Chemmy Alcott is a former British alpine ski racer and commentator. She competed in four consecutive Winter Olympic Games for Team GB, seven FIS World Championships and has been British national champion seven times. We're excited that Chemmy will be our HerStory at Tennis host at the HSBC Championsips at The Queen's Club, where she'll be leading inspiring insights sessions with key personalities in sport and business.

Since retiring from international competitions in 2014, Chemmy has now turned her passion to punditry, but how did Chemmy get to where she is today? We caught up with her to find out everything!

 

Tell us a little bit about your career. How did you get into skiing and how did you keep it up over the years?

I’m part of a ski and sports-mad family. My Mum was a swimmer, my Dad was a rugby player and competed internationally – I inherited his glutes and her lungs! I was destined to be a mountain goat, and started skiing at 18 months old on a family ski holiday. I followed two talented brothers into the world of skiing and I first raced when I was 3 - I found it extremely empowering to beat the boys on the slopes! This actually lit the competitive fire in my blood, and so I carried on competing.

At age ten I went to New Zealand on my own to improve my skiing and ended up becoming an obsessive athlete. I went on to win the World Children’s Olympics, European Youth Olympics and at age 19, I gave myself the ultimatum that if I do well at school, then I can become a professional ski racer and dedicate my all to it. I was awarded the Sunday Times Junior Sportswoman of the Year in my teens and was inducted into the London Youth Hall of Fame!

I went to the 2002 Olympic Games at 19 years old and came 14th which started my passion for competing on this huge level. I went on to compete in three more Olympic Games. I had a fear of failure for 8 years. In 2008 I went all out as I felt I had nothing to lose and became the first British athlete to win a World Cup! After this, I was 100% committed to making my mark in the sport, but of course along the way I was involved in many crashes and broke 40 bones…not ideal! However, I am now very proud of all my scars. I even competed in Dancing on Ice in 2012 when I’d recovered from an injury the season before!

 

What do you think the tipping point in your career was?

I had a run in Solden where I eventually had the confidence to go all out. When you go at 100%, you never lose, you just learn. This is now my life motto.

 

What did you do once it was time to slow down from competing professionally?

After some great success and incredible experiences that I was so proud of, I decided it was time to retire and that’s when I went into coaching at an elite level. I didn’t actually find this wholly satisfying, or as much as I thought I would though. I set up Carpe Diem Coaching with my husband to teach life skills through ski racing. At the same time, I got into broadcasting and punditry during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games which I absolutely loved and continued working for the BBC at the Olympics in 2022 and 2026. I had an amazing experience this year at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics in Italy. I’m just so excited by the storytelling around athlete vulnerability and sharing their stories with the nation and the world through broadcasting.

 

What do you love most about your job now, and what did you used to love most about your job?

I get to talk about the things I’m incredibly passionate about during my job now. Sport is a tool for life – you fall over and you learn resilience to get back up again. Even if your dreams aren’t to be an Olympian or a professional athlete, they’re all skills and lessons anyone can take into everyday life.

For me now, every day is different. From hosting and coaching kids to live television, I’m very grateful for where I am and I have to pinch myself.I love going 90 miles an hour, and travelling the world with amazing people is what makes my job so enjoyable!

HerStory

You’re our HerStory at Tennis host for 2026. Why is it such an exciting project for you to be involved in?

I love talking about women’s empowerment, especially in sport. Sport can teach us so many life lessons and HerStory is that connector on this exciting trajectory of increased global exposure. I absolutely loved being a part of the experience last year, being on the panel at the HSBC Championships at The Queen’s Club alongside Kirsty Gallacher, Laura Robson and Amy Williams, and I’m really happy to be back this year in a greater role as host!

You mentioned you were a panellist in 2025. How did the idea of the experience compare to what it was like in reality?

I just loved the transparency of the experience. Keith Prowse has created a platform to inspire their guests and spark important conversations in a sports setting where female athletes are given a stage to perform. I loved that the room wasn’t just filled with women, there were men eagerly listening into our discussions and learning what we as female athletes and businesswomen went through to get to where we are today. It’s spreading female empowerment and shining the light on women’s sport and related topics, which is so incredible and to be a part of that again is truly special.

What do you think guests enjoyed most about the experience in 2025?

Because it was so intimate, HerStory guests were able to get up close to the panel discussions and mix with us all. They were fascinated by the topics we were discussing, and to have real, raw conversations about shared experiences with such incredible ladies was great. I met a successful engineer, and I offered to mentor her niece who is going to Cambridge to also be an engineer. It’s all about connection and giving back, no taking.

What did you enjoy most about the experience in 2025?

Last year was epic – it was such an exciting concept and I’m so thankful I could be a part of the very first edition of HerStory during the launch year. I was so inspired by the growth of women’s sport, and to witness women’s tennis returning to The Queen’s Club for the first time in over 50 years for the WTA tournament was a pinch me moment. The recent successes of female athletes at the Olympics have further put a spotlight on women’s sport and it’s getting the recognition it deserves. Trailblazing women attempting to do something they’ve never done before in front of a global audience – it’s just great!

What are you most looking forward to about the 2026 edition?

I’m so excited to be working with Keith Prowse again on this exciting experience. We’re showing that we can do magical things together when we push the ceiling and collectively shout about the topics and success that women’s sport deserves.

I can’t wait to host HerStory as it goes into its second year, and be joined alongside a talented panel including Anna Williamson, Ugo Monye, Marina Storti, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and others. We’ll be discussing topics such as representation, role models, mental health and wellbeing, equality and performance. Very excited to see everyone there!

To discover more about Keith Prowse’s very own HerStory experiences, click here. Want to see what it was like in 2025? View our highlights over on Instagram.