Two of the Benalla district's finest athletes have won gold medals at a national snowboarding championship.
Olivia and Jett Richies competed at the 2024 National Interschools Multiclass Event at Perisher on Friday, September 6.
They both came home with gold in the Giant Slalom event in their respective categories.
For mother Danielle Richies, watching her children compete came with mixed feelings.
"I was excited to see them compete but also quite worried, as with Olivia being on the spectrum, her nerves can often be all over the place before big occasions,“ Richies said.
The Ritchies' success story starts in the Victorian Alps, two years before they trekked into Kosciuszko National Park for the event.
Having bought a membership for the snow season at Mt Buller, the Ritchies fell in love with the snow at first sight.
When they were signed up for the Snow Sports program, the rest, as they say, is history.
To see how proud the children were of their accomplishments is something Richies will cherish forever.
"They were so proud of their results and that all their training had been worth it; I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them.“