Great hat-trick of medals for fearless Menna in Paralympics
TRAFFORD-TRAINED SKIER SHINES IN PYEONCHANG
A ‘FEARLESS’ teen skier who trained at Chill Factore in Trafford has won a hat-trick of medals at her first Winter Paralympics.
Menna Fitzpatrick claimed her third medal this week by winning silver in the women’s visuallyimpaired giant slalom.
She previously bagged the super combined silver and super-G bronze with ski guide Jen Kehoe in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
She said: “It felt absolutely amazing, you can really feel the acceleration from your skis and your body’s driving you forward, Jen was just going for it and the feeling was so good. It just doesn’t sink in. When we get to celebrate we’ll have a chance to realise what we’ve done, our families have done all the celebrating so far.”
Bosses at the Chill Factore have said how proud they are of the 19-year-old, who joined their Sponsored Athletes Programme in 2010. The Macclesfield teen was spotted by a race coach when she began practising on the slopes.
Since then Menna has won a string of medals with team-mate Jen. In 2016 they became the first British skiers to win the overall World Cup visually impaired title in Aspen, USA.
Chill Factore CEO Morwenna Angove said: “We are all blown away by her achievement. We are very proud and pleased for her. She has trained so hard with such grit and determination.
“She has been with her skiing partner for years. The trust between them is amazing. She’s a lovely young lady. She’s been training relentlessly since 2016.
“For someone who comes across as meek mannered, she’s so brave. She loves sport, she is fearless. She has huge courage – she just flies down the slopes.”
Menna, who has no vision in her left eye and just three per cent sight in her right, first skied when she was five years old on a holiday in France.
She loved the sport and kept practising through ski holidays. Her dad would encourage her by leading her downhill on the slopes.
But her ambitions to become a competitive athlete came to light when she met prolific Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave when she was 13.
Morwenna said: “She held one of his gold medals in his hands. That moment she knew she wanted a medal.”
You can see what it’s like to ski through Menna’s eyes by visiting her Instagram page seelikemenna.