 Poster: A snowHead
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Apparently she has passed away today on her 18th birthday. Terrible news!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Anyone know what actually happened? BBC says she was recently training abroad but passed away in the UK. Maybe injured whilst training and flown home for treatment? Very sad
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Bennisboy wrote: |
| Maybe injured whilst training and flown home for treatment? |
A lot of people will know what happened but they've chosen not to communicate about the cause. We should respect that.
I don't know if the information released with the press release is related to the cause of death or for some of her young fans who may be hit hard by the news. I'll let you google that.
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Very sad that a young talent has been taken so early. Thoughts must go to her family and friends. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I didn't know of her other than seen her name in dispatches as a promising youngster. I would like to know the cause of death, wondering if it's performance/training related. I can't help thinking of Nelson Pratt though. I've googled around, but I don't see anything related to cause of death. My thoughts are with her family and friends - parents should not outlive their children.
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@iainm, it doesn't seem to be training related. Very sad
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Incredibly sad.
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Absolutely heartbreaking.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Shocking
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Too young. Too much ahead of her.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Maybe an undiagnosed heart defect. Both of my stepkids had pacemakers fitted in their teens. https://www.c-r-y.org.uk/
The other possibility is too sad to discuss here.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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As news filters out I think speculation isn’t appropriate, sad times for all concerned and a loss to the sport.
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You know it makes sense.
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Tragic news and thoughts with family, friends and close teammates. RIP.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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So sad
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Poster: A snowHead
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Terribly sad news.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It does appear to be publicly confirmed that she took her own life somehow, for reasons unknown, on her 18th birthday, out in the French Alps. Obviously a terrible, horrible thing for all who knew and cared for her, and a loss to the GB team and the boarding community.
Poor girl  Even in my darkest moments I don't think I could imagine the place she could have been in.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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What a sad story. There are demons you can't see.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We shouldn't speculate about this.
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@pam w, its not speculation. Her family announced it
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| pam w wrote: |
| We shouldn't speculate about this. |
Why shouldnt we?
A new story on BBC & seems its all about missing a flight & GB training.
So what was the personal consequences from missing that? Losing funding? or being replaced?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-45023187
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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What a waste, is all I can say.
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Almost 10 years since Romain Maitre died in what seem like similar circumstances.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I heard on the radio that her father was suggesting there should be more support in place for young athletes dealing with the stresses of being expected to succeed.
I think there is a lot of stress on all young people to 'succeed'. They're pushed through exam-orientated schooling from the age of 5. There are a lot of opportunities for young people, but then with that comes expectation. I think I was told so many times by my parents, school, clubs etc; that opportunities had been 'wasted' when I decided I wanted to do something else - and I should feel bad for that. And I wasn't even particularly good at anything. I can only imagine that for somebody with so much success, and so many opportunities from that... that the pressure and expectation was proportionately higher.
It took me until I was 28 to realise that I didn't need to impress anybody to justify my existence and that doing something which made me happy and let me live the way I wanted to was the most important thing. I don't want to tell anyone how to parent, mentor or inspire... but I do think that sometimes (if not all the time) "are you actually happy and content?" needs to take priority over "are you being as successful as you could be and taking all the opportunities available?". I think it is sadly too easy on reflection how somebody with so much pressure and expectation to take opportunities and find success could feel backed into a corner where they're in too deep to just walk away or take time out. As an 18 year old ski champion, one can only imagine how hard it might feel to go to your parents and say "look I am struggling and I need a break" or "I want to do something else with my life" when so much time, effort and money has been invested in you already. People twice and thrice her age struggle to have that conversation with their employers and families when times are hard.
I don't want to draw any conclusions about who why or what. But it has to serve a reminder to us all that anyone can struggle even when they appear on the surface to be smiling, full of energy and succeeding in their life.
Somebody has already posted a good link to Samaritans, I hope it is not out of place to post a link to Mental Health First Aid ( https://mhfaengland.org/ ). There is a legal expectation to have first aiders at work that might save a life with CPR or stopping the bleeding. But society also needs people at work who can spot the signs of mental health issues in their friends and colleagues. Knowing how to spot those symptoms, and how to apply the appropriate "mental health first aid" could save a life too. Have a look at the course and see if your employer might get you on it.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks for sharing @dp.
This is so heart wrenchingly sad. I hope that events and circumstances will be properly investigated and lead to changes being made to better help and support young people being groomed for greatness. It must be a very lonely place to be, especially at such a young age.
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My daughter is in a bad place right now. She has had two attempts at taking her own life, one was serious. She will be 18 in a few days and we are all struggling. The hand over from CYPS (children young person service) to adult is so poor. She is left in a wilderness of more medication and less time in her now bi monthly appointments.
I personally find it so hard to think that we have brought up such an unhappy person, all we ever wanted was for her to be happy. She seems to go back and forth, some nights she is great fun, the next a demon gets her and she falls down a pit of despair.
I can only imagine how Ellie's parents and surrounding people must feel right now and with fear of sounding selfish beyond belief, I hope never get to feel that way. I am sorry to offload.
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You know it makes sense.
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@harrim51, so sorry to hear that and no need to apologise, it can't be easy to talk about. I've worked in CAMHS and currently work in adult services, so I have some idea of how difficult it can be, although I can't imagine how it actually feels to be in your position. Wishing the best for you and your daughter.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@harrim51, so sorry. I do hope that she can be effectively treated. Mental health services in the UK are lamentably inadequate.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Hurtle, + about a million to both of your statements.
Best wishes and positive vibes to you all @harrim51.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@dp, thank you for your post. It summed up many of my own feelings about life and achievements.
