Dedicated: Victoria Richardson loves hitting the slopes.
Shepparton snowboarding talent Victoria Richardson will take to the slopes of Mt Buller in late August, with her sights firmly set on victory.
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The 12-year-old St Mel’s Primary School student is set to compete in the Victorian Interschools Snowsport Championships from Monday, August 22 until Sunday, August 28 and will be one of the only non-private school kids competing at the event.
An aspiring Winter Olympian, Richardson said it was exciting to represent her school against others from around the state.
She explained that the ‘thrill of beating people’ was what kept her coming back, with a simple method required to achieve her Olympic dream.
“I’m just going to keep winning races that's it, then I’ll make it there,” Richardson said.
Aspiring to be the best in any sport takes a lot of dedication and Richardson has it in spades, putting aside six hours a week to do gymnastics and build core strength, along with training under an elite snowboarding instructor to prepare for the interschools.
Race Club is another one of the ways the youngster improves her skills, with the club training on school holidays and weekends.
“It’s where they teach you racing techniques,” she said.
Gold medal: Richardson took out first place at a Race Club meet in July.
The hard work has paid off in recent weeks, with Richardson taking out a gold medal in a king of the mountain event as part of Race Club.
This achievement is all the more impressive when considering she did it without a racing board, a piece of equipment that significantly increases one’s speed.
“Racing boards are designed a little bit differently, they go up to your nose not your chin,” she said.
Richardson’s mum Claire Greaves was full of praise for her daughter.
“I just think she’s amazing,” Greaves said.
“She’s so dedicated, last year she broke her arm and she didn’t tell us until the end of her season because she didn’t want to miss out on anything, so nothing’s going to get in the way of her racing at the Olympics.
“We know that one day we’re going to see her there.”
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