Vancouver’s icy slopes are a long way from the Isle of Man but a world-class snowboarder won’t forget home when she competes at the Winter Olympics

Zoe Gillings is full of anticipation as she waits for the start gate to open. Suddenly, it slams down, and she uses all her upper body strength to propel herself and her snowboard forward. It’s a situation she’s faced on snowcovered slopes all over the world but, today, Zoe’s not at the top of a mountain or even a dry ski slope – she’s in a sports hall on the outskirts of Bath.

The 24-year-old glides to the end of a white carpet, signalling the end of a day’s training that has also involved pumping weights and pedalling an exercise bike. Unclipping the boots that are attached to her £300 snowboard, she takes a wellearned swig of water. Zoe’s looking forward to showing her snowboarding talents to the world at the 2010 Winter Olympics, which take place in Vancouver in February. If all goes to plan, she’ll be on the list when the Great Britain team is announced this month. And when the gate slams down for real, Zoe will be aiming for Gold.

So how did Zoe first discover she was any good at this young, growing sport? ‘We used to go skiing as a family every year. I got a bit bored of it but, when I was 10, my brother showed me how to snowboard,’ VOICES 47 she explains, adding that she won her first women’s competition at the tender age of 13. Since then, she’s become the best female snowboarder in the land and enjoyed several international podium finishes.

‘I just loved the speeds I could achieve on snow and preferred that to sailing,’ she recalls. ‘I was never good enough at saiIing to reach much speed before I capsized the dinghy! I guess it helps that I don’t scare easily – I’m not frightened of heights and the injuries I’ve had haven’t put me off.’ One such injury affected Zoe’s preparation for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, when she shattered her foot. ‘I was doing jumps for a photoshoot and landed awkwardly,’ she remembers.

‘The surgeon told me I’d never snowboard again, but I didn’t believe him and managed to come back.’ She made it to Turin after all, but finished a disappointing 15th – something she puts down to a combination of bad luck and her injury. ‘But I’m glad I went,’ she says, ‘because now I know what to expect. I won’t be as nervous about the pressure and media attention this time.’

Determined to prepare as best she can for Vancouver, Zoe’s been hard at work at the University of Bath’s sports training centre as well as on the slopes of the Alps. Her particular discipline, snowboard cross, involves racing three other competitors across a short course of tough terrain. A quick start and high level of fitness are essential if she’s to succeed.

‘I’ve been practising my starts on the machine, building up my general fitness and improving my leg strength,’ says Zoe. ‘You turn and generate speed by bending your legs at the right time, which is very tiring. And your legs need to take the impact of landings.’

When not competing and training around the globe, Zoe still finds time to return to the place she calls home: the Isle of Man. While some people grow up without understanding the RNLI’s work, Zoe says that lifeboating is part of Manx life. ‘I just remember the RNLI always being there. I learned to sail at Port St Mary – there’s a lifeboat there, and one of the volunteers is a family friend. You’re surrounded by water on the Isle of Man, so you have to be aware of the sea and you respect the lifeboat crews.’

That respect increased when Zoe had a taste of what it’s like to be rescued when promoting the RNLI’s SOS Day last year. ‘My agent and mum came with me for a training session on the Port St Mary lifeboat and they were both seasick. It was pretty choppy,’ says Zoe. ‘The crew put me on a rock, disappeared and then came back and “rescued” me. It gave me an idea of how frightening it must be to be stranded at sea – and what a relief it is to see a lifeboat come to the rescue.’

Zoe also witnessed the RNLI’s skills during a surfing trip to north Devon. ‘One of my friends got swept out by a rip current off Croyde Beach, and he was too exhausted to paddle against it. A lifeguard went out and pulled him in, so my friend was really grateful. We all were.’ And presumably Zoe’s a dab hand at surfing, given her board skills? ‘I thought I’d find surfing easy because it’s a similar stance. But then, when I tried to turn, I realised my feet weren’t attached to the board – unlike snowboarding – and I fell off,’ she laughs.

While she can chuckle about her mishaps on surf and snow, Zoe is serious about safety. ‘My advice to anyone taking up snowboarding would be to get a helmet, because concussions are not fun. I’ve had four. It doesn’t put me off – I still love snowboarding. But always with a helmet!’

And if Zoe performs on snowsport’s biggest stage in Vancouver, anyone following her progress may spot a very distinctive logo and a reminder of home on her headwear: the RNLI flag. (See page 34 for more Isle of Man connections with the RNLI.)