Tynemouth author, Kate Mackay, has been inspired to get back on her snowboard after publishing her first book.
Take It All On Board is a self-development book with a difference, and is written by 48-year-old snowboarder Kate Mackay, from Tynemouth.
The new book promises 8 steps to mastering the slope & life with confidence, and this is advice that Kate has now heeded herself after a bad injury prevented her from completing her BASI Instructor Training in December 2016.
The book includes plenty of advice for the novice snowboarder but also a structured approach to help the reader achieve their goals in life, whatever they may be. It has evolved from Kate’s experiences of snowboarding and her desire to influence things for the better.
Snowboarding is male-dominated and perceived to be an extreme sport and Kate, a Certified Performance Coach, blogger, mum, guest lecturer and NHS management consultant didn’t take up the sport until in her 30’s.
“This book brings together two of my biggest passions – snowboarding and supporting people to achieve success,” said Kate Mackay. “My whole career has been about making change happen. When I first took to the slopes I didn’t find it easy at all, but support from others helped me develop my own internal motivation and it quickly became a passion.”
“However, it also made me realise that the sport is an art and a science, and as with life, to master it required effort and commitment. The techniques I used have also made me grow as a person as I have become more self-aware, and this is transferable knowledge from the piste to everyday life.”
Containing both technical and confidence tips, Take It All On Board is all about making small steps to push you out of your comfort zone, and also how to recover from the inevitable set-backs along the way. The book is aimed at women but the steps are equally applicable to all genders.
“Working with coaching clients over the years a common underlying theme for women has been a lack of confidence,” said Kate. “Overcoming personal barriers in the workplace, such as self-belief, family commitments and gender stereotyping, will increase our own potential for success and greater self-esteem.”
There are a series of exercises at the end of each chapter to aid self-awareness and self-development. The book has eight chapters, each focussing on a different place from Chamonix to Andorra, and Davos to the Dolomites and also introduces different people.
In the book, we meet some of the brightest names in British snowboarding with whom Kate has shredded including Jenny Jones (Olympic slopestyle medalist). A percentage of profits from the book are also being donated to Snow-Camp – an innovative charity which provides young people with snow sports training and life skills.
Take It All On Board is available in both hard copy and as an e-book from www.takeitallonboard.com and also via Amazon.