Boost for Tideswell skier’s Olympic bid

Derbyshire winter Olympian Ellie Koyander has been given a boost to help her in her quest to qualify for a second Olympic Games, thanks to a £500 donation from sports club Brampton Manor.

The 21-year-old moguls skier, from Tideswell, competed at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, and is now working towards qualification for the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

Ellie trains at Brampton Manor, when she’s not competing or training abroad, and the money will go towards helping her meet costs such as travel and equipment.

A grateful Ellie said the money is a fantastic help.

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“Competing in a winter sport like moguls skiing means that much of my training and competitions are abroad, making it very expensive,” she said.

“I do a lot of my own fundraising to allow me to travel, and so this support is a fantastic help to me and my family. It is also great to have local backing and know that local people and organisations are behind me.”

Moguls is a form of freestyle skiing involving fast technical skiing and aerial jumps that are scored on timing and difficulty.

This summer she shaved two seconds off her time, and during the 2013 season she will compete in World Cup competitions as well as the Olympic test event and the World Championships, with the goal of qualifying for the 2014 Winter Games and earning a place on the podium.

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Brampton Manor is an active member of sport and business initiative ICON, which is managed by Derbyshire Sport and helps to support up-and-coming athletes around the county.

Brampton Manor Group MD Craig Lynch requested that part of his company’s donation to ICON be passed directly to Ellie.

Craig said: “We are really pleased to be able to help Ellie in this way. She is a very focussed and determined athlete who trains hard.”

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