Ellie Soutter Foundation to sponsor young snowboarder Mia Brookes
A foundation set up in memory of a British snowboarder has marked the first anniversary of her death by sponsoring a second athlete.
Ellie Soutter died on her 18th birthday and her father, Tony, set up the Ellie Soutter Foundation to help fund young athletes.
Snowboarder Mia Brookes, 12, will receive sponsorship to attend a training camp in Austria in the autumn.
Fellow snowboarder Maisie Hill was the first recipient in October 2018.
Brookes, a member of the GB park and pipe squad, won big air gold at the Brits – the British Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships – last year.
“I can’t believe it is 12 months since Ellie’s tragic death,” she said.
“I am so stoked to get the backing of the Ellie Soutter Foundation, their support will help me to push forward with my snowboarding over the coming years and I hope to make Ellie and everyone involved with the foundation proud.”
Mr Soutter believes his daughter could have been struggling with the pressure of competing in high-level sport and set up the foundation in her name to help end the “vicious cycle” around young athletes’ funding.
Ellie, from Oxted in Surrey, won a bronze medal for Great Britain at the 2017 Youth Olympic Winter Festival and carried the British flag at the closing ceremony.
In the month of her death, Ellie was named in the senior GB squad for the snowboard cross Europa Cup circuit and was tipped for a place at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
A memorial service is being held in Les Gets, France, on Thursday to celebrate her life.
