At 80 years old, Fanny Thomas proves that a love of skiing can last a lifetime. From a dramatic first encounter with the slopes at 17 that left her in hospital, to seasons spent working in Alpine chalets and decades of family ski holidays. Through injuries, evolving ski techniques and changing times, Fanny’s journey captures not just how skiing has shaped her life—but why, even now, she has no intention of ever giving it up.
Here Fanny talks to Snow.Guide about her skiing story:
When did I first hit the slopes?
When I was 17 and just left school. In those days lots of us were dumped in Paris or similar at ‘finishing school’. I knew a girl and my parents knew her parents and she had gone to Austria instead of Paris to this mad place in Salzburg called Haus Wartenburg run by an Austrian countess. The place was open to all sorts, nationalities, sexes, ages. Those of us who wanted were taught German. Some were musicians studying at the local music place. Some were just using it as a hostelry. I was signed up to be taught German and also learn to ski as it was winter time and the Gaisberg mountain was just around the corner. Sadly on about my third day I was half way down a nursery slope when I fell and one leg went up and one went down resulting in three breaks below the knee and six weeks in hospital strapped to some weights with my leg in the air so no more skiing until I was about 20! Nowadays of course I would have been strapped up with bits of metal and sent packing. Instead of which I shared a room with a very nice Austrian girl who spoke no English so by the time I left I spoke better German than all my fellow students back at the Haus!
About three years later when leg was in good order I went skiing two years running to Zermatt with my then boyfriend in a Supertravel chalet with group of friends. There I learnt to ski from scratch on very long skis with lace up boots where it took much time learning to side step up hills, snowplough down and eventually the odd stem christie!
Aged about 22 I decided to give up my secretarial job in London and go and work as a chalet girl for Supertravel and do some proper skiing! I persuaded them to employ me although I was not a qualified cook but luckily was placed with a lovely New Zealand lady who was a great cook and very happy to have me doing what I was told. Had a great three months in Verbier where I learnt to cook and ski and had a ball. Following season I did two months in Klosters running another chalet with another girl – by this time I had worked out how to cook and run chalets and ski and have fun! As it was the first time Supertravel had opened a chalet I Klosters it was only two months and then I managed to get transferred to Zermatt for the rest of the season where I met you! Following year I went to Val D’Isere with Nellie where we opened the first ever chalet in Val D’Isere. Lovely time (4 months) but very quiet and little night life. Spent most of our time playing cards with our guests – and making sure we won lots of money! And did lots of great skiing!
After that returned to my day job and had ski holidays with friends most years followed by husband and children. Children are now grown up and much better skiers than I but it has kept me going all these years and I would hate to stop!
Eldest son ran chalets in two gap years in Tignes and Val D’Isere and we visited both. Sadly I managed to break a knee on day 1 of second year – long story! It is that knee which resurfaced this September and is now causing me much trouble but I still managed to ski as it proved easier than walking! I was skiing with no. 2 son who has dyspraxia and being bad at running became a champion rower. It was only this year that I worked out that I probably had dyspraxia too as I was always bad at games at school. But as I pointed out to Patrick who accused me of not caring for him and his dyspraxia I explained that in those days dyspraxia had not been invented and people were only just doing dyslexia! But this I think is why I have always loved skiing because you don’t need to run – just put your feet on two planks and they do all the work for you! Which is why I hope to ski forever! So much easier than walking!
Favourite resort will always be Zermatt. Huge fun on first two holidays there learning to ski then season with Nellie and you plus plus and several holidays there later with husband before we had children. Not good place for small children really. And SO beautiful and old and wonderful mountain restaurants and the Matterhorn etc. etc.
As told to sports and travel writer April Tod
Fanny Thomas in action on the slopes.
