Heli Ski Legend - Graham Bell.
GRAHAM BELL is a former five times Olympic skier, TV presenter, adventurer and journalist. He is the face of BBC TV’s Ski Sunday and in 2009 with Ed Leigh presented High Altitude, the primetime BBC2 adrenaline packed winter sports programme. Highlights included Graham tackling the Arctic Circle Race; a 160mile cross-country ski race in Greenland, surviving a night in a snow-hole without food, water or a sleeping bag, and set a new personal best top speed on skis of 121mph.
Graham Bell is regarded as one of the finest Downhill skiers the UK has ever produced. He and his brother Martin flew the flag for Britain throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. Graham took a Silver Medal at the World Junior Ski Championships in 1984 and the result that Graham is most proud of is his 12th place in the infamous Hahnenkamm Race in Kitzbuhel, Austria.
After retiring as a professional ski racer in 1998, Graham started his television career at Eurosport commentating live on the World Cup Ski Circuit for two years, before moving over to an in-vision role on Ski Sunday. Graham was part of the team that saw Ski Sunday win a prestigious Royal Television Society award in 2002. He has presented and commentated on the 2002, 2006, and most recently was an integral part of the BBC’s coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Away from the mountains, Graham is the presenter of the BBC’s World Championship Series Triathlon coverage, has worked on The Tour de France for ITV, and in 2009 competed in the Fastnet Race with Alex Thompson on Hugo Boss, filming, interviewing and presenting as well as working as an active crew member.
Since retiring from competition Graham has continued to test his competitive instinct. In 2003 he competed in the return of BBC1’s ‘Superstars’, against some of the country’s top sportsmen. He achieved an admirable fourth place in the final, the best placed non-current athlete. Graham has competed in numerous Triathlon competitions, 24hr Mountain Bike events and regularly rides the grueling Etape du Tour cycle race.
Graham has worked with a number of celebrities on High Altitude and Ski Sunday taking them on a journey to experience the latest extreme sports, pushing the limits of endurance and adventure in a high octane mix. Sky Diving with actor Ralph Little, heli-skiing with model Jodie Kidd and Ice Sailing with pop star Simon Le Bon, as well as skiing with Ben Fogle, Fiona Bruce, Tara Palmer-Tompkinson, Marcus Brigstoke, Frank Gardner, Heston Blumenthal, Colin Jackson and Clare Balding.
Until recently Graham held the prestigious title of International Performance Director for The Ski & Snowboard Federation and is the patron of The British Ski Academy. He is internationally admired and respected as an ambassador promoting skiing and winter sports, encouraging young people into the sport. He is still very much involved with the British teams coaching and motivating them and currently sits on the board of SnowsportGB.