Aerial Skiing Champion Laura Peel was recognised at the 2020 Victorian Institute of Sport Awards for her commitment to pursuing success in sport and life.

Peel won the Open Universities Australia Performance Lifestyle award in a strong field of athletes, with Para Rower Alexandra Viney and Tokyo-bound race walker Jemima Montag as the other finalists. 

Peel also took out the 2XU Coach Award for Aerial Skiing making it a double celebration for the current World Cup Champion.

The OUA Performance Lifestyle award goes to the athlete who has achieved excellence in their studies, career ambitions, and/or work setting whilst pursuing their dual sporting career. A panel of judges chose Peel as this year’s winner based on her impressive results both on but especially also off the slopes. 

Although spending much of her life overseas Peel still managed to complete a Bachelor of Health Sciences and is now undertaking a Diploma of Modern Languages. 

The dual Winter Olympian had an extraordinarily successful 2019-2010 winning two World Cup events and jumped triple somersaults for the first time. She was also the co-winner of the Snow Australia 2020 Athlete of the Year, sharing the title with VIS Snowboarder Scotty James. 

Peel is a person who squeezes value out of every moment of her life. She is a role model for, and mentor of, young athletes. She also contributed to the AOC Wellbeing series, completed an online yoga program for people in lockdown and even donated her prized Olympic uniform to the bushfire appeal. 

“I was a bit surprised to be nominated for this award but of course very honoured. The VIS is full of some of the most amazing athletes and amazing people, so to win this award is something that is very special to me,” Peel said. 

“I have been at the VIS for almost a decade now and the VIS has been such an important part of my journey as an athlete but also as a person. Since day one they have always valued developing you on the field as well as off the field. It’s something that I started realising probably a little bit later in my career. I’m very grateful for the VIS for being there and for supporting me through that and I hope that soon we can all be together and celebrate.” 

“A big thank you to the VIS and to the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia for continuing to support my journey. Thank you also to Open Universities Australia,” Peel said.

Article courtesy vis.org.au

In the lead-up to the 2020/21 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup season we'll be interviewing some of last season's crystal globe winners to find out what they've been up to in the off-season, what they're looking forward as we head into winter, and hopefully a little bit more about what it's like behind the scenes for some of snowboarding's top riders. Today we're catching up with 2019/20 aerials crystal globe winner Laura Peel of Australia…

At the final event of the 2019/20 season in Krasnoyarsk (RUS) Peel grabbed her second victory of the campaign to put the icing on the cake of the most successful season of her career, as the 30-year-old member of the “Flying Kangaroos” team clinched her first aerials World Cup crystal globe. It took Peel almost 10 years of competing on the World Cup tour to finally finish the season on the number one spot. In almost a decade on tour the Aussie skier managed to reach some very impressive milestones including 13 World Cup podiums and four victories, as well as the 2015 FIS World Championships gold medal from Kreischberg (AUT).

FIS - You have worked very hard to earn your first crystal globe this past season. What did this victory mean to you? Also what was going on inside your head when you won the final event in Krasnoyarsk and clinched the World Cup title?
Laura Peel - Winning a crystal globe had been a goal of mine for almost a decade and it came down to the very last event of the 19/20 season. Putting that final jump to my feet in Krasnoyarsk and walking away with a World Cup win and the globe was a combination of relief and pure bliss. 

FIS - What made this past campaign so special and what was the decisive factor that drove you to the top of the World Cup ranking?
LP - The 19/20 season was pretty special for me for a couple of reasons. Obviously, I won the globe which has been a career goal for a long time, but I also competed triples for the first time. Hitting the biggest jump is a milestone in any aerialist’s career, being able to compete them at every World Cup event throughout the season and pushing both my physical and mental limits is something that I’m very proud of, and ultimately it paid off! 

FIS - Your first start at World Cup was back in 2011. What is the most memorable moment for you in what has been almost 10 years on tour now?
LP - After almost a decade on the World Cup circuit I’ve been lucky enough to reach some pretty cool milestones and create a lot of memories with a lot of great people. Of course, the Olympics will always be special, and my 2015 World Championship win but so far my 19/20 season tops the list, I was jumping the way I had wanted to jump for a long time and will hopefully be able to carry that forward into this season as well!

