BIOGRAPHY

British Junior Team (1988)

This season has been a really steep learning curve for me. It hasn’t gone the way I originally wanted and it has been really frustrating at times trying to find out why things weren’t working. But I have gained masses of experience and have learnt that to appreciate the highs one must first experience the lows and then, when that race finally does come together, it’s so worth it.

Again I spent my season in Val d’Isere, training and racing with the Club des Sports and competing in FIS races, mainly in France. I took part in my first downhill and had more opportunity to race speed events, which had a knock on effect helping me in the technical disciplines. I also had my first blood wagon experience. At the time I point blank refused to go in it, but after some coaxing I was hurtled down the mountain by a crazy frenchy, leaving me even more terrified of the horrible red thing than I was originally! It was a SuperG in Meribel and with hindsight I shouldn’t have raced, having a stomach bug and little energy, but fortunately I only needed two weeks off to recover from a badly bruised shoulder and a cut leg. I qualified for the World Junior Championships in Spain in February and it felt great to compete on a world stage again, my last time having been at the 2005 Youth Olympics. Racing against some of the best in the world was amazing and gave me a great boost in my drive for world cup competition.

I enjoy my skiing most when achieving my best results but this year I learnt to adapt to a different approach. I have to remember why I ski and what I love about it. It was important to have fun training and racing, and I found ways other than just being result orientated to be happy with my skiing. During the latter half of the season, enjoying myself which gave a refreshingly new angle to my training and racing. Combined with intensity and focus, this works well for me so I hope to develop it in the coming years.

My 2007/2008 season ended on a high, winning the Super Combined at the British Championships, finishing 2nd in the GS and achieving some good points in the final races which gives me good feelings leading into summer training. What next season will bring I don’t know, but hopefully with some excellent training pre-season it will be an unforgettable one.