William Legge, 19, from Bilbrook in Staffordshire, has just graduated from a snowboard instructor programme, helping him to overcome his mental health and anxiety struggles.
Having since secured full time employment as a snowboard instructor at the SnowDome in Tamworth, he hopes to empower more young people though snowsports and enable them to gain more self-confidence, in the same way the sport has helped him.
William says, “Three years ago I was really struggling with my mental health. I’d just left school and found the transition to college life extremely overwhelming. I always had an active lifestyle in my early teenage years, playing lots of sport with a passion for football. However, when I went to college, I had to give it all up to focus on my studies. I felt the pressure of academia and when I stopped playing football, I became socially isolated and wasn’t in a good place. I didn’t know which way to turn.”
It was then, age 16, William first discovered Snow Camp – a charity that helps young people from the inner-city to develop life-skills, qualifications and vocational opportunities, whilst supporting any social and mental struggles through skiing and snowboarding.
Joining Snow Camp’s beginner First Tracks programme in 2021 – which provides young people with their first experience of snowsports – William jumped at the chance to try something new, and hasn’t looked back since.
William says, “Before discovering Snow Camp, I was in a dark place, I would barely speak to anyone. I went into my shell and wasn’t sure what to do with my life. I placed so much emphasis on my studies, I become isolated but immediately fell in love with skiing – and that become my outlet. I feel free on the slopes in my body and mind, and I began to feel more like myself again. It felt like I’d found my purpose.”
William, who had never previously snowboarded, says “Snowsports wasn’t something I’d even thought about growing up. I lived in a city and didn’t think it was possible. When I joined the Snow Camp programme, I immediately fell in love with it, and my self-confidence slowly began to improve. It made me think, I should become an instructor, so that I could introduce more people to the sport and help the younger version of myself to try something new and help people believe in themselves.”
Having continued to develop his skills with Snow Camp through their year-long programme journey, William has now set his sights on becoming an adaptive instructor – teaching people with disabilities and injuries to ski and snowboard – whilst inspiring the next generation of Snow Camp young people.
After an initial placement with adaptive ski and snowboard charity Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK), William has supported a number adaptive group sessions through the summer at Tamworth with younger children.
He says, “My two sisters and my mum all struggle with Hyper Mobility Syndrome, and means they can struggle with physical tasks. As a family we’ve had a difficult time, we’ve experienced the loss of several loved ones, were caught in a forest fire on holiday in France, and my mum’s shop was subject to an arson attack – all within a short period of time. It’s really effected my little sister especially. I’ve been motived to get qualified as an adaptive instructor so I can teach my family and little sister how to snowboard and make her feel safe. They’ve seen the difference snowboarding has made to me, and I’d love to share my love for the sport with them so hopefully one day we can go on a family snowboarding holiday together.”
Matt Conroy, Snow Camp Programme Director says, “William is a credit to himself and his family, and a testament to why Snow Camp exists. We know how powerful skiing and snowboarding can be as a positive youth work tool and a gateway to a different path in life, but young people like William also need to grasp the opportunity themselves – something he’s done with flying colours. We couldn’t be prouder of William’s personal growth over the past three years. It’s amazing to see his passion grow, and we’re behind him all the way with his future snowsports career.”
Elizabeth Clifford, Regional Snowsports Manager for DSUK in the Midlands says, “William is just starting out in his snowboard instructing career, but his passion for making people feel seen and heard is evident and undeniable. There’s so much fun and freedom that snowboarding and skiing can provide children and adults with disabilities, and you can see how their confidence grows on an off the slope through the sport. William definitely understands this on a personal level, and we’re excited to help him develop his knowledge of adaptive snowsports further over the coming weeks, months and years.”
All images credit Matt Conroy Media
