It’s been nearly six years since Olympic snowboarder Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin died, and now the charity set up in his honour has allegedly caused a heartbreaking feud between his partner, Ellidy Pullin, and his dad Chris.
In an email sent to the Chumpy Pullin Foundation’s board in May 2024, Chris claimed the charity had shifted from helping children succeed in sports to a mental health one, and in his view as a result, was not upholding Chumpy’s ideals.
“Of course heading down the mental health path would not be upholding Chumpy’s ideals,” said the email from Chris. “You cannot use his name to make the foundation popular and then manipulate that momentum to your own ends. If that happens, we would not allow you to use his name, or his image.”
“I hope you can understand that Chumpy was a wonderful mentor and inspiration for people around him; it wasn’t mental health. I hope you can fulfil the original promise made to us at the inception of the foundation, a legacy in Chumpy’s name to live by his example.”
Chris claims he’s now estranged from Ellidy and his four-year-old granddaughter Minnie. (Image: Instagram)
MEANINGFUL IMPACT
The Chumpy Pullin Foundation was founded in May 2022 by Ellidy, just two years after Chumpy died while spearfishing near a Gold Coast beach, and a year after Ellidy gave birth to her and Chumpy’s daughter, Minnie.
As Ellidy and Chumpy weren’t married at the time of his death, Chris and his wife Sally granted Ellidy permission to collect Chumpy’s sperm just hours after his death so she could conceive their child through IVF.
After sending his email to the foundation, Chris said Ellidy had blocked him, and is allegedly now estranged from his son’s former partner and his four-year-old granddaughter.
But despite the alleged estrangement, Ellidy posted a loving tribute to Chris’ wife Sally on Instagram shortly after her death from a rare blood cancer last April.
“I will never stop talking about you and showing your beautiful granddaughter Minnie photos and videos of your amazingness. You’re loved and adored by so many Sal – A real angel on earth, and now you’re one in the sky – reunited with your boy,” the post read.
“Half of those photos weren’t even hers to post,” Chris told the Daily Mail in response to the tribute. “She’s acting like Sal’s daughter-in-law, but they weren’t married.”
Ellidy is yet to comment on the matter, but has previously stated that she had little to do with running the foundation she started, which closed in December 2024.
“Thanks to the funds raised and the awareness generated, we were able to connect with and support so many individuals through initiatives such as the Chumpy Scholarships, Shred for Chumpy Day, Indigenous Camps, Making Never Possible Podcast, ALL IN Challenges, SBX Junior Series, Project Shred, Boarding House Camps, and SWELLBEING Workshops and Camps,” the Foundation said in a statement announcing it’s closure.
“As the Foundation closes, we are proud to announce that the residual funds will be directed toward mental health initiatives, continuing Chumpy’s commitment to making a meaningful impact for years to come.”
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