How did a 24-year-old from Wiltshire become a whizz on the bobsleigh track?
Originally, I wanted to be a 400m hurdler. I went to Bath University to study for an HND in sports performance, and a friend who was on the British bob skeleton team — one of the four different bobsleigh events, which uses a very light sled — took me to the training facility. That was in 2001. I had a go, clocked a decent time and it went from there.
Has it been a steep climb to the top?
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For my first season I had to pay for everything myself, so money was a problem. The bob skeleton is an expensive sport: a sled can cost up to £3,000, and you also need to cover travel and equpiment costs and insurance.
How did you come up with the quids?
Some friends in my village, Pewsey in Wiltshire, set upthe Shelley Rudman Supporters’ Group. They raised £4,000 for me by doing a canoe marathon along the Kennet and Avon Canal from Pewsey to Bath.
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Is this Wiltshire’s answer to the film Cool Runnings?
A bit. Obviously, it made me really want to do well because everyone in the village has helped me loads. The best way that you can reward people who have had faith in you is with good results, so the fact that I’m going to the Winter Olympics is just brilliant. I feel that they are all part of it, too.
Where do you practise?
I train at a facility in Bath. It is a track that’s only 100 metres (109 yards) long. In proper bob skeleton you have to negotiate 16 bends on a mile-long track of hard, sheet ice. It is very different.
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What’s the appeal of hurtling head-first down an ice run?
The first time I did it on real snow was on holiday in Lillehammer, Norway, in 2002. I was scared stiff. Imagine being on a rollercoaster, except with your chin just above the frame. I hated the fact thatI couldn’t slow down and I hurt myself banging my elbows on the ice. The second time was a bit better and by the end of the week I was really enjoying myself.
How fast can you go?
Up to 80mph. You can navigate a mile-long track in as little as 55 seconds.
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What goes through your mind?
I don’t think of anything except the bends ahead. We control the sled with our body movements, so the slightest shift can mean the difference between success and failure.
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Ever bumped your nose?
Two years ago I was going down a track in Salt Lake City and went into a bend too early. The G-force whipped my head down on to the ice, my helmet tilted, I broke my nose and knocked myself out. I came to at the end of the course and it was dark inside my helmet from the blood seeping into my vision.
Sounds horrific. Any other nasty spills?
Again, I went into a bend the wrong way and the pressure forced my head down smashing my teeth together and chipping a tooth. These are freak accidents, though. The most frequent injury is ice burns, which rough up your skin.
So, not a sport for the vain?
Not at all. You can’t be too particular about your appearance. All that cold weather can make you look quite unappealing at times.
Do you have to take extra care of your skin?
I’m being sponsored by King of Shaves Woman, who give me lots of fantastic lotions. You need a good moisturiser because your skin dries out so much; a good sun cream is important, too.
How else do you prepare physically?
Before a season I’ll spend a month doing circuit training to get myself conditioned. I’ll do lots of weights and squats, and work on any weaknesses, for example, if my hamstrings aren’t firing properly. I also do a lot of work on my core stability with Swiss balls.
And mentally?
If you have a strong mental attitude, it puts you leaps ahead. I work with a sports psychologist and do a lot of visualisation exercises before a run. You need to be really explosive out of the blocks, but also calm enough to steer smoothly.
Do you feast on cheese fondue après-sleigh?
I try to eat the right sort of foods but only because this sport really drains you. I also have a heavy sled because I am so light and I want to be as close to the maximum weight as possible. But I still have to be careful because I have been disqualified twice for being overweight. You have to keep as stable as possible throughout the season.
Is speed a theme for you?
I’d say so. I’m always buzzing from one place to another. Everything is so hectic that sometimes I think oh my God, I’m going to burn out soon!
How do you chill out?
My boyfriend Kristan Bromley is the British bob skeleton No 1, so a lot of my life revolves around the sport. But I take a month off in the summer to relax. It is essential. I know a lot of people who push themselves until they shatter, but sometimes you have to just sit back and enjoy things.
INTERVIEW: AMBER COWAN
Shelley Rudman is representing Britain at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Follow her progress at www.shave.com/shelley