The Irish team have just completed a second week of training at the British Alpine Race Academy in Austria and the report from the trainer, Paul Tallon, is that this team is focused on the forthcoming EYOF and have a good attitude.
The team members are;
Shane Mc Shera is sixteen years old and lives in Malahide Co. Dublin, He goes to school in Malahide Community School and has just finished transition year. Apart from skiing he likes to play Hurling and Soccer. He started skiing when he was 4 and went on family holidays. When he was 13 he started racing on snow with the Snow Club (UK) and competed in a number of children’s races. When he was 15 he competed in countries like Greece, Romania, Norway and France. He hopes to carry on competing and maybe one day compete in the world championships and the Winter Olympic Games.
Niamh Lyons is sixteen 16 years old. She lives in Deans Grange, Co. Dublin and is currently in 5th year attending Colaiste Iosagain in Stillorgan. Last year she did transition year which provided her with opportunities to go abroad skiing. She has been skiing since she was very young. She has many hobbies ranging from tennis, karate and ballet. Skiing is her priority and she hopes to do it to the best of her ability in the coming races!
Stephen Dent-Neville is sixteen years old. He lives in Rathfarnham Dublin. He first learnt to ski at the Ski Club of Ireland when he was six years old. He has competed in dry slope races in both Ireland and the UK as well as snow races in Austria, France, Greece, Switzerland and Andorra. When not skiing he enjoys drawing and listening to music. He is currently in fifth year in Sandford Park School. His long-term skiing aims are to get his FIS points lower and to race to the best of his ability both on snow and on plastic.
Nicholas McKelvey started skiing when he was 3 years old and joined a children’s ski club run by the Ulster Ski Club. I joined the Ski Club of Ireland in 2002 and later joined the race squad coached by Shane O’Connor. He has since competed in slope championships in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. He trained at the British Ski Academy and competed in the British Schoolboys races in France. He plays rugby and cricket for his school, (Royal School Dungannon) and also enjoys a bit of golf in the summer. He was a member of Lisburn Swimming Club but retired at the early age of 11 to pursue his skiing career. He is fifteen years old.