About Us: The Sunshine World Team

ALAN GARCIA  Video POSITION MANAGING DIRECTOR D.O.B FEBRUARY 1985 HOMETOWN LONDON, ENGLAND SEASONS SKIING / SNOWBOARDING Every season since 1987! Full time since 2000. SNOWBOARD STANCE GOOFY FAVOURITE PLACE ANY MOUNTAINS WITH SNOW ON THEM! CONTACT NUMBER Office: 0207 581 4736 Mobile: 07830 138 798 EMAIL alan@sunshineworld.co.uk

Sunshine World - The Story So Far .... click here »

Born in Versailles, France, Alan grew up from three weeks onwards in and around South West London.

He attended the Roche Primary School, St. Osmond’s and Kingston Grammar School until age fifteen when he realised that although he loved many aspects of school, he would be better placed to pursue his dream of becoming a professional sports instructor if he moved to the mountains.

So, aged fifteen he moved to Whistler, Canada on his own for three months. During this time, he became the youngest ever (at the time) CASI 1 snowboard instructor to gain certification in British Columbia.

He went on, over the next four years, to pass his Stonebridge Academy of Lawn Tennis Coach B and subsequently Coach A licenses. Also his CSIA 1 Alpine Ski Instructor, CASI 2 Snowboard Instructor and BASI 3 Alpine Ski Instructor courses in various resorts worldwide including Whistler, Canada and Courchevel, France. He has trained through the ISIA courses with both BASI and the CSIA and has taken his CASI level 3 training also.

Due to his teaching experience and qualifications he was also awarded an exemption from the LTA Tennis Assistant Course in 2005. He is first aid trained by both St. Johns Ambulance and BASP (British Association of Ski Patrollers).

From age ten onwards his entrepreneurial parents helped and encouraged him to attend many business management courses which helped nurture the necessary confidence and skills to complement a deep enthusiasm which he held for organising challenging and pioneering ventures.

Alan founded Sunshine World on 3rd August 2005 with the aim of creating a tool that people can use to help create some of the most wonderful moments of their lives!

Since then Sunshine World has successfully delivered holidays to over 1,600 very happy guests and ten international journalists and our return guest and referral rate is at over 63%!

If you would like to speak to him any time, he is always willing to give his time to anyone interested in focusing on the positive things in life! His personal mobile number is 07830 138 798. That is how open Sunshine World is as a business :)

Above: Sunshine World's Managing Director, Alan Garcia, qualified ski and snowboard pro for over 10 years now, proving that we're not just a bunch of suits. Thanks to professional photographer Jarno Schurgers (www.jarnoschurgers.com) for taking these two shots!

At Sunshine World you can be sure that a dedicated team of passionate people will be working hard to help create the best possible holiday for you. Here is our 2010 team enjoying a day out in Krakow. Over 1,000 apply to us for jobs each year and we're fortunate to be able to select the very best.

Endorsements of Alan Garcia from

“I met Alan while writing an article for the Independent about skiing in Poland and can wholeheartedly recommend him as both a businessman and an individual. Simply put, he's a great bloke with a great product - generous with his time and attention, keen to make sure everyone sampling his product is having a great time, straightforward, honest and hardworking. Oh, and he knows how to party, too! What's not to like?”

Ross Young, Producer / Director, Freelance (was with another company when working with Alan at Sunshine World LTD)

“If you are after a tailored made holiday at a package price look no further than Sunshine World. Afterall your holidays are supposed to be the time when you shouldn't have to worry. Alan Garcia is "the man"!!”

Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Good Value

Graham Allison (hired Alan as a Travel Agent in 2008)

More endorsements of Alan Garcia here »

Photo credit: World Snowboard Guide

Greg Calcutt

Greg’s first experience of the skiing world was on a school trip to Ischgl in Austria at the age of 14 and since then he had never looked back. For the next three years he returned to the snow in Austria and Italy with the school. Whilst studying for his GCSE’s he upheld 2 jobs to fund his next adventure. The thought of a dead end office job was enough for him to realise his ambition was to venture through the world. At 17, a month long World Challenge expedition to Tanzania, Africa could only confirm his eagerness for adventure resulting in him working as an outdoor instructor for the same company. He helped other youngsters to discover the adventure of life.

From a young age Greg had a huge interest in planes, so at 17 he started working towards his Private pilot’s licence which he successfully completed shortly after his 18th birthday. Just in case one day he finds all the snow has melted he is also a qualified advanced scuba diver.

