BIOGRAPHY

Eilidh McLeod (phonetic - Ay-Li)
6th December 1990
Scottish
Edinburgh
Scottish Ski Club

2010 UPDATE

This season, I went out to Les Houches in January, and trained alongside the British Ski Academy with Jo Ryding. The conditions were great and I was feeling confident over my skis again after the previous seasons injury. I went to a few races in the surrounding area and though the numbers were not huge at the races I was consistently getting top 5 or 10 finishes and scoring points similar or better than the year before. I was happy as I had had very little time on snow and things were coming back to me quickly.

I drove over to meet with the Scottish Team in Bormio for the English Champs and was places first Brit in the NJR slalom and 2nd in the NJR GS. I was all excited for the Super G as it is my best and favorite disciple, but I crashed in warm-up. I ended up with two broken legs, and spent 4 days in the high dependency unit because of an embilism in my lungs. I stayed in hospital for a total of 3 weeks, and once I was out I was wheelchair bound until I could put weight through my freshly pinned right Tibia and Fibula.
I had to keep my left leg off the ground with no weight bearing at all as we didn't want to displace the Tibia plateux fracture in it.

I am now nearly 4 months post op, and doing really well. I am back in the gym lifting weights and the other day managed to stand on a fit ball again! I see the surgeon in 2 weeks time and hopefully I will get the go ahead to run again, but we had to wait till the Tib and Fib were completely heeled around the metal pin. Things are moving quickly so I hope to ski by October.

I have also made the decision to continue racing but as a collegiate member of the Scottish Ski Team. I am going to try and balance doing a geography degree at Aberdeen university and racing. World student games is coming up this season so im hoping to qualify for it!

2009 Update:

I crashed back in January this year (2009), racing Super G in Slovenia. My ACL, pulled the bone off at its attachment so I now have two screws holding it back on, and I fractured my tibia plateuax and damaged my MCL. For the last ten months I have been in physio alongside Melissa which has meant we have been able to push each other through our injuries. Rehabing an injury is tough and its great to have other people around you.

I have just arrived Tignes with the go ahead from my physio and joined the Scottish Team training camp. Today was my first day back on the snow and after a few wobbly moments it all came flooding back to me. A little bit sore but I am just so happy to be back on my skis and ready to get back up to speed. Bring on the season ahead!

BIOGRAPHY

I spent one year in the Scottish part time team then moved onto the British Development Team where I am now - just starting my second year as a full time athlete.

I started skiing when I was 2 years old in the back garden with plastic skis strapped onto my wellies. Later that season I inherited my cousin's real skis and boots and had my first slides on Cairngorm with Dad controlling my speed with a retractable dog lead!

My first race was a ski school one in Wengen aged 4.

Scottish Senior and Junior Slalom Champ. 2006 Represented GB at EYWOF (Youth Olympics) in February 2007, completed both disciplines with 24th in GS and 34th Slalom.
Under 18 downhill champion British Senior Champs 2007 Under 18 Combined Champion British Senior Champs 2007 Scottish Junior slalom and giant slalom champion 2007. Scottish Junior giant slalom champion 2008.

A fall at the end of January 2008 caused a pelvic injury that stopped me from skiing for 7 weeks. In spite of missing half the season I finished the year 5th GB lady in Downhill and 7th in super G.

In November 2007 I was thrilled to be given the OCS Young Persons Sports Award as Scottish Regional Winner. This was the first time they had made an award to a snow sport.

I did a lot of rowing at school and would have made national squad had skiing not been my priority. I still row on the canal but more often than not end up coaching the younger ones. I do enjoy teaching.
Skiing dominates my life so its lucky that I really enjoy fitness training, particularly cycling and weights. Sega introduced me to boxing in the summer and I really took to that!

I love music and did piano and flute at school but both are becoming rusty from lack of practice. Having just passed my driving test I love to sing lustily in the car on my own - no one to hear and complain!

For the coming season I want to stay injury free and make big improvements in all disciplines.

    Eilidh McLeod
You can link to Eilidh's FIS page by clicking here