Amy Williams

Amy Williams claimed Team GB’s sole victory at the Vancouver Winter Olympics and put the skeleton bobsleigh event firmly on the map. She became Britain’s first solo Winter Olympic gold medallist for 30 years and set the stage for later successes.

Having started her sporting career as a runner, she decided to move on to the winter sports and focus on the skeleton bobsleigh, a ferociously fast event frequently likened to sliding on ice at 100mph on a metal tea tray.

At first, she trained on a dry-push facility with a bespoke sledge, before helping to build and maintain her own equipment. Having learned technicalities like the effect of air temperatures and the intricate mechanics of steering, Amy also took on the psychological and physical challenges. Such experiences gave her a competitive edge over the competition and helped achieve great success.br