Katie eyes snowboarding gold in Korea.
British champion snowboarder, Katie Ormerod, has hailed the incredible impact Hipperholme Grammar School has had on her medal-winning career as she sets her sights on 2018 Winter Olympics success. It has been an unforgettable season for Katie – from the highs of five podium finishes to the devastating
low of breaking her back in March following a heavy crash during training.
It has been an unforgettable season for Katie – from the highs of five podium finishes to the devastating low of breaking her back in March following a
heavy crash during training. A gruelling regime of rehabilitation followed before courageous Katie was back on the snow just six weeks later having
made a remarkable recovery. And with that behind her she can focus on for her biggest goal, the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea which take place
in February.
“Having doctors telling me I’d broken my back was really scary. I didn’t quite know what to expect,” said Katie.
“But with a great team around me, my recovery went really well and I was able to return to the snow without surgery, so I was quite lucky. I was back in
Switzerland, fully recovered and able to complete my end of season training with no worries so I feel a lot stronger now.
“I’m just going to keep training really hard and hopefully I can land the best run when I’m there and get a medal. “The dream is to get a Winter Olympics
medal. Preferably gold.”
Katie, the first female snowboarder to land a double cork 1080 manoeuvre, has rejoined her GB Park and Pipe team-mates for summer training in Europe and
will be heading to New Zealand in August for three months of training and the season’s curtain-raiser.
Coming from a keen-snowboarding family, Katie spent hours perfecting her athletic talent at Halifax Dry Slope. Since getting her first snowboard as a Christmas
present at the age of five, she has never looked back.
“I love being on the snow. I remember going on a family holiday in Austria and I just absolutely loved being in the mountains. I completely fell in love
with snowboarding,” she said.
Katie finished second overall in this season’s standings following three World Cup podiums in Big Air, a silver medal at the Innsbruck Air and Style and
her X Games bronze success.
“I’ve nearly completed my competition bucket list. I’ve got medals from the X Games and World Cup, now I just need that Olympics medal,” said Katie.
“I’m going to make sure I’m in the best possible shape to achieve that too. I’m completely focused on bringing a medal back to Great Britain and Brighouse.”
As the GB ace prepares for more successes ahead of the new season and next year’s Olympics, the 19-year-old took time out of her busy schedule to recognise
the next generation of sporting aces at Hipperholme Grammar School’s annual Sports Awards.
“Hipperholme Grammar School’s staff were so supportive when I was there. I was allowed to travel abroad to compete or train. I took work with me and the
school supported me throughout. I even remember doing my mock GCSEs in America, which was difficult, but so worth it in the end.
The 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea between the 9th and 25th of February and will comprises of a total
of 102 events. Keep following the various Sports International magazine platforms for more interviews and features as we get closer
to the bog event.