Austin Scott, 11, from Tenterden, making great strides in the world of skiing

A young skier’s dedication to his sport has taken him abroad for the winter.

Austin Scott, 11, is part of the Team Evolution Academy, based in Austria.

He spends most of the winter away from his Tenterden home, honing his skills while keeping up with his education thanks to in-house tutors.

He recently finished second in an international competition in Reiteralm and, long-term, is targeting a place on the World Cup circuit.

Scott began skiing in Italy, where his family have a holiday home, aged three.

He started with Ski Club Sportinia in Sauze d’Oulx, on the French border, progressing to the race club before being accepted into Team Evolution, who are one of the top British ski academies, as a nine-year-old.

Scott, a pupil at Dulwich Prep School in Cranbrook, has been training with the academy for a couple of years and is loving life abroad.

“Some people say it’s just skiing but it isn’t, it’s so much more than that,” said mum Emma.

“They’re part of a team, they have to learn to look after their own stuff, they have to remember that they’re not only competing for themselves but also for the whole team.

“So it’s bringing the whole team together, the ethos of being the best you can and looking after your team-mates.

“Learning the team ethos is almost more important than the result itself.

“It’s try and be better than you were on the previous race but the most important thing is the culture of the team.

“You really hold everyone together and everyone is very kind and supportive of each other.”

Scott returned home for a couple of weeks after his runner-up finish in the giant slalom competition.

His return to Austria was followed by the English Ski Championships in Bormio, Italy.

His early start in the sport is paying