Women of Winter | In focus with Bobbi Kelly
Published Wed 11 May 2022
Winter Paralympic sighted guide Bobbi Kelly practically grew up on the snow, and has spent her whole life on the slopes.
The 28-year-old from Jindabyne was a ski coach and individual racer, before she became the sighted guide for four-time Paralympian and World Champion Mel Perrine after the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympics.
One year into her new role, the dynamic duo won 12 World Cup medals and four World Championship medals.
Bobbi made her Paralympic debut at Beijing 2022, where she led Melissa to compete at the last of her four Paralympic Games, placing 6th in the Women’s Giant Slalom Vision Imapired.
We recently caught up with Bobbi to reflect on her incredible journey over the year, and to seek her advice for other women in the snow sports industry.
Bobbi, how did you first get involved in the snow sports industry and what has your journey looked like?
I grew up living on snow at Perisher as my parents worked for the ski resort. For that reason, I started skiing early, at three years of age.
Over the last ten years working in the snow industry, I've spent most of my time coaching in the race club at Perisher Winter Sports Club. I've also done some work for APSI (Australian Professional Snowsport Instructors) as a trainer/examiner and guided Mel Perrine on the World Cup circuit through a Paralympic cycle.
These jobs interconnect in a sense; they all create opportunities for people to do or be whatever they want in the snow industry!
How did you get involved in Para winter sports and what led you to becoming a sighted guide for Mel?
Mel’s previous guide/coach, Christian Geiger, asked me to give guiding a try as he thought we would be a good pairing. Which he was right! After skiing one day with Mel, I was hooked.
What drives you to be the best you can be and what does being the best mean to you?
What drives me to be my best is to help people. I genuinely believe the best version of myself, personally and professionally, can positively impact the people around me.
What has been your proudest moment / achievement?
I honestly can't think of one exact monumental moment or achievement. Instead, it's a build-up of small moments I'm most proud of, like contributing to an athlete's smile after a good run or watching how much skiing has a positive impact on someone's day to day life.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever received in your career?
Be yourself. Have a great understanding of who you are, stay true to your values, and use your strengths to your advantage.
How have you seen the snowsports industry progress / evolve for women over the years, and what would you like to see happen in the snowsports industry in terms of progressing and empowering women in the future?
I believe the snow sports industry has come a long way over the years (with this initiative being a result); however, I still think we have a long way to go.
We need more female participation, especially in leadership positions, for the snow sports industry to continue progressing.
Is there anything else you would like to share with other women in this industry?
I’ve struggled a lot with self-doubt and held back speaking my mind on my journey. So if I could give any advice is to back yourself and trust that you bring something unique to anything you set out to do.
