SARAH SAUVEY
BRITAIN'S FIRST SKI CROSS OLYMPIAN
PROFILE/BIOGRAPHY
Full Name: Sarah Ann Sauvey
DOB: 10/11/1983
Team: British National Team
Residence: Melbourne, Australia
Nationality: British and Australian (hold both passports)
Email: sarahannsauvey@yahoo.com.au
Current Product Sponsors:
* Mt Hotham - The only mountain to ski at in Australia
* Kneissl Skis - Great quality Austrian made skis and apparel!
* GodzSugar (POC) - Importer of the best protective gear around
* Jonathan and Fletcher - Great competition wear
Current Financial Sponsors:
*TASS 2012 Scholarship - Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme
Home Mountain: Mt Hotham, Victoria, Australia
Sport: Freestyle Skiing
Event: Ski Cross
Current FIS World Ranking: 39th
Freestyle FIS Code: 2526819
Started Skiing: 3 years old
Started Training: 12 years old
Ultimate Goals: Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010
Consistantly top 8 World Cup
Best Result: 12th 2007 Freestyle World Championships
WHAT IS SKI CROSS?
Ski cross is a new freestyle skiing discipline. Ski cross appeals to competitive natured skiers in search of adrenalin. The skiers start
the finals in heats of 4 (sometimes 6) competitors. When the starting board drops, the competitors pull out of the gate simultaneously, and pass a course with rollers, big air jumps, corner jumps, compressions, gates, and other features, all at a speed averaging 60-80+km/hr. The first 2 (or 3) to cross the finish line in each heat advance to the next round until there are 4 (or 6) finalists going for gold. There is a lot of pushing and passing through out the course so it’s very exciting to watch, attracting large crowds, the spectators love it!
Ski cross was accepted as a new event by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and made its debut at an Olympic level in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics . Competing in ski cross at these Olympic Games has been my my major goal for the past 5 years and on the 27th January 2010 it was confirmed that I was selected to represent GB at the Olympic Games! I competed in the debut Olympic event on the 23rd February 2010 and placed 34th. Reaching my life goal was a dream come true.
ABOUT SARAH SAUVEY
I am 26 years of age and have been competing in skiing at an International level since I was 15. I started skiing at the age of 3 at Dinner Plain, Victoria, Australia. I began training at the age of 12, which was considered quite late, but my passion for the sport was immense. By the age of 17, I was State and National junior champion in both Slalom and Giant Slalom and in 2003 I was National Open Slalom Champion as well as Junior champion in both Slalom and Giant Slalom. The dedication to my sport has been enormous and as you would be aware you make a number of sacrifices to train and compete at the top level. I have always been aware that skiing would not be a financial career for me, and as such I have always valued and continued my education to the best of my ability and had some very pleasing results through school and university including excellence awards at University.
I decided to make the switch to the freestyle sport ski cross in 2005 after competing at the World University Games in Innsbruck 2005 in the event and absolutely loving it. I knew that I was finished with alpine and thought that the World Uni Games would be my last skiing competition.
In December 2005 I was diagnosed with Coeliac Artery compression syndrome. The arcuate ligament of my diaphragm had tightened across the coeliac artery crushing it shut against my spine. The same ligament was also crushing the nerves around my aorta giving me a great deal of pain for many years. I had been collapsing in training and generally feeling stomach pain since 2003. In May 2006, I underwent open vascular surgery to incise the arcuate ligament and remove the nerve ganglion from my aorta. This surgery had a large mid line incision from my sternum past my belly button. Returning from this surgery was the most difficult time of my life. The full recovery period was 12 months before the stomach discomfort was eliminated. In this time I was able to realign my body, and committed myself to a yoga and pilates program. After regaining some basic strength I started training again on snow in December. Just 3 months later I had qualified for the 2007 World Freestyle Skiing Championships in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy. I represented Australia at the World Championships on my own, with my rental vehicle, no coach and no support. I managed to ski fast and qualified 12th. I ended up in a heat with the World Champion and a previous World Cup winner, I placed 3rd in my heat but placed 12th overall in the World Ski Cross Championships, a great result.
Ski cross made its debut at an Olympic level at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Competing in ski cross at these Olympic Games has been my ultimate goal, and that dream has finally become a reality. On the 23rd February 2010 I represted GB in Ski Cross at the Olympics at Cypress Mountain and finished in 34th place. Being selected to represent Gb at these Olympics was the highlight of a difficult skiing career.
Both of my parents are English and I hold a British passport as well as an Australian passport. SInce November 2007, I have been a member of the British national ski cross team and reside for 6 months of the year in Melbourne, Australia working on my University degree. I am based in Europe for the other 6 months of the year whilst training and competing.
CURRENT PERSONAL STATUS
In addition to being a full-time athlete and committing as much time as is possible to my sport and training, I also work 2 -3 part-time jobs. I work as a mascot for a company usually 3 or 4 days a week and I also have a second job working as a personal assistant for a small business part time. Recently I havee been working for a local school assisting/coaching and mentoring their snowsports team.
