A CHALET company linked to Scotland's most successful alpine ski-er has struck a deal to sponsor a Glasgow teenager tipped for Olympic glory.
Bosses at Edinburgh-based luxury ski lodge firm, Le Chardon Mountain Lodges, contacted the family of aspiring ski racer, Zak Vinter, after the Herald reported on the East Renfrewshire teenager's fundraising efforts earlier this year.
Zak, a former British children's ski champion now ranked in the world top 50 in his age group, had set his sights on competing in the 2017 Junior World Alpine Ski Championships in Sweden, but without official funding the 18-year-old launched an online appeal in a bid to raise £5000 to cover training costs.
So far the crowdfunding page has racked up almost £3,800 in donations, but now bosses at Le Chardon have put up thousands of pounds in an initial one-year sponsorship contract as Zak, from Newton Mearns, bids to qualify for next year's world championships - a major stepping stone in his long-term ambition to compete in the Winter Olympics.
The family-run Edinburgh business, which operates ski luxury lodges in Val d'Isere in France, is currently run by Jamie Rennie.
Mr Rennie raced in the youth British ski team and is also a cousin of the legendary Scottish ski-er Alain Baxter, who made history at the 2002 Winter Olympics as the first ever Brit to win a medal in alpine skiing.
Mr Baxter was later controversially stripped of the Bronze medal following a failed drugs test - eventually traced back to an honest mistake involving the use of a nasal inhaler - and famously caused a stir among British Olympic officials by dying his hair in the pattern of a Saltire.
Mr Rennie said the family firm were delighted to sponsor a new Scottish rising star.
He said: “We were brought up to ski race and our love of ski-ing is central to the business we run.
"We are thrilled to sponsor Zak and support the next generation of British ski racers.”
To date, Zak parents - both ski instructors at the Glasgow Ski Centre in Bellahouston Park - have covered the costs of training, equipment, travel and competitions for both Zak and his younger brother, Owen, a three-time British children's champion. The brothers' success has seen them dubbed snowsport's answer to Andy and Jamie Murray.
Their father, Mark Vinter, said the family had also been approached by a Scottish ex-pat businessman in Zimbabwe who offered to sponsor Zak after reading about him on the HeraldScotland website.
Mr Vinter said: "In the end, we went with the company that had the ski-racing heritage - but it was fantastic to get the offer of one sponsorship deal, nevermind two."
Zak added that he was delighted with the deal. “I’ve worked really hard to get to where I am with the support of my parents. I’m excited about the future and the ability to train all year round is vital if I want to reach my ultimate goal of Olympic level.”
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