This Winter sport is not for the faint-hearted as it requires immense physical and mental strength. To deliver stunning performances on the skateboard-like courses featuring various obstacles such as ramps and rails, one needs to have a steel-like mindset and excellent spatial awareness. With a ramp that spans 60m in length, the sheer speed, 40-50mph, can be terrifying even to the best of athletes. Yet, she flies off an 18m ledge to execute mind-blowing stunts in mid-air.

In 2018, a severe injury threatened her career before the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. After seven surgeries, she defied all expectations and won the Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup in 2020. This triumph made her the first British woman to lift the Crystal Globe.

A peek into the Athlete’s Training Regimen

Today, she maintains her strength and avoids injury by reinforcing her gym sessions with daily strength and conditioning. Despite being only 5ft 2in, she can deadlift an impressive 80kg. The athlete adds yoga and consistent gymnastics training to her regimen. We discuss with her the exact workout regimen that keeps her physically and mentally ready for her awe-inspiring stunts.

Competition Prep

She notes that her current training focuses on preparing for a busy competition season filled with big events, including the World Championships in March. As part of this regime, she does a couple of hours of strength and conditioning training in the gym and yoga most days. When she hits the slopes for snowboarding, she trains from 9am to 4pm, perfecting tricks on freestyle jumps and rails.

Gaining Strength

She asserts that the goal of her gym training is twofold – enhancing her strength and preventing injury throughout the season. By keeping her body robust, she manages to recover from accidental falls without serious injury. This routine concentrates on strengthening her legs and core. Trap bar deadlifts, leg extensions, Romanian deadlifts, single-leg RDLs, and leg presses are among her favorite exercises.

Staying Alert

Maintaining good health through simple habits is crucial to her. This includes a regular sleep schedule, especially during the intense periods of snowboarding training. Staying hydrated throughout the day and consuming a well-balanced vegetarian diet full of vegetables and carbs for energy helps keep her alert and awake.

Overtraining Dangers

She warns of the risks associated with overtraining. Though she confesses to being a hard worker, she has learned to heed her physical signals. She often gets ill at the start of a season when transitioning from normal conditions to high altitude training. This typically lasts until she returns home.

The Secret to Her Wellness

Most days, she incorporates yoga into her routine, which she says relaxes her mind and body, especially during a demanding season. Whenever she falls ill, she increases her vitamin C intake and hydrates more to expedite recovery. She consults her physiotherapist for health-related issues and, when things get extremely tough, her mum comes to her rescue.

Safety on the Slopes

Whether going skiing or snowboarding, she reminds everyone that preparing one’s body before the trip is essential to prevent fatigue and injury. She strongly advises carrying extra warm layers to avoid getting cold and falling ill, and emphasizes the importance of wearing high-SPF sunscreen and quality eyewear to protect against the bright mountain sunlight.

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