2025 National Volunteers Week I Warren Feakes

This week is National Volunteers Week, and Snow Australia is celebrating all the incredible volunteers by sharing the stories of those in the community.

Warren Feakes recently volunteered at the Canberra Snow Sale, but first found his way into the snowsport community through competing in cross country skiing before transitioning into more volunteer focused roles. 

“I was a competitive Cross Country Skier and Biathlete from the early 1990s, and during my ADF service and after I retired in 1998 -  I recognised the value of the sport as a healthy activity and to kids,” Feakes said. 

“I started as a member of the ACT Cross Country Committee in the late 1990s, volunteering for many different activities and events within my area of expertise.  

“I became a Cross-Country Technical Delegate and was competing in the World Loppet series from 1995. 

“I was usually the ‘go-to’ person to conduct the pursuit starts for ACT, NSW and national cross-country races held at Perisher Valley.  

“As a qualified L3 TD, I assisted in the design of Interschools race loops, in particular wanting to have the mums and dads able to see their kids racing the entire course.

“After the 2003 bushfires that hit the Australian mountains pretty hard, I was part of the large volunteer team that rebuilt the cross-country trails around Perisher. We removed old fencing, burnt bridging and pole lines. 

“What you see today with excellent individually referenced trail pole lines, new and improved bridging and smart snow fences to harvest our horizontal snow, is part of the volunteer team effort of that era and continues to this day.

“I was part of the Nordic Shelter redevelopment and extension team, a huge volunteer effort by many dedicated skiers that has made such a difference to our shared community facility.

“After completing my second set of World Loppet races in 2003, I switched to World Masters racing and the position of National Director for Australia of the World Masters Cross-Country Ski Association (WMA) was handed to me by Janette Hamilton in Italy in 2006.  

“This is a volunteer position involving attendance at Autumn meetings overseas, organisation and recruitment of an Australian Masters Team and Board Member duties during the annual World Masters Cross Country Championships, held in a different country each year.  

“I handed the reins of Australian Director to a very worthy Peter Lambert in 2023. So, I guess, I have been volunteering for 30 years.

“I consider all this to be a team effort for the benefit of the community, an individual may not be able to achieve much, but a team effort can move mountains.”      

The recent Canberra Snow Sale event was an enjoyable experience for Warren who was able to catch up with old friends and even be presented with an award from the Australian Masters Cross Country Ski Association. 

“It’s always good to meet your skiing friends at an ‘out of season’ event,” he said.  

“As part of the security team at the Exit, it was great to see the happy smiles as families and individuals checked off the bargains they had grabbed at the sale.  

“It’s a real multi-discipline event: alpine, snowboard and cross country. 

“I particularly enjoyed giving a helping hand to customers looking for cross-country skis and poles for themselves and their kids to start the experience when we get the first snowfalls this year. 

“Being presented with the awards was a complete surprise to me - I was not expecting this honour. 

“I could not attend the Awards ceremony because of illness, and I felt both proud and humble. 

“There are many volunteers who dedicate their spare time to advancing the sport and facilitating Masters level skiers’ competition.  

“I just felt proud to be one of these volunteers - the rewards are in the results and the smiles. My sincere thanks to those who nominated me.”

To anyone within the snowsport community who are thinking about getting involved in volunteering at any level, Warren reminds us that ‘many hands make light work’. 

“Don’t think of being a volunteer as a ‘task’ - it’s part of the community spirit of the skiing fraternity and a way to give back to those who took the trouble to help you in your past,” he said.  

“Whether it’s making hot drinks for the volunteers coming in from the cold, or standing on a race course junction, directing ski racers on a really foul weather day, it’s all about the community. 

“Treat volunteering as a learning experience - ask lots of questions from those around you who have more or different experiences. 

“Never leave a day of volunteering without having learnt something new to apply to your next volunteering role.

“Always remember…’many hands make for light work’.”