Torchbearer News Update: join me 24th July!

Torchbearer news update!

I will be carrying the Olympic flame on Tuesday 24 July in the London Borough of Ealing - torchbearer number 128! I will travel along Uxbridge Road A4020 from Greenford Road and finish at Owl Education 'Thor House', starting at roughly 6pm.


I'd love to see you all there and if you are able to come and support me and want me to say hi, we've made these t-shirts for friends and you can get one too if you wish: http://bit.ly/MdwtdW

See you there! Can't wait!

Jumping in at the DEEP end!

On Wednesday, finally Zermatt opened its arms and let us ski its fabulous summer terrain.

The last few days have been non-starters with huge anti-climaxes as I reached the last station only to be held there due to either mechanical problems or adverse weather conditions.

But today no human, nor Godly problem could stop us.

Being back with the Canadians was one of the best decisions I have made since I broke my leg. I slip seamlessly back into the team, both with my fellow racers and the coaches.

I am delaying the moment where I try to describe how good it felt to go at speed and trust my leg and body and technique again because I know no English language can do justice to the joy I felt.

Having dabbled in Kaprun on slalom skis with no intensity in soft conditions a few weeks ago I wasn't worried about easy skiing. It was the demand of the new FIS regulation GS skis, the need to commit to turns when a huge G Force is pulling at you, the hard bumpy glacier ice and most of all, my ever present expectation to ski perfectly.

Despite the huge time I had off, I knew that the first thing I needed to test on this camp was my guts. DO I have what it takes to be fast, really fast again? To be prepared to put my body on the limit and takes risks?? Well those fears were answered in my first run as I powered down the first pitch carrying speed and diving into a steep having to trust the huge years of experience I have, to adjust to the new equipment... most racers have a long come back to a racing programme with days, and months, spent on the basics, going slow... for me I felt through my experience on Dancing on Ice I have fast-tracked this - I know the control and strength in my leg is there. Now I need to test it specifically - by going hard and fast and not overthinking those first vital turns...

Well some said MISSION IMPOSSIBLE -
I say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!

In fact, none of the group of orange clad Canadian coaches even mentioned my time off or my injury - straight away they treated me like all the others - slightly rusty after the spring physical training!

BOOM!!

So yes, the new equipment means I need to adapt my skiing but the potential to be fast is now no longer a dream, it is there and I am so happy to say right now I am living and breathing it!

Today was so monumental and I will keep you posted on any news...

From glitz to guts in less than a month!

A moment of reflection written on the poma at the top of the glacier in between runs this morning!

I have never before been exposed to such opposite realms of life in such a short period of time. It makes the Dancing On Ice experience seem magical. Just one month ago I was on tour skating in front of 10,000 people.

As the slushy spring snow and hail batter my face the only reminder of the last bizarre 17 months is the slight throbbing pain at the top of my ski boot where the metal work is getting used to this new, rather severe pressure.

Throughout it all I am smiling.

The feeling of being back where I belong shines through the dense fog. Being the only racer enthusiastic enough to venture up the mountain, the progression of my skiing is easy to monitor by the tracks on the piste.

Every time I ski over a softly arched but perfectly carved turn I think back to how I got to feeling so very proud of the simplest thing. Something that 2 years ago would have seemed the very norm!

I reminisce, in a not exactly fond way, about those first few horrendous months where if it weren't for my amazing family and boyfriend, the proactive BFG Cliff Eaton and all those at Third Space who gave me distractions and ways to train and believe in myself again, I would have been lost. Claire, Cherie and Gareth I can't express how much I owe to you!

I think back to the first time I stood and walked on my right leg. That truly was a golden day!

I dwell upon the chance that Torvill and Deane took with me by giving me a place on this year's Dancing on Ice and at their genius idea to partner me with the fabulous Sean Rice - another angel sent to me from some higher source to get me back to where I am today.

At the back of my mind I think of all those who have written me off, from the press (which was almost to be expected since the GB tabloids love drama) to my very own ski federation who have chosen to not help with my comeback in any way.

I am still ranked 8th in the world. I have shown I have the drive and determination which would have beaten many others and yet they still remain unsupportive. What hurts that instead of helping me they are helping athletes ranked 500 places worse than me! But I will fight with them no longer for I am not doing this for them.

I am doing this for me.

And for those who have remained supportive, for the friends and sponsors who have stuck with me throughout this whole crazy journey.

I am so thankful to the Canadian Ski Team who have again invited me back to their fantastic, professional and successful set up.

This year, if I don't secure a head sponsor, it is going to cost me personally around 75k to ski. Now show me another athlete willing to sacrifice that and I will applaud them.