During the winter of 08/09 he spent the season in Banff, Canada gaining his CSIA level 1 and completing an all mountain pro course, including avalanche training and winter survival. Canada was also able to deepen his interest in winter sports like ice climbing.

After his experience of Canada Greg decided to pursue a career in winter sports and applied for a position as a ski instructor with Sunshine world. He met Alan at a recruitment day at Hyde Park. Alan offered Greg a position as a full time ski instructor in the pro team. At the beginning of the 09/10 winter season he worked as a snowmobile and husky sled guide in Finnish Lapland for 3 months before spending the rest of the season with Sunshine World. He will return to Poland with Sunshine World for the whole season of 2010/11

Barbara Pełczyńska

Barbara Pełczyńska

I have been attracted to travelling from early childhood. Travelling and leisure activities has always been my passion. I can not sit for long in one place!

My second big passion is sailing. I have sailed from the age of 16, and I hope to continue through my life!

I studied hotel management at technical school, and then went on to complete a masters degree in International Tourism in Krakow.

I started working with Sunshine World's young and dynamic team in 2010 with the hope of further developing the skills learned during my years of theoretical study ... now putting them in to practice :)

TJ Alty

Growing up snowboarding was always just a dream to my buddies and I, some thing that we did when we had the chance but just like every Canadian kid our goal was the NHL, which made hockey priority. Now that I’ve grown up and gave up the dream riding is life and I’m absolutely loving it. Whether I’m on my board or my skis my motto is always the same go big or go home, well that and everybody wang chung tonight! My first proper season (where I actually worked on the slope), was in Lesotho in southern Africa. After landing that first job I knew exactly what I wanted to do at least for the next couple years, ride every day and now on my second working season here at Sunshine World, I’m loving every minute of it.

I love working with Sunshine World because they embody everything I’ve been brought up to believe in. Caring, loving and sharing everything you possibly can with the people around you, in a belief that everyone can and will have the best possible time (including yourself) if you stick to these principles. Not to mention everyone here at Sunshine World definitely knows how to party, when were not hard at work you’ll most certainly find us (if you can catch up) partying our pants off.

I look forward to seeing how far I can push my riding (especially freestyle), before I become to old and brittle. In the time between that and now I still have plenty to learn it’s a good thing I learnt early one of the best ways to learn is to teach others so naturally the best choice was to get my levels as an instructor and here I am now, on the slopes every day and LOVING LIFE, can’t wait to meet any of you who decided to come out and ride with us.

Joseph Marples

Joseph was always destined to have a future in the sports and fitness industry having always been into sports from a very early age, most of his childhood spent playing sports. Football was definitely his favourite, but his real calling was cricket and he finally joint Wolverhampton C.C at the age of 11. Progressing through the youth setup Joe picked up a number of awards such as under 13’s Player of the Season while captaining various age groups, and was part of the under 15 side which made it to the national finals finishing 7th best in the country. When he reached the age of 16 he made the big jump from youth’s into Senior cricket, In his 1st season winning the Staffordshire Sunday League Championship and in doing so earned himself Player of the Season. During this season Joe also qualified as an ECB Level 1 Cricket Coach, and coached the under 13 side at the club to winning the league title.

At school Joseph was always an average student, but an extremely hard worker. At his GCSE’s he came out with all his grades between A-C, including an A in Physical Education, and 3 B’s in Art, History & Geography which was a fantastic achievement for him. Also a keen musician Joe has a Grade 5 from the Rock School in drumming; having drummed since he was 11. After leaving school he moved onto college, and qualified as level  3 Instructing Exercise & Physical Activity Personal Fitness Trainer, 1 of only 5 people to pass a course of 35 people. Joe moved into work within the fitness industry straight away working for 2 years at a health club as a Fitness Consultant and Class Instructor. Following this he decided it was time to see the world, getting himself a job as a Sports and Fitness Entertainer on the Animation Team at a 4 star hotel in Cyprus. It was only a 7 month contract for the summer season so after finishing Joe decided to challenge himself to do something new, which is when he came across Sunshine World.

He joint up with academy at the end of January for a 10 week period having never skied in his life, but due to a never give up attitude, a willingness to learn and general stubbornness he went from not being able to stand on skis to a very good skier who passed his CSIA Ski instructor Qualification with flying colours. Joe credits the efforts and teachings of the Sunshine World Team for turning him into a good skier, and says he will always be in debt to them as he would never have passed his exams if it wasn’t for them. He now looks forward to his work with Sunshine World where he hopes to repay the faith shown in him.