Susie Warwick Awarded Service to Snowsports in 2024

Susie Warwick has been recognised with the Service to Snowsports Award as part of the 2024 Snow Australia Community Sport Awards.

As an advocate and champion for Snow Australia, Susie served on the board from 2007-2024 and is humbled to be recognised in her role in the growth of the sport. 

“The growth of Snow Australia and how we developed the sport has definitely been a highlight,” she said. “When I started, there were only two employees in the office, so to see the massive development and the wonderful growth of the sport is wonderful. 

“And to see how our athletes have benefitted from all this as well, and how they have enjoyed so much success in international competitions, including the Olympics.”

During her time involved with snow, Susie also worked hard to help establish the Women of Winter program to support women involved with the sport. 

“I am really proud of the work I did for Women of Winter,” she said. “I think that it’s a lifelong thing, and I think it's great communication for women and a great opportunity for them to see what other areas within the industry they can do which they may have never thought of before. 

“I felt that it was harder for women participating in coaching roles or ski patrol or anything that they were doing on the mountain.

“I just felt that there was a lopsidedness to the industry and I felt that needed to be corrected.

“I wanted to find out what the problems were for women and why they weren't putting themselves forward, was it self confidence, because there’s some really talented women attached to the snow industry, so I wanted them to be further involved.”

As an advocate for many areas of snow, Susie is also proud of her work to get a Hall of Fame introduced in the sport. 

“I worked hard on the Hall of Fame,”she said. “I pushed and pushed for that because we didn't have it as a sport and I thought it was really important.

“I thought that it's more important to honour people from the past while they’re still here, and it's just not the same if it's done posthumously, it's better if they’re there.”

Over her time in the sport, Susie was elated to see the growth of school participation and the change in narrative that competing in snow was only an opportunity available to wealthier families. 

“I think that the introduction of the school program and inviting schools to get involved in having an experience on the snow was great,” she said. “It is our hope that if they get the opportunity to go up to the snow, we hope they’ll love it and that will blossom into a desire to get involved in skiing, snowboarding or something in the sport.

“The other thing that has been wonderful about the development, has been us being able to get behind kids who have grown up in the local areas around the mountain. 

“We look for pathways that we can support these kids with and I think there’s no end to that and we can just keep looking to support. 

“And I think that just helps to level the sport, because we don’t just want it to be kids from wealthy families who participate, but we want to embrace everyone on the snow.”

Snow Australia would like to congratulate Susie on receiving the Service to Snowsports Award in the 2024 Snow Australia Community Sport Awards, wishing her all the best in her future.