From Love and Loss to La Plagne How a Wiltshire Mother Reaches the VIP SKI Competition Final

For many, the mountains are a place of escape. For Clare Edwards, they are where her story of love, loss, and resilience finds its echo. The 38-year-old yoga instructor from Wiltshire has been named a finalist in VIP SKI’s nationwide Back to Ski competition — and her journey back to the snow is as much about honouring the past as it is about creating new memories.

Clare’s path to the final began with an entry that resonated deeply among more than 300 hopefuls. In July 2020, she lost her husband Tony to struggles with mental health, just three weeks after the birth of their son, Theo. What followed was a life reshaped — joy laced with absence, milestones celebrated in silence, and a determination to hold onto the moments that defined their time together.

For Clare and Tony, skiing was more than a pastime. In their late twenties, during a period when Tony’s health was at its most fragile, the couple signed up as VIP SKI chalet hosts in Val d’Isère. That 2012/13 season was, in Clare’s words, “life-changing.” The mountains gave them structure, community, and joy. For Tony, it was a reprieve — the crisp air, the daily rhythm of life in the Alps, and the thrill of skiing became a form of therapy.

“Looking back, we were a little older than the rest of the chalet team, but it didn’t matter. We lived on the endorphins of beautiful scenery, the busyness, the skiing. I have such incredible memories of him at his best,” Clare reflects.

Fast forward to today, Clare runs Just Breathe Yoga in Erlestoke, raising Theo, now five, and finding companionship again with her partner David. The thought of returning to the slopes has long been bittersweet. Yet this competition — with its prize of a luxury holiday at VIP SKI’s newest property in La Plagne — offers the chance for her to bridge the past with the present.

Perched at 2,003 metres above Plagne Centre, the Graciosa is more than a chalet — it’s a statement. A complex of sixteen luxury chalets, each designed for groups of four to fourteen, it offers direct access to the Paradiski area. Ski straight from the ski room or take a short stroll down to the heart of the resort; the choice is effortless. Insideguests will find suites paired with their own chalet host, a bar, a massage room, a ski hire shop, childcare services, and a lounge designed for après-ski conversation that lingers long into the night.

It’s a prize worth £3,466, but the value for Clare is something no figure could capture. A return to the French Alps isn’t simply about skiing; it’s about revisiting the place where she saw her husband thrive, and now giving her son or partner the chance to experience the same magic.

VIP SKI’s Nicola Hardy describes the competition as a way to connect with the brand’s extended family: “Our competition has been a wonderful way to bring people together, old and new, and showcase what skiing is really about — making memories that last forever. Clare’s story struck a chord with us all. La Plagne is the perfect place for her to rediscover skiing again.”

As voting opens, Clare is one of five finalists vying for the experience. But whether or not she takes home the prize, her story reminds us why the slopes hold such power: they are not just about carving lines in snow, but about finding space to breathe, to heal, and to begin again.

Voting closes on 21 September, with the winner announced at the end of the month.