IM GOING TO VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPICS

Today was the official skeleton team announcement in London. The media were all there to question the team, as the names were said out loud to the world... my name was on the list... I'm going!!

I have known for a few weeks now but my mouth has been painfully sealed!! So I'm am glad to now be able to tell you all.

I picked up the Olympic kit on the way back from Austria last Sunday, such an exciting moment as the realisation of my life dream has now come true...I am competing at an Olympic Games! As you can probably tell I have to keep telling myself! Adidas has done an amazing job in kitting out the whole British Team with enough kit to last a life time...thank you.

All the hard work over the years, especially this last year has payed off. There is still alot to be done as its not over yet...I have the hardest race off my life only weeks away. None of my preparation could have been done alone though...Iv had such a great support team around me, my coaches, physio, sled tech, friends and family who have helped and guided me every step of the way...I'm doing this race for all of you .. I will give it my all, and will do everything in my power to make this Olympic Skeleton Race the best and fastest of my Life!

Women's skeleton race is on the 18th and 19th February 2010.

CANT WAIT FOR A BRITISH CUP OF TEA

I'm finally off home tomorrow, I cant wait to sit on the sofa with my feet up and have a good British cup of tea..It never tastes the same in any other country!!

A DISSAPOINTING LAST RACE

Well..that's it, last World Cup Race of the 2009-10 season is over, done.

I wasn't happy with my result from yesterday race in Igls, Austria. I'm still trying to work out why I was so slow and way behind in the times.

I had great pushes again a 5.40 which was 4 100th faster then any other girl, (but its now getting a little frustrating having the best push times and not getting down in the same position, id rather be quicker at the bottom then top!!), I had good lines especially on the first run, maybe I was just trying too hard...When you train alot faster then race, this isn't the right way round!! Training had been great again, I was working out my steers everyday, getting a respectable time of 54.86sec on one of my days, so when I saw my race times of 55.55 and 55.25 you can see why I wasn't happy!

This race needs to be parked behind me now as the slate is cleaned for this 2009-2010 World Cup season. I finished ranked World Cup overall in 5th place again, same as last season. Was 5th in the Europeans a little lower then anticipated... Iv had 4 top 6 finishes and all others minus one in the top 10 positions.

Must be positive and look forward to what may happen next... :-) The British skeleton Olympic selection is on the 29th January....lets wait and see if I'm selected on the team to go to Vancouver Winter Olympics.....

LAST WORLD CUP RACE AND EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, IGLS

Its day two of the official training in Igls, Austria, World Cup number 8, which is also combined with the European Championships. I cant believe its already the last one... Its seems like each race has flown by, although It does seem like a terribly long time since spending any time at home.

I love Igls track, many athletes don't like it as its a easy one to get down and not quick or exciting, but it feels good, its not the quickest, today I got to 119kpm, so not as fast as St Moritz last week where I was 135kpm!

This is a pushers track where the time at the top does help you alot, so I'm hoping I really go for it and push hard....I'm off to the athletics track now to do some sled pulls and sprints, ciao for now.

The picture is me in the freezing lake...good recovery for the legs after a hard push! brrrrrr

MY BEST EVER ST MORITZ RESULT...4TH

Woo...I got a second run was my first thought on Friday about 2pm...Some of you may know my slightly bad track record history in St Moritz...where the horseshoe corner each year seems to like to spit me out a little too hard and I end up crashing and either not getting a second run or barely making it. This year was different though, I had one crash in training, but I was testing out runners (they weren't right for me!), then a solid weeks training and a race that seems to have kicked out the horseshoe demons...I came 4th.

All week I had problems in the Nash-Dixon corners and was loosing time and speed, so on race day I had a new plan, it didn't quite work on the first run and I ended up clipping early into Dixon, loosing time..but I knew then what to do with the 2nd run and I finally nailed it, putting down a great run and moving up from 6th to 4th place. I also had the 2nd best push again.

Its a unique track in St Moritz, the only natural track in the world. Each year it is re-built with ice from the frozen lake, sticks are layed in the summer to show where the corners go, and then built up new each winter. This means the corners are always slightly different, some harder or easier.

I nearly forgot to say... I had a go at curling for the first time this week...it was amazing..!! We had a teacher for the few hours and played coaches against athletes and Rachel...GB curling team may need to watch out as the skeleton team have a few talented first timers!! I do need to add in here that Rachel, Andy and Myself were the winning team!

Now I'm in Igls, Austria for the final World Cup race which is combined with the European Championships where I would love to get a medal... Watch it on British Eurosport on Friday the 22nd Jan 2010.

ST MORITZ

Just a quick hello to you all from St Moritz one of the most beautiful places on the circuit. Have had a few days of sliding so far, so good some bad..yesterday had terrifying experience on the track, was testing some new runners which in the end weren't right for me as I had no grip at all and skidded out of control the whole way down which meant a big crash out of the horseshoe corner, and very bent sled and a very bruised sore body from me! Thanks to Rachel who worked on my sled, pulled him apart and made him better and thanks to Chris my physio who looked at me to make sure I was ok!! One more day of Training left before the race on Friday...fingers crossed I'm ok today!!

KONIGSSEE FIRST RACE OF 2010

First race of 2010 ... Konigssee, Germany. Such a beautiful place, idyllic setting with mountains all around and a huge lake, with the track metres away. My family had made the trip out to watch and shout for me, thanks guys for coming and supporting me it was great to have you around. In fact thanks to everyone that supports me! Especially too to Petr my boyfriend who came up with his bobsleigh team in tow, to all shout at the start thus helping me push quicker!

So back to the race....didn't go quite to plan! Had a wicked days training especially one of the days where I was flying down the track was second quickest girl behind one of the Germans on her home track, and a near track record. On the race....well..... Konigssee has a unique straight....its not straight at all! You have to hit a certain point, not too early, not too hard, not too soft and not too late....then you can just about make it through the wobble without hitting. I had been doing it great about 90% of the time in training, but I hit too early on race day which meant that i had to take another hit further down and then time was lost. the wobble straight goes into a Kreisel, which is a full circle corner, very hard to steer and get the timing and pressures, I lost time here and couldn't make it up in the bottom half of the track. However I did have a really good second run, six tenths quicker then the first, but had to settle for 12th position overall. Still leaving me ranked 5th in the fibt world cup ranking, still respectable i believe!

I do need to add in now a big positive from today's race.... I had the best sprint push times for both of my runs so I know physically I am in the worlds best shape :-)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I was so excited about getting home for Christmas that I never got around to writing about the last pre Christmas race in Altenberg where I came 4th... I was 4th behind 3 Germans on a German track...so I'm happy with that and giving myself a pat on the back!!It was a great week, Altenberg is a track that always scares me! Even though Iv been down it quite a few times over the years. I associate it with when I first started to learn to slide and so lots of crashes were had on it.....But I do always seem to do well on that track and I always love to slide it once I have the first day under my belt.

I was in the Christmas mood that whole week listening to festive songs on my i-pod! We left for home the morning after the race, it was so good to be going home after such a long time away, think it was about 6 weeks on the trot.

I arrived at my parents house where I was spending my Christmas, the tree was up and ready to decorate, always my job to do! I spent a few days with my parents including Christmas day and then I flew straight to Prague on Boxing day to spend the rest of the festive time with my boyfriend who lives there. So New Year in Prague old town square...I highly recommend! It was amazing. Huge tree, thousands of people and fireworks....a magical time.