Hello there,
Firstly, thank you for taking the time to read my page. I am thrilled that there are people out there who wish to support me on this journey, and ultimately help me achieve my dream of competing at the Winter Olympics in skeleton.
Skeleton is a downhill sliding sport on ice! You lay headfirst on a sled and hit speeds of 130 kph with your chin centimetres from the ice. There are no brakes on the sled and you experience forces of up to 5G! It Is pure exhilaration.
My target is to raise £2000. This will contribute to my living costs over the next 6 months and allow me to train and compete as a full-time athlete. I am 100% dedicated to this goal and have just taken a break from my job as an exercise physiologist to allow me to travel for training which is essential due to there being no track in the United Kingdom for skeleton.
I am 26, and originally from the Isle of Wight. I have just started my career as a skeleton athlete. In the United Kingdom the way most athletes discover skeleton is through a talent ID search, and I was no different.
I was a successful applicant from over 1000 on the power2podium talent searchfor the next British skeleton champion. It was like X Factor, an emotional rollercoaster with multiple phases and deselections along the way until finally early 2015 I was confirmed on the British Skeleton talent programme.
Prior to starting skeleton I was a long jumper, having represented Great Britain in 2010 and multiple British Universities champion. I never felt that I reached my full potential as an athlete, having to stop jumping due to injury.
Being identified as having potential in a new and exciting sport has reignited that drive and desire to reach an Olympics; it is an opportunity I want to fully make the most of.
Up until recently I worked for the SportScotland Institute of Sport as an exercise physiologist; my dream job and the result of five years of university at Bath and Loughborough and voluntary work experience!
Giving up my job is a big sacrifice however full-time employment in high performance sport does not fit in with my training schedule for skeleton which involves 14 weeks of training camps over the winter. This season is all about preparation for racing in March 2016 and for the 2016-17 season.
The Goal
Great Britain’s skeleton athletes have medaled at every games that the sport has featured. It is my dream and now my goal to emulate my predecessors and win a gold medal for Team GB at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
The Program produces champions so I am confident that in seven years I can be on that podium. I currently do not receive any financial assistance for living costs, so to continue on this journey and move closer towards my goal I am looking for financial assistance.
The money you contribute will go towards UK travel (which from Scotland can be significant), rent, bills, food, training facility costs and equipment for training. It isn’t glamorous but it will be literally my bread and butter!
I am from a small Island but I have never been afraid to dream big and would love to bring a gold medal back home. I am eager to see where this journey takes me over the next seven years.
The goal is glory at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.