Lt Col (Retd) Mark Goodson has, by some margin, been the inspiration behind British Nordic Skiing and Biathlon for 50 years. He has played a role in every aspect of the sport; his sustained personal motivation has created a leadership cadre to keep the flame alive in this century. He has provided vision, structure and energy to create previously absent service, national and international bodies. He has made a unique and untold contribution to operational effectiveness of all 3 services through the moral component.
After skiing for 4RTR from 1967 until 1985, Lt Col (Retd) Goodson inaugurated the RAC Nordic Championships in 1986. He later incorporated the RA and AAC Championships and supported the event until 2018. In 1991, he was appointed Chair Army Nordic Skiing a post he held until 1996.
Lt Col (Retd) Goodson was instrumental in the founding of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) in London in 1993, ensuring the Congress was a success for the 57 nations. His charisma and dedication to the sport meant he was held in the highest regard, serving on the IBU’s Constitutional Committee, as its chairman from 2002 to 2003 and on the IBU Information Committee from 2006. He was the international face of the UK in the sport and through his energy and enthusiasm he gained influence for the UK beyond the nation’s true ability and level of investment. In 1996, he was a founding member and Secretary General of the British Biathlon Union (BBU) with the aim of getting British biathletes to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Japan and was a member of the British Olympic Nation Committee 1998 to 2002. In these roles he opened pathways for young soldiers, male and female, to Olympic level sport.
Since 2000 alone, the UK has produced 9 Olympians, 95 have skied for the country, and thousands have participated in a sport that is not routinely accessible to UK citizens of which 75% each year are novice. Each and every one of these knows Lt Col (Retd) Goodson and owes some of their success to him. His contribution is beyond outstanding and is deserving of recognition.