I don't know what lies ahead but I know how great a joy I am getting from realising that me and skiing.... We are far from done!

Dancing back to health

I anticipated writing this blog mid-January. My thinking was that Dancing On Ice starts beginning of January, I really wanted to make it through the first week, then I knew it was going to be tough so if I had had to wait until mid-January to write this blog then I would have been content.

It is now the beginning of April and this rollercoaster ride is coming to its final thrill seeking vertical drop!

I can’t believe how far I came. To come 5th in a sports competition which veers over into a popularity contest makes me really proud. And massively thankful.... if you are reading this blog the likelihood is you may have supported me on this journey. If so, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. I thank you for helping me get my leg strong again. I thank you for helping me raise my profile and that of the sport I love. I thank you for helping me get on the Dancing on Ice tour (am writing this on the bus travelling to our first venue) which will help me fund my summer skiing. But most of all I thank you for helping me to inspire anyone who has ever had an injury and needed motivation to get back.

I met some fabulous, generous and caring people. The other ‘celebrities’ whom at first I felt distanced from since I am not from their world, encompassed me so warmly that they are all now close friends. The production team, the hair and makeup, the costume, the runners - all of whom without the show would most certainly fail. Chris and Jayne who took a huge chance with me - maybe because they felt empathy at me being a fellow winter athlete, maybe because they wanted to show people who I am behind the skiing mask, maybe just simply they wanted to see if I could skate and entertain. And most of all the fabulous Sean Rice. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner, mentor or friend. We both know this is the beginning of our friendship and any future successes I have in skiing are owed in part to this wonderful big friendly giant!!

The highs of the show were undoubtedly facing my demons, challenging myself and Sean and I being stubborn enough to get that dam Platter lift up! And then of course my Magic show. It was probably the week of my life I giggled the most. To go out when you have put your heart and soul into something, and enjoy it so greatly was no bad thing. I did my best, it’s just the judges thought Chico did better - and he went on in the competition to do so well that I was proud to have been knocked out by such a wonderful man and hugely charismatic skater.

The low was the realization that like skiing, this is a tough, cut throat sport where anything can happen to anyone. When my good friend Sebastian lost his way in the Ultimate Skills Skate Off I found it horrendous. Watching from the stage shouting and willing him on through my tears, my heart ached for him. He was a wonderful skater who left the competition too early. But that also was a wakeup call for all of us - no one was safe!

But I feel I proved my point. I showed any skeptics that I was doing this not to enter the world of celebrity-dom, nor to cash in on my crash but to test myself. To see if, in this controlled environment doing sport specific challenging edge controlled moves if my right leg could handle it. And it did. So now I am strong again - skiing Chemmy is once again pounding her way in my heart ready to put my all on the edge again and continue my journey to compete in Sochi Olympics 2014.

The tour is going to be fun but tough. Tough in the way I have to go out every day and perform - my weaker side but one which I have gradually accepted and secretly grown to love. Also tough because alongside all the travelling and skating, I will be physical training to be a ski racer again and planning my comeback. I know it will be a challenge - I reached 8th in the world with a good leg and funding - now I have a slightly numb leg and no government financial backing (which makes me even more grateful to my fabulous sponsors) but I believe more than ever that the skills I have learnt, the mental strength I have gained, the passion in my heart and my will to try again will prevail and in the words of the great Arnie, I WILL BE BACK!

COVERGIRL

I am really excited to be on the cover of Munich's latest release, Just Like You and wanted to share a little sneak peak.

IN RESPONSE

From Twitter...


I understand some people may be confused at my participation on DOI 2012. I am a rehabbing athlete who has NOT quit her first love skiing. After my horrendous crash last year ice skating is enabling me to find the link between my head and metal right leg. It is helping not hindering my rehab. I was never going to be able to compete in ski racing this year so DOI has given me numerous opportunities including teaching me how to feel my feet, strengthening sport specific muscles and raising the profile of me and the sport I love. Don't forget it costs me and our fed at least £90,000 per year for me to ski. I have to find money personally to cover this. The worst would be for me to fight back from injury only to find I don't have enough money to fund a world class programme. So sceptics be silenced I am doing this so that I can return to being Britain’s best World Cup skier. My aims and goals haven't changed. In fact they are stronger than ever!

Team Chemmy x

DANCING ON ICE

So it is now official, Chemmy will be appearing on Dancing On Ice 2012! The show starts on 8th January and keep checking back here and on twitter/facebook to follow Chemmy's progress.

Please show your support by voting and GO TEAM CHEMMY!

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