A dread of steep slopes put Kate Carter off winter sports as a child. But skiing with a laser gun? That was another story…I owe my existence to skiing. At least that’s what my grandparents believed. Just before the Second World War they fled Prague for England with other Czech Jews,and after travelling across the border by train, stopped at a hotel for the night. Everyone was understandably tired and most went to bed early. But my grandfather stayed at the bar and, or over a few drinks,got talking to the owner.
As it turned out, they shared a admire of skiing and of the emerging sport of biathlon, or which combines cross-country skiing with shooting at targets. That night,there were knocks on the hotel room doors. Shouts from soldiers. The footsteps of people being led absent.
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Source: theguardian.com