In addition to this, I have been studying part-time at Swinburne University since 2005. I took leave of absence in the lead up to the 2010 Olympics to give myself the best chance of qualifying and dedicated my time to training. I will complete my last semester (only 1 more subject to go!) in a bachelor of Multimedia (Business Marketing). I should have my degree in November 2010. An Olympics and a degree in one year is a huge success!
Photographer: Jeff Books
Photographer: Andrew Dennis
SKI CROSS RESULTS 2010
28th World Cup, Grindelwald, Switzerland
23rd World Cup, Branas, Sweden
34th Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver 2010
31st World Cup, Blue Mountain, Canada
27th World Cup, Alpe D'Huez, France
39th World Cup, Les Contamines, France
34th World Cup, St Johann in TIrol/Oberndorf, Austria
SKI CROSS RESULTS 2009
39th World Cup, San Candido/Innichen, Italy event #2
41st World Cup, San Candido/Innichen, Italy event #1
2nd Australia New Zealand Continental Cup SX, Mt Hotham, Australia Event #1
2nd Australia New Zealand Continental Cup SX, Mt Hotham, Australia Event #2
1st National Championships, Horni Misecky, Czech Republic
2nd Europa Cup, Horni Misecky, Czech Republic
41st World Cup, Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland (returning from knee injury)
38th World Cup, Grindelwald, Switzerland (returning from knee injury)
Injured knee in training (GUTTED!) - World Championships, Inawashiro, Japan
29th World Cup, Branaes, Sweden
30th World Cup, Myrkdalen/Voss, Norway
7th FIS Ski Cross, Myrkdalen/Voss, Norway
26th World Cup, Cypress Mountain, Canada
28th World Cup, Lake Placid, USA
32nd World Cup, Flaine, France
36th World Cup, St Johann / Obernsdorf in Tirol, Austria
38th World Cup, Les Contamines, France
SKI CROSS RESULTS 2008
4th Australia New Zealand Continental Cup, Mt Hotham, Australia
13th World Cup Finals, Valmalenco, Italy
27th World Cup, Meiringen, Switzerland
25th World Cup, Grindelwald, Switzerland
8th FIS SX, Sierra Nevada, Spain *
18th World Cup, Sierra Nevada, Spain
8th European Cup, Bormio, Italy
20th World Cup, Kreischberg, Austria
14th Open Cup, Zweisimmen, Switzerland
18th European Cup, Zweisimmen, Switzerland
24th World Cup, Flaine, France
25th World Cup, Les Contamines, France
SKI CROSS RESULTS 2007
1st 2007 Kraft Easy Mac X Titles Ski Cross, Mt Hotham, Australia
1st 2007 AUC Ski Cross event, Perisher Blue, Australia
12th 2007 Freestyle World Championships, Madonna di Campiglio, Italy
6th Open Cup, Zweisimmen, Switzerland
17th International Crossmax, Les Contamines, France
5th European Cup, Zweisimmen, Switzerland
20th World Cup, Flaine, France
21st World Cup, Les Contamines, France
SKI CROSS RESULTS 2006
4th Austrian National Championships, StJohann, Austria
18th World Cup, Les Contamines, France
20th World Cup, Pec Pod Snezka, Czech Republic
2nd Saab Salomon Crossmax Senior, Pfronten, Germany
8th European Cup, Zweismmen, Switzerland
23rd World Cup, Kreischberg, Austria
4th Open Cup, Zweisimmen, Switzerland
9th Saab Salomon Crossmax, Nassfeld, Austria
OTHER NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
2010 Winter Olympic Team - Team GB member
2009 British Team World Championships Inawashiro, Japan
2007 to Current - British Freestlye SKi Cross National Team member
2007 Leader Newspaper Sports Star Award, Australia
2007 Australian Team World Freestyle Championships Madona di
Campiglio, Italy
2007 Australian Team World Universiade Torino/Bardonnechia, Italy
2006/7 Australian World Cup Team, Ski Cross, Europe
2006 & 2007 Australian Female overall Freestyle Champion AUC
2005 Australian Team World Universiade Innsbruck/Seefeld, Austria
(best result achieved by any Australian, 14th ski cross)
2005 Australia and New Zealand Continental Cup (ANC) Series
Giant Slalom winner
2002 & 2005 2nd place Australian National Championships Slalom
2005 Continental Cup Series Combined Overall 4th
2003 Australian National Champion Slalom
2002 & 2003 Australian National Junior Champion Slalom
2002 & 2003 Australian National Junior Champion Giant Slalom
2003 - 2007 Australian Overall University Champion Skier
(Broke the record for number of times as winner)
2003 - 2006 Australian Female Alpine overall Champion AUC
Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super G
Europa Cup SX, Zweisimmen, Switzerland
Photographer: Esty Von Holzen
World University Games 2007, Torino/Bardonnechia, Italy
Austrian National Championships 2006, St Johann in Tirol
World Championships 2007, Madonna di Campiglio
MT HOTHAM!! Photographer: Tony Harrington
Finals - World Cup, Mrykdalen, Norway 2009
Czech National Championships 2009 - Horni Misecky
St Johann in Tirol World Cup, Austria 2010
Photographer: Mitch Gunn
