Youth Ambassador award goes to Shauna Coxsey

As the Fort William Mountain Festival got underway on Wednesday, 21 February, organisers announced that Shauna, the United Kingdom’s most successful ever competition climber, is the recipient of the fourth Scottish Youth Ambassador Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture.

The Scottish Youth Ambassador Award recognises and celebrates the achievements and accomplishments of one inspiring young person and their outstanding contributions to Scotland’s mountains.Last year's winner of the award was Mountaineering Scotland's Robert MacKenzie.

Specialising in the discipline of bouldering, Shauna is the current two-time reigning IFSC Bouldering World Champion and came third in the Combined event in 2017. She is also the first British woman to climb the outdoor bouldering grade of V14 (8b+).

Shauna is a Director of the Women’s Climbing Symposium, an event she organises to promote participation and progression of women in all disciplines of climbing. In 2016, the event was awarded the #BeAGameChanger Inspiring Initiative (regional) Award by the Women’s Sport Trust.

Shauna is also a trustee of the charity Climbers Against Cancer, set up by the late John Ellison to raise funding and awareness about cancer amongst a global climbing community.

She said: "It is a real surprise and huge honour to receive this award. I am incredibly grateful to those who have nominated me. Although most people will know me from my day job as a competition climber, much of my free time is spent climbing outside, whether that is on my doorstep in the Peak District or further afield. I love the fact that climbing is so varied and attracts people from all walks of life to try the sport either down a wall or at a local crag."

The Scottish Youth Ambassador Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture is sponsored jointly by Corpach Boatbuilding Company Limited, which provides marine services from its base in Fort William and by the Nevis Landscape Partnership / Heritage Lottery Fund.

A Festival spokesperson said: “Shauna Coxsey has achieved great success in competition climbing to become the United Kingdom’s most successful ever competition climber. She has also demonstrated her strong commitment and great desire to share and encourage participation amongst the wider climbing community.”

Shauna (25) was born in Runcorn and now lives full time in Sheffield, where she trains.

The 2018 Fort William Mountain Festival launches this evening (Wednesday 21 Feb 2018) with “Spike and Sudsy’s Tall Tales” at Nevis Range Ski Resort and finishes with the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour on Sunday (25 February 2018). The weekend of adventure is packed with lectures, films, discussion, ceilidh, book signings, pop-up gallery, masterclasses, and an Exhibition Zone. The full programme and all event information can be found on the Festival website.