@harrim51, best wishes to you, your daughter and the rest of your family. Hopefully things will improve with time.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Rabbie, agreed - @dp, Thank you
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| @harrim51, so sorry. I do hope that she can be effectively treated. Mental health services in the UK are lamentably inadequate. |
That's an easy assertion to make and indeed it seems to be de rigeur to say we should do more about mental health. But I'm not sure it's that easy. I have a nephew with mental health issues and one of the things that's really hard to discern is what is down to his personality and what is down to his illness. He had one episode where he barracaded himself in his apartment for 3-4 weeks. Wouldn't speak to anyone, except a social worker. But he was eating and not harming himself as far as anyone could tell. But even when he's good he lives life in a way that can be a questionable i.e., he'll fly to the Philipines to meet some women he get to know on the internet. I am not surprised at any thing he does including (and I genuinely hope this doesn't happen) trying to take his own life.
I think mental health is such a new thing in terms of discovery and treatment.... and it's hard to progress as quickly as we'd like. Modern life, I think, has both plusses and minuses.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Layne, sure, it's an inexact science, but my comment still stands. (I have worked in mental health services.)
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THANK YOU XXX
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@harrim51, sorry to hear about your daughter, I can’t inagine what she and you must be going through. Don’t apologise for ‘offloading’ though, I’m a big believer that it’s important to vent every now and then.
@Hurtle, there is a real push on mental health in the NHS at the minute, I’m currently working on a project to build a new perinatal care unit and my company has two other projects (a PICU and CAMHS unit) which will be in use by April 2019. But even once the facilities are built there is still a need to staff them effectively.
I don’t know if it’s a sign of the times or if people are just more open (or if I’m more aware) but mental health issues do seem to be quite prevalent. One of my friends had a bizarre turn recently where he suddenly became paranoid and had heightened senses, from what I understand it was partly triggered by his parents going through a separation (although I also believe some substance abuse was linked). He’s gradually on the mend but for a week or so he was really erratic and kept thinking people were following him. Apparently he was doing 120mph+ because he though drug dealers were chasing him. That level of paranoia was thankfully brief but he’s still ‘different’ from before the epidoside, even though it was several months ago. The brain is definitely a weird thing.
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@harrim51, Can only offer my best wishes that you all get through it.
I tend to believe that we are all on a spectrum of mental wellbeing and that anyone who never encounters real issues is simply more successful at compartmentalising and putting away the "bad stuff". It can be particularly hard as a teen/young adult what with working out who you are (and seeing that objectively rather than self critically) and reconciling it with what other people believe you to be and want you to be.
@SnoodlesMcFlude, I think we are getting a bit more enlightened these days although it's a slow process. And to be honest although the stigma is less I suspect you scratch the surface and find many employers or managers who still believe depression or stress is an excuse for a skive.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| @SnoodlesMcFlude, I think we are getting a bit more enlightened these days although it's a slow process. And to be honest although the stigma is less I suspect you scratch the surface and find many employers or managers who still believe depression or stress is an excuse for a skive. |
I don't think it's just employers, I think generally people make that assumption. I must admit that I found it hard to reconcile that my mate was off work with stress but was posting on facebook about going out for lunches and bike rides etc. Of course all that is part of healing process, but people don't necessarily think of that when someone doesn't seem 'ill'.
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| Quote: |
"Although the Olympics are a major goal for most athletes, we must remember that it is only part of success, not the definition of their success." These words are those of Tony Soutter at Actu-Savoie, at the time of the Beijing Olympics. His daughter, Ellie, was expected to be one of the best candidates for these Olympics. The snowboarder was hoping to secure a place in the British team. She would not have supported "the pressure", that "to find funds in order to be able to pay for training, travel, training, equipment...". She ended her life on July 25, 2018, the day of her 18th birthday.
Coming from a modest family, the lack of money would have become “a constant source of worry”.
Winter sports are often considered an elitist practice reserved for wealthy people. The pressure on young athletes from less privileged backgrounds would therefore be immense. Mixing "odd jobs" that we are willing to entrust to you as a seasonal worker (impossible to have a permanent contract when you have to be absent for training or competitions), home schooling, high-level training... It would have been too much for her.
It is in her memory and especially to avoid this kind of drama that her parents decided to create “the Ellie Soutter foundation”. She is based in Les Gets (Haute-Savoie), “the house of Ellie from the age of 9”. She trained there with the French Déborah Anthonioz, Olympic medalist in snowboardcross.
“We want to provide young skiers and snowboarders with both financial and psychological support”
The foundation's mission is to help young winter sports athletes who do not have the means to assume all the costs required by their level of competition, to support them mentally and morally to support the pressure of competitions and what their pace of life demands.
"We want to provide promising young skiers and snowboarders with both financial and psychological support, to help them reach their full potential and achieve their dreams," explains Ellie's dad. The foundation provides grants to athletes to cover equipment, training, travel, competitions and accommodation. And, recently, it has also offered “Le refuge d’Ellie”, a participatory program whose objective is to provide both a virtual and confidential meeting place, and frequent workshops for children and young adults. “A place of compassion and support, where it is possible to talk to professionals about subjects such as harassment, stress, anxiety or relationships with others. The shelter offers counseling on social well-being and organizes regular therapy sessions if necessary”.
One of the most promising young snowboarders
Ellie Soutter died in July 2018 in Les Gets (Haute-Savoie), on her 18th birthday. She was then one of Britain's most promising young snowboarders. In 2017, she became Junior World Vice-Champion during the Freeride World Tour. As part of the Great Britain squad, she also won a bronze medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2017. She was tipped to be one of the team's toughest competitors at the Olympics in winter of 2022 and on many other podiums in Europe and the southern hemisphere. |
https://actu.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/les-gets_74134/haute-savoie-apres-le-suicide-de-la-snowboardeuse-ellie-soutter-aux-gets-le-combat-de-sa-famille_48572345.html
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FAQ
