Peter Cunningham receives the Snow Australia Service to Snowsport Award

Snow Australia is pleased to announce Peter Cunningham as the recipient of the Service to Snowsport Award in the 2022 Snow Australia Community Sport Awards. This award recognises individuals in the Snowsport community who have made a positive difference in the opportunities and experiences available to others over a long period of time. 
 
Cunningham has a long history of participation and contribution to the sport of cross country (XC) skiing in Australia. Cunningham served as the NSWXC race secretary in the 1990s and was instrumental in delivering local racing events throughout that time. To this day Cunningham continues to involve himself in the XC community by running the Perisher Nordic Shelter and is an active race official. 

Cunningham chaired both ACT XC and Snowsports ACT from 1999 to 2018, and has been a member of the Snow Australia Northern Management Committee and NSWACT XC Committee since their amalgamation in 2018. The current Chair of the NSWACT XC Committee, Cunningham also serves as the National XC Race Secretary, a position he has held since 2007. 
 
With decades of international competition management, Cunningham has provided consistent support for sport development, from grassroots through to national levels over the years.

Cunningham's enthusiasm, positivity, and love of XC skiing has benefited two generations of young XC skiers, officials, and volunteers.

Having been involved in XC for over 30 years, Cunnighamn said he is pleased to be recognised for his efforts.
 
"I have been involved in cross country skiing on a continuous basis for some time now and it is pleasing to have my efforts recognised. I have always enjoyed my involvement in cross country skiing and have never found it a task. I have made many wonderful friends over the years and have many great memories," said Cunningham. 
 
Having worked hard as part of the XC community over the many years Cunningham has had a great influence on the sport, where he hopes he has been able to make the sport "appealing to others and that they can see that it is a vibrant sport."
 
"Cross country skiing is a very social sport, mainly because it is normally conducted separately from other resort activities, which gives it a special community feel that you don’t get in other disciplines.  

"Any activity requires a core group of enthusiasts and if that core group is effective, then people are more inspired to participate and enjoy their skiing.
 
"I started up the Come and Try days at Perisher over 15 years ago and since then we have introduced hundreds of people to cross country skiing, which is very satisfying to see," he said.
 
With such an outstanding career so far, there have been few key moments throughout Cunningham's time within the XC community that truly stood out to him.
 
"The completion and opening of the two-story extension of the Perisher Nordic Centre in 2008 was truly an outstanding moment. This was a project that took over 10 years to complete and involved many hours of design, community consultation and finally construction over the 2007–2008 summer. We had a professional builder for the project, but nearly 4,000 hours of volunteer labour had to be sourced and organised nearly every weekend from October to June," said Cunningham. 
 
"Other standout memories are the many satisfying moments after we have successfully conducted a major championship. I have co-organised with Peter Ward over 100 National Championships and over 100 NSW or ACT State Championships or some of the annual major citizen race events. 
 
"It's very satisfying to be able to help a group of athletes advance to the international and Olympic levels.

"It is also very pleasing to have the athletes come up to you after a championship and thank you for your efforts in organising and conducting the event." 
 
Cunningham thanked the many national, NSW and ACT XC committee members and parents who have supported him over the years, as well as particular individuals who have stood by his side throughout his career. 
 
"I would like to thank, in particular, Peter Ward and Leslie Ludwig. Their dedication, friendliness and overall competence has made it a pleasure to be involved in cross country skiing and we have had many great experiences and moments together. I count them as true friends," said Cunningham.
 
"I have overlapped for 25 years with Finn Marsland, Snow Australia’s National XC Coordinator, whose support and knowledge contribution over these many years has been invaluable."  
 
"The Snow Australia Board and staff are also to be thanked for their ongoing support of the XC discipline."