Europa Cup Medal

I was thrilled to come home with the top result for GB in women’s sitting: a bronze medal and 4th in Giant Slalom!

Kelly Gallagher got a bronze and two silvers in the Visually Impaired class and Talan Skeels-Piggins won gold in the Pitztal Super G! A great start to the season for Team GB!

Unfortunately the races in Pitztal and La Molina were cancelled due to bad weather, scuppering our chances of qualifying for speed in the World Championships, I shall be focusing on the technical events; slalom and GS.



Thank you very much to the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme, Get Kids Going, Salomon, Two Seasons and Oakley for their support! Training recommences early January for the World Championships.

Meeting the Austrian Devil!

Team GB arrived in Pitztal, Austria for the first Europa Cup. As we unloaded the van we heard shrill screams and jangling cowbells... and discovered the delights of Krampus festival. Out of the darkness, horned figures appeared making a lot of noise - and a herd of locals dressed in ancient costumes were busy chasing away bad winter spirits. Perhaps it'll bring us some luck in the races!





























We loaded all monoskis up the mountain and have enjoyed morning training sessions in the sun but winter has returned with a vengeance just in time for the races at the weekend, it's going to be a cold one!

Sports Features!

Just before I left to train in Austria, BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Radio invited me onto Laura Bailey's show, and I was interviewed by Vic Minnett who was filling in. Thanks to the BBC team.

Click on the title for a great article on Sports Features

Early Christmas from Two Seasons!

Returned home to find a package from Two Seasons...

Super Icebreaker merino wool thermals and warm bodyfit top (georgeous, soft, comfy, cosy thermal wear that smells fresh regardless of how many exhausting slalom turns or moguls I fight my way though!), socks, mitts, Little Hotties hand and food warmers, tee shirts, a hoodie and thermal top to keep me toastie and a new tuning iron to make my skis fast!



Thanks so much to Two Seasons who have stuck by me for the last 3 years! You are wonderful!

GB Pre-Season Austria Training

Snow, snow, wind, snow, and very poor visibility… where’s the sun?!

GB camp started well despite the weather. I’ve been working hard on technique and slipped smoothly back into skiing. I’m feeling balanced and loving the buzz of training in the mountains with the team.

Our support team has been a huge help. We have been working closely with Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) head of strength and conditioning, Nick Ward, and head physiotherapist Gordon Turner, in order to be in peak fitness to deliver the ultimate performance in alpine skiing. Without TASS (SportAid) support I would not have been able to train and compete in the Paralympics last year or continue with skiing this season.

Sports Psychologist, Deirdre Angella from EIS South West also worked closely with the team, enabling athletes and coaches develop mental skills and a goal-centred focus on performance. Psychology certainly helps me rationalise racing down icy slopes at 60mph!

I’m now back in the UK for a short break before Europa Cup races in December and qualification for the World Champs in January. A positive start to the season and I am confident of a successful season to come!

First Week on Snow

The ski season is officially upon us! I just got home from a Gravity Snowsports week in Hintertux, Austria with Ski MK Racers. It feels great to be back on snow!

We had 80cm of fresh snow the first day, the perfect way to ease into the season. Day two: bump skiing, great reflex training! Followed by a few days in Giant Slalom gates.

Gravity coaches, Glen and Matt gave some excellent advice as always: Video to follow!

Thank you Tony from Edge2Win for your expert tuning support with getting kit prep'd for this World Championship season.

I've a few aches, after the odd crash but very much looking forward to going back to Austria on Sunday for team GB pre-season training camp. Europa Cup races start in December followed by Worlds in Jan in Sestriere, Italy.

YLP Milestone Event:: Volunteering in London 2012!

Applications for volunteering in London 2012 are now open!

100 Young Leaders, chosen for the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust, Young Leaders Programme and are guaranteed an interview for a volunteering role in London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. The opportunity to play a role is at these young people’s fingertips, provided they organise 5 voluntary community projects each.

The Young Leaders have begun developing their projects, sponsored by BP and evaluated by Skyblue. They now need to apply for the scheme’s ultimate goal: Volunteering in London 2012!

The first YLP Milestone Events last week maximised the experience of V, Edcoms and the Athlete Supporters: Adam Whitehead (Olympic Swimmer); Tom Davis (Olympic Judo); Jenna Downing (World Champion Inline Skater) and Anna Turney (Paralympic Alpine Skier) to help the Young Leaders with their applications.

Most 16 year olds have filled in few application forms, let alone applied for a potentially life changing job. Thinking about personal strengths is central to any job application but it isn’t easy, especially the first time! EdComs and the Athlete Supporters motivated and assisted the Young Leaders and excitement filled the room as the possibilities for 2012 arose; individual strengths, interests and goals were uncovered and forms began to look interesting.

The chance to be part of the UK’s greatest sporting event is the opportunity of a lifetime. There are countless ways of being part of London 2012 and having experienced the atmosphere in Vancouver 2010, I would encourage anyone interested to jump at the chance! Quite a story to tell the Grandchildren!

Potential 2012 Volunteers: E LDN