Teenager Molly Butler is helping making her alpine skiing dreams come true through her art exhibition at The Hideaway Café

Molly Butler, a sprinted 16 year old learned to ski about the same time she was learning to walk! She is intent on pursuing one goal – to become a top alpine ski racer.

Being selected to represent Team GB at the European Youth Olympics in Italy in January, and in May being selected for the GB alpine squad, was just the first step on the journey.

As Molly is from a family without substantial wealth, it is no mean feat in finding the funds to cover the equipment, training, travelling and so on. A full year of required training to maintain this level of competition is more than £30,000. But sadly, for GB alpine athletes, there is no funding available, constant support is needed to continue.

To help fund her ski racing several years ago Molly set up a small business where she sells prints of her artwork, cards and other small gifts. View her work at (mollybutler.co.uk).

This summer Molly is exhibiting her art for three months from June 19th at the Hideaway Cafe in Guildford, an initiative of the Matrix charity providing a lifeline for vulnerable young people across Guildford Borough.

She’ll be working hard to help with the extortionate fees race training brings with it but she will be helping others with 25% from her sales going towards Matrix, making the whole exhibition even more worthwhile and meaningful.

Molly is so happy to be living her dream, she says: “I was born to ski, I couldn’t think of doing anything else in my life.”

Her second ‘love’ is her art. “I’ve combined my love for both skiing and art to create my unique hand-drawn gifts,” she explains. “The inspiration for my original artwork prints and the designs comes from the mountains and the natural world. All of my products make great gifts and are practical too. Wherever I am, or whatever I’m doing, the snow-capped peaks always remind me to keep chasing my dreams.”

By visiting Guildford and stopping by the Hideaway café to view and purchase Molly’s artwork (as well as enjoying a great coffee and cakes) you are not only supporting Molly, you will be joining her on her journey as well as supporting others.

And you can share every step, and all the action, by following Molly on Instagram and Facebook.

If you can’t make it to the exhibition please consider visiting her website and making a purchase.

She also has a dedicated Fundraising page.