FIS - Obviously it was an off-season unlike any we’ve ever seen before, with the pandemic going on. What did you do to stay level and stay focused even with everything going on in the world?
LP - Things were definitely very different this off-season. We were lucky enough to squeeze-in our last World Cup event in March before everything got shut down, but after that things looked very different. I went home to Australia where I trained at home while I waited for international borders to open up again, that never really happened, but fortunately I was able to get over to Switzerland to start training with my coach in July. It hasn’t been easy being away from home for so long, but I just try to focus on the bigger picture and keep perspective - we’re very fortunate that we’re able to train and compete this season! 

FIS - Going into a new season with World Championships in February, what are your main focus points? Will another crystal globe be on the list of goals? World Championships medal?
LP - Of course going into this season I’d love to walk away with another globe and a World Champs medal, but early on in the season I’m just trying to focus on the process. I hoping to do a new jump this season, so really want to dial in the basics so I can start pushing my DD (Degree of Difficulty). 

FIS - What is it that you love most about aerial skiing?
LP - I love that aerial skiing pushes me to my absolute limit, it’s pretty cool to see how far you can go, and usually it’s a lot further than you think. I also love being outside in nature and traveling to some really interesting and amazing places.

ARTICLE COURTESY OF FIS

Australia’s new training facility for aerial and mogul skiers will be known as the Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre from today forward.  

With winter athletes already enjoying the benefits of the new facility, located at Brisbane’s Sleeman Sports Centre, the title acknowledges the life-long contribution Geoff Henke AO has made to Australian Winter Olympic sport.  

Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President John Coates AC says there’s no individual more deserving than Geoff Henke, given his determination to create opportunities for winter athletes.  

“No-one has fought harder to create this wonderful facility than Geoff.  More broadly, his vision has seen Australian winter sports flourish. The Henke Centre is a fitting acknowledgment of his contribution.

“For two decades Geoff served as Australia’s Chef de Mission to the Winter Olympic Games. His influence in the years that followed has seen Australia emerge with 15 Olympic winter medals – five gold, five silver and five bronze – all because Geoff was persistent in his belief Australia could achieve international success.” 

Construction of the $6.5 million centre of excellence began in June 2019 following agreement between the Federal Government, including the Australian Institute of Sport, the Queensland Government, the AOC and the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA).

In September 2020, aerial and mogul athletes began testing the ramps, quickly giving the facility the thumbs up.

The Queensland Government provided the location through Stadiums Queensland, with $4.5 million in funding provided by the Federal Government and the AIS, with the AOC contributing the remainder. 

 “This would not have happened without the strong support of government. Our thanks to Federal Sports Minister Senator Richard Colbeck and Queensland Minister for Sport Mick de Brenni for their ongoing commitment to Australia’s Olympic success.

“My thanks also to the facilities’ builders Buildcorp and project managers Colliers for delivering this project to the highest standard, on-time and on-budget,” Mr Coates concluded.

Federal Minister for Youth and Sport, Richard Colbeck said Geoff Henke helped shine a light on the extraordinary efforts of Australia's Olympians. 

"It is only fitting that a state-of-the-art training facility should be named in his honour," Minister Colbeck said. "It is deserved recognition for a champion of winter sports and will ensure our athletes can remain at the top of their game."

AOC Vice-President and six times Winter Chef de Mission, Ian Chesterman AM says Geoff Henke’s drive and passion has never abated.

“Geoff identified a competitive disadvantage for our aerial athletes and he set about correcting that. Now our athletes can train at home as they prepare for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in 2022. 

“It was a great honour to follow him into the Chef role and his advice along the way was absolutely invaluable,” Mr Chesterman said.

AIS CEO Peter Conde said: “Future generations of Australian winter athletes will be able to progress their training through this world-class facility and be reminded of a pioneer who made it possible.”

Also recognised is OWIA CEO and Chef de Mission for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games Geoff Lipshut. 

The lift transporting training athletes to the start of their jumps at the Henke Centre will be known as “Lipshut’s Lift”, recognising the specific contribution Geoff Lipshut has made to Australia’s aerial skiing program. 

Ian Chesterman said “Geoff has been a pioneer, particularly through the creation of a transfer program which has converted skilled gymnasts into world-class aerial skiers.”

“The names of Marshall, Cooper, Camplin, Lassila, Peel and Morris, are all aerial World Champions or Olympic medallists, and I am sure each would agree that Geoff Lipshut was a major contributor to their success,” Mr Chesterman concluded.

The Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre will be officially opened next year.