Back in July 2023, aged 47, I did something a bit impulsive. I bought a cheap Groupon voucher for The Snow Centre in Manchester. My hope was to finally learn how to snowboard.

20 years previously I’d been on a drunken ‘snowboarding’ holiday and was totally mortified at how bad I was on the slopes. Having no lessons didn’t really help. I was keen to give my snowboarding story a different ending by trying to master the sport.

And here I am, less than three years after buying that Groupon voucher, just back from my third snowboarding holiday – this time in gorgeous Serre Chevalier, France. I’m super glad I took the plunge and signed up for those lessons.

Why I’m So Chuffed (and Surprised!)

I’m not one to show off, but I’m actually a pretty good snowboarder now. I barely fell over during the whole trip. Well except for regularly falling off the chair lift, ha ha! But riding down the slopes, I was golden.

I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. All those hours of practice at the Manchester Snow Centre in the past few years have paid off. It’s a brilliant reminder that learning a new sport in middle age is totally doable. I think the most important thing is to just book a taster, see if you like it and go from there.

Snowworking

One of the best things to come out of this journey was setting up my snowboarding and skiing group, Snowworking, with my friend Catherine. Most of us are middle aged, and it’s been the perfect way to keep up our skills and have a bit of fun in between holidays. We meet up once a month in the colder months and it’s a great little community.

Give the Unlikely a Go

If you’re sitting on the fence about a new hobby, whether it’s snowboarding or something equally unlikely, give it a go. You might find something that makes you incredibly happy, and even better, what if you’re good at it?