as a FIS Cross Country Technical Delegate (TD).
The dual Winter Olympian in the sport of Biathlon has been a technical delegate for the past five years and is considered one of Australia's leading Cross Country technical delegates.
She is Australia’s most experienced technical delegate for Rollerskiing events and contributed significantly to the development of the 2021 Snow AUS Rollerskiing Series.
A dedicated volunteer and official in the cross country community, Paul said it was a pleasant surprise to have been announced as a Snow Australia Community Sport Awards winner.
“I was a bit shocked actually when I found out that I’d won the award, but I think it’s a good recognition for the whole cross country community,” Paul said.
“Officiating is a good fit for me, it is a good way for me to give back to the sport following on from my career as an athlete. I also really like it because I can contribute to developing cross country skiing in Australia,” she said.
When the travel restrictions prevented a national rollerski race from going ahead in January, Paul stepped in and ran an impromptu race in Melbourne for the athletes unable to travel.
“I think the highlight of the season for me was being able to get the FIS Rollerski Races off the group in Australia, which was good for our athletes as they couldn’t go overseas,” she said
“It was really rewarding, and you could see how appreciative the athletes were.”
As one of the few female technical delegates in an area of officialdom traditionally dominated by men, Paul said she is looking forward to continuing her role at national and international events next season.
“My goal for next winter - I’d really like to be the Technical Delegate for the Hoppet, and also getting back to New Zealand and helping them with their World Loppet racing.
“We’re also trying to get some more rollerski races in Australia next April”
