Victory at Scottish Dry Slope Slalom Championships for Moray prospect
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ERIN Mackenzie overcame stiff competition to claim skiing glory in the Scottish Dry slope Slalom Championships in Edinburgh.
Erin (11) finished ahead of 13 other competitors in the under 14 category and placed 5th overall against the 54 strong field - a feat made more impressive given she was competing against older more seasoned competitors.
Erin said: "I was very surprised that I won. I really didn't want to go in the first place because I was quite scared of the slope. It was really steep so I'm really proud of myself."
The event, which took place on September 4, was held at The Midlothian Snowsports Centre. It is considered to be one of the larger events on the British skiing calendar and the win came as a bit of a shock for parents John and Jackie Mackenzie.
Jackie said: "It was a proud moment for us as parents but it was a bit unexpected because Hillend is one of the steepest dry slopes in Britain and she actually had a bit of a fear of that.
"We really didn't know how she would do but it was a lovely surprise for us of course."
Erin's journey to becoming a national champion started when dad John introduced her to the sport at the tender age of three while on holiday in Austria. Erin quickly established herself as a natural on the slopes and began training more seriously when she was eight.
Her training has since been taken to the next level when she started at the British Ski Academy last July under the watchful eye of Head Coach Fraser Buchan. He believes that if Erin continues her development she could go as far as she wants in the sport.
Buchan said: "Erin has proven herself to be up there with the best in the country. I have absolutely no doubt that Erin has what it takes to go all the way. She is certainly on the right path.
"I am massively excited for the journey that Erin is on and I think this is just the beginning."
Buchan's training requires Erin to travel extensively across Britain which isn't easy for the Mosstodloch locals as many of the skiing facilities are based in England.
Jackie added: "It is a big commitment. Basically from July until now she has been going away every weekend and competing against her English peers. Believe it or not there are a lot of dry ski slopes in England, far more than in Scotland.
"When we get to this time in the year we train abroad for the snow as we don't have as much in Scotland unless it is a particularly good year at the Cairngorms or the Lecht."
Erin is set to compete in Italy next year as she looks to take her skiing to the next level. This has been made possible through her sponsors; David Paterson Engineers Ltd, Sherrifmill Motor Company, Designed, Dyce Carriers, Tain Motorcross Track and Scotlifts.
However, Erin and her family are always open to accepting more donors looking to contribute to Erin's ultimate goal.
"My dream is to go to the Olympics in the future."
After her recent skiing exploits, who'd bet against her?
