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Queen’s Birthday Honours: Huntly ski coach receives BEM for inspiring and coaching many to take part in outdoor sport

Roy Young is receiving a BEM for services to Nordic Skiing and to the community. Picture by Kenny Elrick.
Roy Young is receiving a BEM for services to Nordic Skiing and to the community. Picture by Kenny Elrick.

An Aberdeenshire skiing coach who has taken the local team across the world for the Winter Olympics has been recognised by the Queen for his services.

Roy Young is being given a BEM for his services to Nordic Skiing and the community in Huntly.

The 63-year-old originally thought the envelope was for jury duty until he turned it over and saw it was from the Cabinet Office.

He explained he was “quite shocked and very surprised” when he realised he was receiving the accolade – the same one his father was awarded in 1941 for his military service.

Mr Young has been involved in the Huntly Nordic and Outdoor Centre ever since it opened.

He helped set up a social club and gave people in the area the chance to get involved in skiing and enjoy the sport. With a background in coaching rugby, Mr Young took on coaching at the club.

In 2007 the club had some youngsters competing in the European Youth Olympics.

By 2009 he got a leave of absence to take the team to the Vancouver Olympics and travelled with the team to other games until 2019.

‘I enjoy giving people the opportunity’

According to Mr Young, seeing kids from Huntly in the Olympics is something he looks back on fondly.

Huntly came seventh place in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018 and he believes if it wasn’t for the Nordic Ski Centre in Aberdeenshire this wouldn’t have been possible.

“I’ve gone to a lot of nice places and stood around in freezing landscapes,” he laughed.

Mr Young is still coaching at the centre, which has over 120 members, and also coaches tutors for Scotland.

He was appointed the national head coach and also became board director at the national governing body British Ski and Snowsport.

The centre works closely with schools, and the coach explained last year was one of their busiest after the Scottish Government gave money to Aberdeenshire Council to give children access to activities over the summer.

He said: “At one time I was a teacher and the reason that took me into teaching is what keeps me coaching.

“I enjoy working with people and trying to give people the opportunity to enjoy summer on roller skis and winter in forests around here.

“It’s been entertaining and it still is. It’s lovely to work with people who are keen to learn things and help people go and do something different.”

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