A Leeds Father’s Journey from Hospital Bed to Snow-Capped Mountains

There are moments in life that redefine who we are. For Leeds father of two, Richard Haigh, that moment came in January 2023 when a simple day turned into something that would change his world. After fracturing his vertebrae and spending six weeks in a wheelchair, Richard was told he had multiple myeloma, a rare and incurable form of blood cancer. What followed was a year of resilience, quiet strength, and a promise to himself that one day he would stand on a snowboard again.

Now, less than two years later, Richard is preparing to do just that. His story captured the hearts of people across the country when he entered VIP SKI’s national ‘Back to Ski’ competition, a campaign that celebrated those with powerful connections to the mountains. With nearly a quarter of the public vote, Richard finished as runner-up. Yet his determination and courage struck such a chord with the judges that they decided he still deserved a place on the slopes.

The reward is a complimentary week at VIP SKI’s brand-new La Plagne property, The Graciosa, a luxury escape perched high in the French Alps. For Richard, the prize is more than a holiday. It is the return to something he feared he might never do again.

His partner, Yvonne Sherriff, who nominated him for the competition, spoke with quiet pride about the moment they found out. She said that since his diagnosis, Richard had never once given in to the illness. Instead, he chose to meet it with the same calm determination that had always defined him. “To see him recognised like this, and to know we’ll be heading back to the mountains together, is just incredible,” she said. “It’s a dream for him to snowboard again with our sons.”

Richard and Yvonne run a small electrical business in Leeds and share two sons, Harrison, sixteen, and Jackson, twelve. The family’s connection to the Alps runs deep. Their first ski trip was in 1999, and by a beautiful twist of fate, their 2002 holiday took them to The Hotel Graciosa in La Plagne, the very same building that VIP SKI has now transformed into its new luxury retreat.

For the VIP SKI team, Richard’s story was impossible to ignore. Nicola Hardy, representing the company, said they were deeply moved by his courage. His determination to return to the mountains despite everything he had endured made him stand out. They decided they wanted to make sure his journey back to the snow really happened.

The Graciosa, where the family will stay later this season, sits at 2003 metres above Plagne Centre and offers sixteen ski-in chalets with sweeping access to the Paradiski area. The resort pairs Alpine authenticity with comfort, complete with a lounge, bar, ski hire shop, massage room, and childcare facilities. It is the kind of place designed for adventure and reflection in equal measure.

For Richard, this trip will be more than a return to the slopes. It is the closing of a painful chapter and the start of a new one. A reminder that even after the hardest battles, there can still be moments of joy, freedom, and triumph.

As he prepares to take his first run back down the mountain, surrounded by his family, it will not just be snow beneath his board but the proof that resilience can take you anywhere — even back to the peaks that once felt out of reach.