AT 18 MONTHS, most children are still finding their feet.
But little Harry Cosham was whizzing down the slopes on a tiny pair of skis.
Nine-year-old Harry's early start made him a race-winning slalom athlete and now he has been nominated for a prestigious East Riding Council Chairman's award.
He has picked up trophies, shields and a British Championship title in his age group.
"When we had Harry, we put some skis and boots in his toy box," said mum Lou, who met Harry's father on the slopes in Italy.
"By the time he got to 18 months, he was skiing on an indoor slope.
"When you watch him, the technique is amazing."
The awards celebrate contributions to the community, from environmental action to dedication in business.
Harry has been shortlisted for the sport award and is going head-to-head with two others – one of them a girl slightly older than he is and the other a university student.
His string of first places has not come without effort.
Harry trains twice a week and spends months abroad.
Earlier this year, he spent about a month with Olympic athlete and World Cup coach Alfons Schmid in Austria.
"When he was training in Austria, he was out at 7am on the slopes, skiing all morning," said Lou, 41.
Then he would come in and do schoolwork at 1pm.
"He went out to Austria for two weeks in February, came back for a week, then went out for a race and straight into another two weeks of training."
The hobby is not cheap, with trips abroad, clothing and new pairs of skis all taking their financial toll.
Harry wears low-friction skisuit for races abroad and quickly wears out his kit.
"It's very expensive," Lou said. "Because he's a child, his feet are changing, so he has to have new boots.
"Then we've got his helmet and skis. Hopefully, skis will last two seasons but sometimes it's only one.
"His skis are completely wrecked after he's finished, so it would be unsafe to sell them."
Although the costs are steep and Harry struggles to make it to every race, his family are determined to help him achieve his dreams.
"Harry wants to win an Olympic gold," said his mum, who works as a civil servant.
"He's said since he was little, he would go to the Olympics and I think I believe him now.
"We're always looking for people to sponsor him. The amount of times people have said no, you would think I would give up but I can't."
Although Lou admires her son's skill on the snow, like any mother, she gets nervous.
"You just keep your mouth shut when he's racing," she said.
"You've got to stay quiet – you don't want to pass your nerves on.
"It's the most amazing thing to watch him do what he does but, as a parent, you worry about him falling."
Harry, a pupil at Wilberfoss CE Primary School, will find out if he has won the chairman's award in May.
His parents are proud he has got this far.
"We were so excited when we found out," Lou said.
• Visit www.harrycosham.co.uk
