Friday, September 3, 2010

Heather Mills now training in Austria, readying for her bid to make British Winter Paralympics team in 2014

From PlanetSki.eu:


The ex-wife of Sir Paul McCartney, Heather Mills, is hoping to take part in the Paralympics in Sochi in 2014 and is now training in Austria. She has been out on the Mölltaler glacier.

The news is reported in the Austrian press.

She is apparently training with her coach, according to a report in the Kleine Zeitug newspaper.

We have already reported on PlanetSKI how the 42-year old wants to represent her country at the Winter Paralympic Games.

Before she lost her leg in a road accident she was a keen skier and has since taken part in charity events in the UK as we have also reported on PlanetSKI.

"I'm training on the Mölltaler Glacier," she has said from Austria. "I came here to go skiing many years ago, before I was wearing a prosthesis. When I felt like skiing recently, Carinthia came into my mind immediately."

"I've been skiing for many years and I'm much better at that than ice skating, so I'm training hard to try to get on the British Paralympic downhill team," she said earier this year.

"Having loved sport my whole life, competing in a Paralympics would be a dream come true."

"She's incredibly ambitious. It's outstanding what she achieves wearing a prosthesis," her coach, Alexander Koll is reported as saying.

While in Austria she has also reportedly won an army shooting contest, according to a report in the Austrian Times.

Apparently locals have named her "Hedwig" because they find it difficult to pronounce "Heather".