Shauna Coxsey (MBE), recognised as the United Kingdom’s most successful competition climber, wins The Fort William Mountain Festival’s Scottish Youth Ambassador Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture 2018
AS the Fort William Mountain Festival gets underway in Fort William and Lochaber – the ‘Outdoor Capital of the UK’, today (21 February 2018), festival organisers have announced that Shauna Coxsey (MBE), the United Kingdom’s most successful-ever competition climber, is the recipient of the fourth Scottish Youth Ambassador Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture.
The Scottish Youth Ambassador Award recognises and celebrates the achievements and accomplishments of one inspiring young person and their outstanding contributions to Scotland’s mountains.
Specialising in the climbing discipline of bouldering, Shauna is the current two-time reigning IFSC Bouldering World Champion and came third in the Combined event in 2017. She is also the first British woman to climb the outdoor bouldering grade of V14 (8b+).
Shauna is a director of the Women’s Climbing Symposium which, an event she organises to promote participation and progression of women in all disciplines of climbing. In 2016, the event was awarded the #BeAGameChanger Inspiring Initiative (regional) Award by the Women’s Sport Trust.
Shauna is also a trustee of the charity, Climbers Against Cancer, set up by the late John Ellison to raise funding and awareness about cancer amongst a global climbing community.
Shauna Coxsey said: “It is a real surprise and huge honour to receive this award. I am incredibly grateful to those who have nominated me. Although most people will know me from my day job as a competition climber, much of my free time is spent climbing outside whether that is on my doorstep in the Peak District or further afield. I love the fact that climbing is so varied and attracts people from all walks of life to try the sport either down a wall or at a local crag.”
The Scottish Youth Ambassador Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture is sponsored jointly by Corpach Boatbuilding Company Limited, which provides marine services from its base in Fort William and by the Nevis Landscape Partnership / Heritage Lottery Fund.
A festival spokesperson said: “Shauna Coxsey has achieved great success in competition climbing to become the United Kingdom’s most successful ever competition climber. She has also demonstrated her strong commitment and great desire to share and encourage participation amongst the wider climbing community.”
Shauna, 25, was born in Runcorn and now lives full-time in Sheffield, where she trains.
The 2018 Youth Award is sponsored jointly by Corpach Boatbuilding Company Limited which provides marine services from its base in Fort William and by the Nevis Landscape Partnership / Heritage Lottery Fund.
The 2018 Fort William Mountain Festival launches this evening (Wednesday 21 Feb 2018) with ‘Spike and Sudsy’s Tall Tales’ at Nevis Range Ski Resort and finishes with the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour on Sunday (25 February 2018).
The weekend of adventure is packed lectures, films, discussion, ceilidh, book signings, pop-up gallery, masterclasses, an Exhibition Zone. The full programme and all event information can be found on the festival website at www.mountainfestival.co.uk.
ENDS
Media contacts:
Paddy Cuthbert | Littlehouse Media | E: paddy@littlehousemedia.co.uk
M: +44 (0)7913 951717
Heather Negus, Fort William Mountain Festival | e: heathernegus@hotmail.co.uk | m: 07900 224068
If you are keen to attend the Fort William Mountain Festival for a commissioned travel feature or adventure / activity feature please contact Paddy Cuthbert to discuss a funded press trip to The Outdoor Capital of the UK.
Notes to editors:
To download a hi res image of Shauna Coxsey, go to:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iAnsqaqwP2uJAEqaXNvg8grndJX0rMWq
To find out more about the full Fort William Mountain Festival programme for 2018
Website: www.mountainfestival.co.uk
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/fort.william.mountain.festival
The Fort William Mountain Festival 2018 is presented in association with The Heritage Lottery Fund, Nevis Landscape Partnership, The Outdoor Capital, and the Highland Council and runs in and around Fort William in Lochaber, the ‘Outdoor Capital of the UK’, from Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 February 2018. https://www.mountainfestival.co.uk/
The Fort William Mountain Festival 2018 is sponsored by: 3 Wise Monkeys, Abacus Mountain Guides, Strathmore Hotels (Alexandra Hotel), Bill Scott Architect, Corpach Boatbuilding Company Limited, Ellis Brigham, The Granite House, John Muir Trust, Lamont Design, Liberty British Aluminium, Nevis Cycles, Nevis Range, PrintSmith, Rare Breed Productions and Thistle Access N.D.T Ltd.
The Scottish Youth Ambassador Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture
The Scottish Youth Ambassador Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture was set up in 2015 by the Highland Mountain Culture Association Ltd, organisers of the Fort William Mountain Festival. It recognises and celebrates the achievements and accomplishments of one inspiring young person and their outstanding contributions to Scotland’s mountains, encompassing sport, theatre, art, photography, film and literature.
The 2018 Youth Award is sponsored jointly by Corpach Boatbuilding Company Limited and the Nevis Landscape Partnership / Heritage Lottery Fund.
Previous Recipients of The Scottish Youth Ambassador Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture are:
2017 – Robert Mackenzie
2016 – Natalie Berry
2015 – Zeki Basan
Festival organisers – The Highland Mountain Culture Association Limited - is a not-for-profit organisation, whose aim is to promote the understanding and appreciation of the world’s mountain places and people, by creating opportunities for people of all ages to share their mountain experiences, ideas and visions. To showcase these ideals, it stages annually a programme of events within the Lochaber area, called The Fort William Mountain Festival.
The Outdoor Capital of the UK is Lochaber Chamber of Commerce’s tourism brand, promoting adventure for all! The Chamber publicises, sponsors and promotes Fort William and Lochaber as the best place in the UK for everyone to experience the outdoors; with a view to developing local jobs and wealth and encouraging sustainable economic growth.
This is done through a range of collaborative marketing initiatives and activities. The organisation currently has a wide range of member businesses ranging from accommodation, food and drink and activity providers to non-tourism focused businesses who support the aims of the Lochaber Chamber of Commerce and acknowledge that tourism is crucial to the local economy. Many of these businesses are SMEs and by pulling resources and working as a team the Lochaber Chamber of Commerce achieves the positive results that individually the members couldn’t otherwise reach.
The Chamber produces official event programmes and guides which showcase all there is to see and do in Fort William and Lochaber. The Outdoor Capital of the UK website is also the go to site for local events, outdoor activities and visitor accommodation in the area. www.outdoorcapital.co.uk / www.lochaberchamber.co.uk.
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