23 March 2004

Winter Park, Colorado. 19th March 2004 In 1997 I had a skiing accident that resulted in the loss my left leg below the knee. I started skiing again about 2 years later on a university trip. I ski on a special prosthetic leg made specifically for skiing. This has enabled me to carry on with the sport I love. I started ski racing during my time at university, resulting in a love of competitive skiing. Whilst at university I started to do some race training with the British Adaptive Ski Team and it was then that I decided that I really wanted to give ski racing my best shot.

After university I undertook a ski season in Meribel, France so that I would be able to work on my skiing. I was then ready go to Winter Park, Colorado, USA. Here they have a world-renowned organisation - the ‘National Sports Centre for the Disabled’- (www.nscd.org) whose ideals are to encourage disabled people to partake in sport. During the skiing season they have a superb programme training disabled ski racers so enabling them to fully fulfil their potential.

I have been here since early November, and I absolutely love racing. We train hard five days a week and compete in a large number of races throughout the season, including the highly acclaimed Columbia Crest Disabled Championships, the US Nationals and the Eastern Regional Championships. I have just returned from New Hampshire where the Eastern Regional Championships took place. It was here that I won my first medal – Bronze in the women’s Giant Slalom - which rounds off a season during which my performances and results have steadily improved.

I can’t wait to come back next season and build both on this last result and the optimism of my coaches. But it is with the help of Iain from Natives and you guys that this has been possible, so I would like to take this chance to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you for your fund raising and support. If you want to hear how I am getting on check out my website www.liz-miller.co.uk that will be up and running very soon.

Thank you once again everyone.

Liz Miller
:0)

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