Skier Amy Sheehan's new career as a children's book
illustrator has snowballed with her publication Sam and
Lily at Cardrona taking the slopes by storm.
Miss Sheehan (21) and her writer mother, Pip, who lives in
Cairns, Australia, produced the book last month and just
three weeks after the first print run of 500 was done they
have sold 210 copies.
Miss Sheehan is one of New Zealand's top slopestyle
freeskiers - she competed at international level for several
seasons and achieved top 10 finishes in the New Zealand,
Nippon and European opens.
The former Mt Aspiring College pupil has freelanced in a
variety of jobs to help fund her sport and is a well-known
producer of hand-knitted woollen hats.
This week, she is volunteering as an official at the New
Zealand freeski junior nationals.
In November, she will head to the US, France and Japan for
the northern hemisphere season, returning home in April next
year.
Sam and Lily at Cardrona is Miss Sheehan's second completed
book and she is working on two other book illustration
assignments.
"I love art. I did a lot of it at school. I also illustrated
my first book while I was at school . . . it was one of my
Mum's Australian friends. But I neglected art for my skiing."
Illustrating children's books would be a "side career" while
she was competing on skifields around the world but Miss
Sheehan hopes to continue developing it.
"It is good not to be so focused on skiing all the time," she
said.
The idea for the children's book was sparked during a chat
with Cardrona snow sports manager Bridget Legnavsky.
"So Mum and I and Bridget got together and came up with the
ideas," Miss Sheehan said.
Several Cardrona identities, including Cardrona host Carol
Little - well known for her colourful hair style - feature in
the book.
The book was printed by The Copy Press in Nelson and costs
$20.
It is available from the town and mountain offices of
Cardrona Alpine Resort and arrangements are being made to
stock it at Wanaka Paper Plus.
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