PROFILE

I started skiing when I was 3. Both of my parents were skiing instructors in Andorra and as a family we spent our winters there where I attended the local Spanish school. At the age of 9 I joined the local ski club so my weekends were spent training and racing. In 2002, my last year before FIS, I attended my first set of British races – the BARSC, where I got several podium finishes. These results entitled me to a place on the British Children’s team. In 2003 I was selected for the England Alpine Ski Team which I stayed on until I finished school in 2005.

From 2006 to 2009 I trained with a New Zealand team, spending my winters in Switzerland and my summers in New Zealand. This was a great opportunity for me to experience different cultures and I made a lot of friends around the world. Having had a year out of education I decided to do a degree in psychology in 2007. I did this full time for 3 years with the Open University so was still able to train and race across the world. I have now graduated with a BSC Hons in psychology.

This year I joined a French team and really enjoyed living in France for the season. I also competed in my first downhill races. They were more fun than I could ever have imagined. Despite it being my first season in 5 years without an injury, my overall race performance was not as high as I would have liked it to be. However, I have come to appreciate that skiing is like a bit of a roller coaster ride and that’s part of the fun of it!

I hope that with as much hard work and a bit more luck, next season will be a fast one.

2011 Update

Dear Ladies Ski Club,
 
Thank you once again for your help and support.
 
Having worked hard all winter the highlight of my season was finishing second in my last two races of the year, in Andorra in early April. Unfortunately I was unable to secure myself a place on the podium at the British Championships, narrowly missing it a few times placing:
 
5th in the Super G
6th in the Downhill
4th in the Giant Slalom
5th in the Slalom
 
I have been home for 2 weeks now, of which 10 days I have spent cycling the Pennine way – the longest cycle route in Britain, with a starting point in Derby and finishing in Berwick on Tweed, a total of 355 miles. Although not well rested yet, I am feeling ready for the next season!
 
Thanks again for your help,

2010 Update

A lot of my summer was spent cycling and working hard in the gym. In June I attended a 3 week technical training camp in Les Deux Alpes, France. I spent a lot of time working on my technique, taking it back to 'basics'. This created a really solid foundation, allowing me to focus on line and race preparation.

The next 5 weeks were spent on more physical training and I arrived in New Zealand in August in peak condition. I trained and raced in New Zealand for 3 weeks. The programme was both intense and demanding. Training and racing in the same day, sometimes spending 7 hours on the hill. Although this was both mentally and physically challenging it allowed me to experiment with different race preparations - something I have never tried before.

I am now working hard on my physical training before heading to Sweden in November for a few weeks on snow training.