While most personal trainers will spend January helping their clients keep their New Year’s resolutions, Martin Sharp takes on a different kind of challenge.

The York-based fitness coach and business consultant will join Justin Scott, a tree surgeon and gardener from Driffield, in an international snow sculpting competition. The couple will create a snow boat called Unsinkable 2, designed by Justin, a skilled and trained sculptor.

shapes in white, 29th International Snow Sculpture Competition will be held from January 8th to 14th at the Silvretta Arena in Ischgl, Austria. Artists and sculptors from all over the world transform the piles of snow into masterpieces up to 10 meters high.

Martin, who runs the fitness and lifestyle coaching business fit for life, said: “I’m really looking forward to the challenge – it’s a great start to the new year. I started competing with Justin in 2016 when his original teammate had to drop out at the last minute.

“I’m not particularly artistic, so at first I was really just there to shovel snow. Over the years Justin has taught me a great deal about snow sculpting and I look forward to helping make his latest design a reality.”

Earlier this year the couple, who first met at Leeds Canoe Club in 2002, finished fourth in the competition. They created a giant snow sculpture of Eddie the Eagle that was the same size as a double-decker bus.

The new design will be a sailboat gliding through the snow in the mountains, in keeping with the competition theme of future mobility and climate.

Once their creation is complete, Justin and Martin will take part in another snow sculpting competition in Swedish Lapland, 140 km north of the Arctic Circle. It will be the couple’s first time participating in the Kiruna International Snow Sculpture Competition and creating an abstract bronze sculpture by…