Jindabyne teen Josie Baff's Winter Olympic initiation just the start

Jindabyne Central School teenager Baff was named the Snow Australia junior athlete of the year on Wednesday, recognition for becoming the first Australian to win Winter Youth Olympic Games gold in Lausanne earlier this year.

The award, announced via an online ceremony due to coronavirus, was another step along the path she is plotting to a potential senior Olympics debut in Beijing in two years or the Games in 2026.

She arrived as a star of the future when she beat her French rival in the snowboard cross by just 0.05 seconds in January.

Her pet event is a chaotic race down a narrow course with turns and jumps, but in a way all the training she has done on the slopes has prepared her for the biggest challenge yet.

Baff is one of thousands of students trying to learn from home in the most important year of her school life, juggling training and a change of environment for her year 12 studies.

"It's such a big year for us all. I've been going to school with my friends since kindergarten and it would nice to finish it together," Baff said.

"I guess [snowboard cross] helps you go with the flow a bit and not get too caught up in things. Some people get stressed not knowing what's going to happen, but I'm pretty easy going.

"I think it's probably because of boardercross ... just making decisions in split seconds."

Baff, 17, was the first award winner announced this week, with Snow Australia unveiling prizes over the next 10 days.

Canberra aerial skiier Laura Peel has been nominated as an athlete of the year contender after becoming the first Australian since 2009 to win the sport's crystal globe as the overall champion of the season.

Baff hopes to follow Peel's footsteps to compete on the world circuit and become an Olympian after getting a taste of international success this year.

"It's been an up and down year so far. I was on such a high when I came home but it slowly left me after school started again," Baff said.

"But overall it's been good. The thing I remember most [about winning gold] was being so overwhelmed with emotion and having nerves. I had to contain them, but I didn't know if I had.

"My body was just electric and even thinking about it now, my heart-rate goes up. I can't wait to race this season if they go ahead. The Olympics in 2022 is creeping up so I'm not sure about that, but if not then definitely 2026."

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