ASPIRING skeleton Olympian, Philippa Wellington who lives in Frome, is on a journey to reach the 2022 Winter Olympics, but she is looking for sponsorship to help her achieve her dream.
Philippa, who trains with Olympic dream team Lizzy Yarnold and Laura Deas in Bath; who won a gold and bronze medal respectively at the last Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, vows to be the one to bring back an Olympic medal to Frome as her four-year quest to reach Beijing in 2022 begins.
Philippa started skeleton in 2014 after applying for a UK sport talent search called Power 2 Podium that gave sports stars the chance to try their hand at skeleton. With the grit and determination already there from competing as a 400m hurdler and heptathlete, she was selected ahead of over 1,000 applicants to become part of the Great British Skeleton Talent Squad.
Philippa told Frome Times, “I competed in skeleton for the first time last winter in Norway but this winter will be my first season competing full time on the Europa Cup circuit.
“I’m really excited to be able to compete against people from around the world and really push myself to become the best slider I possibly can be.
“Throwing yourself head first down icy shoots on what is basically a tea tray, well its pretty crazy! Its the most exhilarating, scary, incredible thing I have ever done. It can hurt, I mean hitting ice walls at 120kph-plus with nothing but an old cut up camp mat as padding doesn’t tickle!
“However when you’re sliding at that speed with not enough time to think, its freeing. It feels like you’re flying. Flying with the odd bit of 5 G force chucked in for fun.
“My most memorable moment would have to be finishing my first ever race and seeing my mum at the finish line after she’d flown out to Norway to watch me, it meant so much. She and my dad have always been my biggest supporters so I was so pleased she could be there for the first time I represented Great Britain.”
Philippa moved from her hometown in Cornwall to Frome a few years ago, moving closer to her training camps at Bath University.
“Living in Frome there is such a great sense of community and I love living here.” continued Philippa.
“I’m loving the countryside feel of the long walks in the fields, that reminds me of Cornwall.
“I want to represent Frome as I compete around the world. But to do that I really need some local support. Though I get funded it is very minimal, so I would be looking for some financial backing in the form of sponsorship.”
If you are a business or individual who would like to support Philippa on her road to golden glory, then you can get in contact with her via philippa. wellington@yahoo.com.
To follow her journey , visit her Facebook page on – Philippa Wellington Skeleton Athlete and her Instagram is philippawellington – she also has a monthly blog where there are links on either Facebook or instagram.
