Macclesfield skier Menna Fitzpatrick claims it was a team effort after winning gold at the IPC Alpine Skiing British National Championship on Saturday.
The first-ever IPCAS British Championships is taking place as part of Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships in the world-class ski resort of Tignes, France.
Fitzpatrick (above left) and guide Jennifer Kehoe were in top form on Saturday as they triumphed in the Women’s Slalom Visually Impaired race – beating Millie Knight and guide Brett Wild.
And the 17-year-old admits that she never could have become the inaugural British champion without the strong partnership that exists between her and Kehoe.
“It feels good to be the first-ever British champion but it’s not just me because it’s my guide Jen who gets down the slope as well,” said Fitzpatrick.
“It’s a real partnership between us and we’ve been developing it since September, so not that long really. We’ve had a really good season and we’re just waiting for the next one now.
“Unfortunately we didn’t finish the course last time we did a slalom race, so it was really good to get one under our belt and put down a decent time.”
The Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships run until April 1 and are the biggest event of the year for the British ski racing world – with Delancey as the principal sponsor for the sixth year running.
It has been an incredible first season together for Fitzpatrick and 32-year-old Kehoe as they triumphed on their World Cup debut in January before winning the overall World Cup Visually Impaired title.
The 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea are already on the radar for the duo.
REAL PARTNERSHIP: Fitzpatrick (101) and guide Kehoe won the overall World Cup Visually Impaired title in their debut season together
And Fitzpatrick acknowledges that the season they have had sets them up perfectly for the future.
“It has been an amazing first season for us really. It was brilliant to come away with the overall title for visually-impaired,” added Fitzptrick.
“We’re working to PyeongChang next. We’ve got the World Championship in Tarvisio next year and then the test event in South Korea and then it’s all about the Paralympics.
“It will be good fun and we’ve set the benchmark of where we want to be skiing.”
To follow the progress of the Delancey British Alpine Ski Team visit www.teambss.org.uk or follow @teambss on Twitter. As Principal Sponsor of British Ski and Snowboard, Delancey is proud to be able to provide British athletes with the support they require to win World Cup and Winter Olympic medals. For more information visit www.delancey.com
