Graham Bell (skier) facts for kids

Graham Bell (born 4 January 1966) is a former Olympic skier. He is also a TV presenter, adventurer, and journalist. Graham has presented several BBC TV shows with Ed Leigh, including High Altitude in 2009 and Ski Sunday more recently.

Some of his exciting adventures include tackling the Arctic Circle Race. This was a 160 mi (260 km) cross-country skiing race in Greenland. He also survived a night in a snow-hole without food, water, or a sleeping bag. Graham set a personal best top speed on skis of 121 mph (195 km/h). In January 2017, Bell set a World Record for towed speed skiing, reaching 189.07 km/h behind a Jaguar F-Pace in Sweden.

Biography

Graham Bell was born on the Akrotiri Royal Air Force station in Cyprus in 1966. His father, Rod Bell, was a pilot, and his mother, Jean Bell, was a teacher. Graham's love for skiing began at age 5. This was when his father was moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. He learned to ski in the Cairngorm Mountains and at the Hillend dry slope.

Later, his family moved to Yorkshire, England. By then, Graham and his brother Martin were both racing full-time. They competed on the World Cup circuit, which is a top-level skiing competition.

Career

Athletic Career

Graham Bell and his brother Martin competed for Great Britain. They raced throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Graham won a silver medal at the World Junior Ski Championships in 1984. He represented Great Britain at five Winter Olympics. These were in Sarajevo 1984, Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994, and Nagano 1998. Bell achieved 12th place in the famous Hahnenkamm Race in Kitzbühel, Austria. This is known as one of the toughest ski races.

Television Career

After he stopped being a professional ski racer in 1998, Graham started his television career. He began at Eurosport, commentating live on the World Cup Ski Circuit for two years. Then, he moved to an on-screen role on Ski Sunday. Graham was part of the Ski Sunday team that won a Royal Television Society award in 2002. He has presented and commentated on the 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Away from skiing, Graham presents the BBC's World Championship Series triathlon coverage. He has also worked on the Tour de France for ITV. In 2009, he competed in the Fastnet Race with Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss. During this, he filmed, interviewed, presented, and worked as a crew member. Other TV shows he has appeared on include The Gadget Show, Through the Keyhole, Celebrity Eggheads, Market Kitchen, Ready Steady Cook, and travel shows like Wish You Were Here.

Other Competitive Activities

Even after retiring from professional skiing, Graham continued to challenge himself. In 2003, he competed in the return of BBC1's Superstars. He raced against some of the country's top athletes. He finished fourth in the final, which was the best result for someone not currently competing professionally. Graham has also taken part in many triathlon competitions and 24-hour mountain biking events. He often rides in the very challenging Etape du Tour cycle race.

In 2009, Bell took part in the BBC2 series High Altitude. In this show, participants did daring stunts like 'summit hopping' and glacier climbing. In 2021, Bell competed in the thirteenth series of Dancing on Ice. He partnered with Karina Manta. They were the second couple to be eliminated from the show.

Ski and Snowboard Involvement

For a time, Graham was the International Performance Director for The Ski & Snowboard Federation. He is also a patron of The British Ski Academy.

Charity Work

Graham is a patron of several UK charities. These include DisabilitySnowsportUK and Snow Camp. He helps support their important work.

Personal Life

Graham Bell is married to Sarah, and they have two children, Louis and Lottie. His children are also very keen skiers.

In 2018, Graham Bell attended the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) alpine ski championships. He completed the Super-G race as a forerunner, meaning he skied the course before the official competitors. He beat 'Robbo' by 11 seconds, even though he carried no poles, held a camera, and was commentating! In March 2018, right after the RLC Championships, Graham Bell hosted a heliskiing week in Alagna, Italy.