The inspirational Scots alpine skier Charlie Guest has made a stunning recovery from a potentially career-ending injury to qualify for a place at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
It is little more than two years since the 22-year-old broke her back after falling on a boulder while training in Sweden.
She was strapped to a board for eight hours as an ambulance took her 250 kilometres to hospital.
It emerged she had fractured four vertebrae and only escaped even more serious injury because of a back protector her coach insisted she wear that morning.
Representing her country in Pyeongchang, South Korea, would therefore be an incredible achievement, and further testament to the fighting spirit and determination of a young sportswoman who returned to the slopes a mere six weeks after that horror crash.
Within six months Charlie, who is originally from Perth, had returned to the world’s top 100.
She has since been crowned British Ladies National Slalom Champion and now, following solid World Cup results in Slovenia and Austria, comes the news that she has met the Olympic qualifying standard.
The official selection for the Olympic team won’t be made until this time next year and so Charlie remains focused on her next result, hoping to ensure selectors cannot overlook her.
“Qualifying for the 2018 games has been on my goal sheet for as long as I can remember, so it is really special to get that box ticked,” Charlie said.
“Now I can keep concentrating on improving my performances over the next month, heading into the World Championships in St.Moritz.
“I have such an amazing team around me and they are key to every step I take, so a massive thank you has to go out to them for their support over the last two years.”
After finishing just outside the top 30 at Flachau in Austria – one of the biggest races on the World Cup circuit – Charlie has a couple of days to recover before heading back onto the European Cup circuit.
Charlie added: “The next races will be in Melchsee Frutt in Switzerland and at Bad Wiessee in Germany and I am looking to be firmly inside the top ten there.
“They will be important to gain confidence and good form in the run up to the World Championships in February.”
