Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST)

🇫🇷 Exciting news alert! 🇫🇷 As we leap into 2025, our armed forces para snowsport team is gearing up for their next big challenge - the Bessan Ski Marathon in France! 🏅 This Sunday, 10 incredible athletes will embark on a training camp to prepare for the Marathon taking place on Saturday, January 11th. It’s not just a race for them, it’s a mission to support a charity that has played a significant role in transforming their lives through the healing power of sport, recovery, and camaraderie. The team’s dedication and hard work exemplify the resilience and spirit of our armed forces. We invite everyone to show your support through good luck messages or by visiting the link below and contributing to their fundraising efforts. Every donation will enable this remarkable charity to continue making a positive impact and changing lives. Join us in cheering for our AFPST team as they conquer this challenge and make a difference! Link to support: https://lnkd.in/eDjKUwNf #ParaSnowsportTeam #BessanSkiMarathon #SupportOurHeroes #CharityFundraiser #GiveBack #InspiringJourneys #2025Goals

AFPST Athlete Jonny Huntington has landed in the artic and sets off on a world first today! He will be the first disabled person to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole covering a distance of 911km, an elevation of 3000m and burn 9000 calories a day! Why you might ask? To inspire that anything is possible and to push boundaries! Luckily he has packed his AFPST competitive spirit and determination and will be supporting us along the way through fundraising. Here is a link to his fundraising page; https://lnkd.in/eFhNbJ9M

If you haven't already caught the story hitting the news this week - here's a link to The London Standard celebrating Jonny Huntington leaving the UK as he attempts to become the first ever person with a disability to Ski solo and unsupported across #Antarctica to the #SouthPole. You'll also find his story in The Guardian, the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, The i paper, The Independent, BBC News, ITV news, the Daily Record and across the regional media in the UK. https://lnkd.in/gvu6jyPj From all the team at Sway PR - we wish him success and a safe expedition.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

Are you able to donate or sponsor this epic challenge? In December a AFPST Team will head to Sweden to embark on a daunting 24-hour Nordic ski challenge! It will take determination and courage as a small team of AFPST athletes, together ski continuously for a full day! From the team of 6 there will always be two athletes skiing around the tracks and together they will hit the 24 hour target!! The majority of this epic journey will be conquered in the darkness of the Scandinavian night, with the opportunity to witness both the breathtaking sunset and the invigorating sunrise over Idre Sweden. They will need to brave the chilling temperatures that hit Sweden as they ski through the rolling terrain and tracks, pushing everyone to their limits in the name of an amazing cause; AFPST There is no doubt the team will face the physically and mentally demanding task ahead, drawing on the strength of the team around them and the knowledge that these efforts will make a tangible difference to AFPST. Your support would be most appreciated and be that beacon of light in the dark hours of the night as they ski in the freezing temperatures of Sweden! Every donation, no matter its size, will serve as a reminder of the impact this cause has had on all our athletes. To support you can give here; https://lnkd.in/eWRVc7Kw

Fantastic week at Snozone Milton Keynes with British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI) learning to become an Alpine Instructor. Not only did I have a great time getting back on snow ahead of this season but met some awesome people and learned so much whilst developing my own skiing as well as becoming an instructor. Privileged to have 2 very experienced trainers, Mark Jones delivering his last course as a trainer with BASI after 27 years and Marc Walton from PEAK Snowsports. Also the start of my journey as Alpine Manager with Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST) and looking to support Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK) when I complete my BASI Adaptive course in January. #Ski #Alpine #BASI #Instructor #AFPST #DSUK

Today marks the beginning of an extraordinary journey as AFPST Athlete Jonny Huntington launches his South Pole trek! Set to kick off in just a few weeks, Jonny is on a mission to make history as the first disabled person to conquer this grueling expedition entirely unsupported. We couldn't be prouder of Jonny as he prepares to push boundaries and inspire us all with his remarkable determination and resilience. Jonny's path to the South Pole started with AFPST, where he found his passion for nordic skiing following a stroke. His journey has been nothing short of incredible, from mastering the snowy tracks, to conquering challenges off the snow like the South West coastal pathway and kayaking from Lands End to John O’Groats. As Jonny embarks on this monumental challenge, we are filled with admiration for his unwavering dedication and relentless spirit. There are no shortcuts to success, just sheer hard work and a steadfast commitment to achieving the impossible. We are privileged to have witnessed Jonny's extraordinary progress and are wholeheartedly behind him as he takes on this epic adventure. Let's show our support for Jonny by donating to the four charities he is fundraising for during his trek, including AFPST. Jonny, we believe in you every step of the way. Wishing you the best of luck on your historic journey! 💕✨ #JonnyTakesOnTheSouthPole #AimHighAndAchieve #InspirationInProgress 🌏🔝 Donate and follow Jonny's journey here: https://lnkd.in/es-DQ6Ki.

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the loss of our ‘AFPST Viking’ Pete. Our thoughts are with his family and we wanted to share these words of comfort; There has been a wonderful outpouring of love and support within the AFPST Family for Pete, with many happy memories being shared. From these wonderful words we have captured the below that we hope will bring some comfort at this difficult time, but please keep reaching out to each other. Know you are part of our snow family, know you are loved dearly by us all, and know we are here 💕 We can shed tears that he is gone, or we can smile because we had the opportunity to ride with Pete our ‘Bearded Legend’. We can close our eyes and pray that he will come back, or we can open our eyes and see all the incredible memories he has left us out on the snow; he was truely loved by all. Our heart can be empty and we can feel lost, or we can fill our hearts full of love and joy as we remember our AFPST Viking who genuinely cared for us all, was a true gent and took the time to chat, make us laugh and ride with us all. We can wish for one last moment, or we can remember all he had taught us through his stories of the love he had for Jilly and his children Euan and Isla, the kindness that he has shown us all, and his determination to push boundaries on the snow as the first VI Snowboard Instructor! We can remember him and only that he is gone, or we can cherish his memory and let it live on. We can cry and close our mind, be empty and turn back, Or we can do what he would want: Smile, open our eyes, love and ride on 🏂

Bring on the @londonsnowshow tomorrow morning! We are ready, are you? Come try out Biathlon; Skiing and Shooting at our stand in collaboration with @britishbiathlon @rafnordic @_goxski_ @londonxcskiclub 👊

“Oh what a night!” Thanks to Palo Alto Networks for hosting us in the best venue in London, and for our Snow Family coming together to launch the Winter Season! From our amazing supporters and incredible volunteers, to the inspiring athletes of AFPST that gathered at the highest office in Europe THANK YOU! It was so wonderful to come together to share stories, relax and enjoy time together reflecting on one season and looking forward to the next. The incredible athlete panel moved everyone in the room, as our athletes shared openly and emotionally their journey and how AFPST has had a profound impact and positively shaped their future ☺️ https://lnkd.in/eAAm4EU7