Where it all began - Cath

It’s with great pleasure that we introduce you to our Head of Ski Cath Ruffle, who has been with Club Europe since 1997…

“It all began for me back in about 1981, when I started skiing with my grandparents on a Sunday afternoon at Woolwich dry ski slope. I did this for a good number of years, until I was 12, when my grandparents obviously thought I wasn’t too much of a liability for them to take me to Austria on a proper ‘ski holiday’! We went to Mayrhofen in the Ziller Valley and I loved every minute of it!

“I went on many ski trips with my grandparents, mainly to Austria at Easter, which is still to this day my preferred destination and time of the year to ski.

“Once I was a bit older, I took part in a couple of school trips, one to Austria and one to Switzerland, and a few university trips to France and Italy, which I still talk about at length when I meet up with old friends.

“At University I studied Sports Science and within this there was the option to take a module in ‘Skiing’! Well, it was a no brainer for me. This involved going on yet another ski trip!

“When I graduated in 1997, I wasn’t really sure exactly what I was going to do work wise. I’ve always been a keen sports person and played a lot of squash and hockey at a local sports club. I did a bit of squash coaching and bar work there over the summer and come September returned to hockey training, where I met up with a lot of old team mates, one of whom was Fran Georgel.

“We duly caught up and of course Fran asked what I was planning to do workwise? I said I wasn’t sure. She asked if I liked skiing? I said I loved skiing and she said that she worked for a specialist school ski trip operator and would this be something I’d be interested in doing? Would it?! And the rest is history.

“Fran actually left Club Europe shortly after I joined to have her family of three lovely boys, but now her boys are grown up, has returned to Club Europe as a rep!

“I love the variety in my job: liaising with party leaders in the lead up to their trip, presenting at parents evenings and finally meeting the groups in resort. It’s all very rewarding.

“I am one of Club Europe’s longest standing employees, having been at the company since 1997. My advice is: “If you’re going to ski, start young!”

To get in contact with our friendly school ski trip team, email travel@club-europe.co.uk or click on the link to read more about all our ski trips for schools.