Stafford teenager takes to the slopes for Scotland

Georgia Blaikie, 16, joins the elite adult Scottish alpine team for the 2024/25 season.

She will compete alongside experienced GB World Cup athlete Charlie Guest and fellow teenager Brooke Baxter.

Having pledged her allegiance to her father's native Scotland, Blaikie has eanred her place in the 12-strong national squad after a string of strong performances helped her secure a top eight slot in the senior rankings.

Now, Blaikie aspires to follow in the footsteps of four-time Olympian Chemmy Alcott, who is widely regarded as Britain's greatest ever skier.

She said: "I want to make it as far as I can and I am so happy to get a place in the Scottish team.

"Hopefully I'll move on from here and achieved even more.

"Chemmy is a heroine of mine. She's an inspiration and a role model.

"I love watching Ski Sunday and in the future I absolutely want to be competing in those events.

"Right now I am up against teammates who have the advantage of living abroad where they can ski everyday.

"But my race times are less than a second behind them so I am very close and I'll keep working hard on indoor slopes in the UK and in the gym I think I can equal them."

Midland Ski Club member Blaikie has skied since she was a toddler and has performed for the National Schools Snowsports Association for the past six years.

During winter, she clocked an under-18 podium finish at the Welsh Championships in Switzerland and collected silver and bronze medals in the French Alps.

After an auspicious youth career, the 16-year-old will be making the step up to the adult Federation International Ski (FIS).

Blaikie and her 11 Scotland teammates will be put through their paces with a fitness test in Edinburgh with the prospect of training camps in Norway, Belgium, Dubai and Italy.

"FIS is a huge step-up and I'll be competing against adult skiers from countries all over the world," she continued.

"Your start position is based on a complicated points system.

"So from being in the draw of top junior racers in this country where I've had a good start position, I'll be going to the back of the pack and racing on courses which have been rutted by at least a hundred skiers who've gone before me.

"It will be tough."