Chemmy Alcott facts for kids

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Chemmy Alcott

Alcott in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Chimene Mary Alcott
Nickname(s)	Chemmy
Born	(1982-07-10) 10 July 1982 (age 43) Hove, East Sussex, England
Height	1.69 m
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Sport	Alpine skiing
Club	CDC Performance
Team	Team GB
Retired	March 2014
Medal record Women's Alpine skiing Representing United Kingdom Senior British National Alpine Ski Championship Titles Gold 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2002, 1999 Overall Gold 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2002 Downhill Gold 2009, 2008, 2007, 2003, 2002, 2001 Super G Gold 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2002 Combined/S. Combined Gold 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002 Giant slalom Gold 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003 Slalom Junior British National Alpine Ski Championship Titles Gold 2002 Downhill Gold 2002 Super G Gold 2002, 2001 Giant slalom Gold 2002, 2001 Slalom European Youth Winter Olympic Festival Silver 1999 Super G Bronze 1999 Giant slalom

Chemmy Crawford-Alcott, born Chimene Mary Alcott on July 10, 1982, is a famous English former alpine ski racer. She competed in all five main types of alpine skiing. These are downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom, and combined events.

Chemmy took part in four Winter Olympic Games. She also competed in seven FIS World Championships. She won the overall Senior British National Champion title seven times. She was also the Overall British Ladies Champion eight times. Chemmy stopped competing internationally after the 2014 season.

Early Life and First Skis

Chemmy was born in Hove, England. Her name came from a character in a 1961 movie called El Cid. She started skiing very young, at just 18 months old. This was during a family holiday in Flaine, France. She entered her first race when she was only three years old.

In 1993, Chemmy won a French village ski championship. The next year, she joined the British Junior Alpine team. In 1995, she won the Sunday Times Junior Sportswoman of the Year award. From age 11 to 19, she spent every British summer training in New Zealand. This helped her practice during the winter season there.

Chemmy was a very talented athlete. She represented Richmond in dry slope skiing. She also played tennis at the London Youth Games. In 2011, she was honored by being added to the London Youth Games Hall of Fame.

Overcoming Injuries

When she was 11, Chemmy had a serious skiing accident. She broke her neck, and two of her vertebrae (bones in her spine) were fused together. She always carries X-rays of this injury. This is so doctors know how to treat her if she ever has another accident. Throughout her career, Chemmy faced many injuries. These included a dislocated jaw, broken ribs, and several leg and foot fractures. She showed great strength and determination to keep skiing.

Chemmy's Skiing Career

Chemmy began her official FIS racing career in August 1997. This was at a giant slalom event in New Zealand. By the end of the 1997-1998 season, she had raced in the FIS Junior World Championships. She also competed in the British National Championships, winning a silver medal.

In 1998, she won the overall Australia/New Zealand Cup. The next winter, she won silver and bronze medals at the 1999 European Youth Olympics in Slovakia. In December 1999, Chemmy made her first World Cup appearance. She also became World Schools Champion in 1999.

Olympic Debut in 2002

By age 19, Chemmy was one of the top 10 skiers in the world for her age group. She made her Olympic debut in Salt Lake City, USA. She competed in all alpine skiing events. Her best result was 14th place in the combined event.

Later that season, she finished 4th overall at the Junior World Championships. In her last British Junior Championships, Chemmy won every title. She also won her first Overall Senior British title.

World Cup Success

In March 2003, Chemmy earned her first World Cup points. This meant she finished high enough in a race to get points. At the British National Championships in Tignes, France, she won every discipline title.

In 2004, Chemmy often finished in the top 30 in World Cup races. She even got an 11th-place finish in a super G race. In January 2004, she achieved her first top-10 result, finishing 9th in a downhill race. This was the best result for a British woman in over 30 years. However, a knee injury later that year stopped her from defending her British titles.

Torino Winter Olympics 2006

At the Torino Winter Olympic Games, Chemmy finished 11th in the downhill. This was the best Olympic performance by a British female skier since 1968. She was disqualified from the combined event because her skis were found to be slightly too narrow. She also finished 19th in the super-G and 22nd in the giant slalom.

After the Olympics, Chemmy took some time away from skiing. She also had surgery on her feet. Her recovery took longer than expected after she re-broke her foot.

Return to Form and 2007

Chemmy started the 2007 season strong. She had two 13th-place finishes and an 11th-place finish in Canada. She then achieved her best career result, finishing 7th in a super combined event in Austria. She also had a 9th-place finish in a downhill race. Chemmy qualified for her first World Cup Finals, where she placed 15th in the giant slalom.

At the British Alpine Championships in Meribel, Chemmy won all four titles. These included downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.

2009 Season and Injuries

In 2009, Chemmy finished 10th in the first giant slalom race of the season. However, she broke her ankle during training for the next race. This kept her out of action for three months. When she returned, she finished 15th in a giant slalom and 21st in a super-G.

At the 2009 World Championships, Chemmy finished 21st in the super-G. She also placed 15th in the downhill race. That year, she won all five races at the British National Championships.

Injury in 2011

Chemmy suffered a serious double fracture in her right leg in December 2010. This happened while she was training for a World Cup downhill race. Because of this injury, she missed the entire 2011 skiing season.

Life After Skiing

In 2012, Chemmy appeared on the TV show Dancing on Ice. She competed with professional skater Sean Rice and finished in fifth place.

In 2018, Chemmy promoted a school travel company. She also beat fellow skier Graham Bell in a slalom race for BBC's Ski Sunday. She has also spoken about encouraging more women to ski.

Broadcasting Career

During her injury break in 2009, Chemmy joined Matt Chilton as a guest commentator for ski races on British Eurosport.

She has also appeared on Channel 4's World Cup Skiing program. She had a regular segment called Fit to Ski, where she showed different exercise techniques.

In 2018, Chemmy was part of the BBC's team covering the 2018 Winter Olympics. She enjoyed working with famous presenters like Clare Balding.

Personal Life

In June 2008, Chemmy climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. She did this with other ski racers and her boyfriend at the time. The climb helped raise $30,000 for Right to Play, a group that helps children through sport.

Chemmy is also a fan of motor sports. She has a special license to compete in races. In 2012, she took part in the Silverstone Classic Celebrity Challenge race.

In October 2013, the BBC announced that Chemmy would marry her boyfriend, Dougie Crawford. He is also an alpine ski racer. They got married in 2014, and she now uses the name Chemmy Crawford-Alcott.

Other Achievements

• London Youth Games
  • Hall of Fame member (Class of 2011)

CDC Performance

CDC Performance, also known as CDC (Chemmy Duggie Crawford), is an alpine ski team. It mainly helps children and hosts ski camps for different types of races.