Amy Williams

Former British skeleton racer Amy Williams has an esteemed Olympic career to her name. Beginning her sporting career as a 400-metre runner, she has had quite the career change since then. She was unable to qualify for the national athletics team, however she didn’t let that stop her drive for all things sport. After trying skeleton at Bath University in 2002, Amy became hooked on the exhilarating sport, and she has never looked back since. Amy was considered as a contestant for the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games, however, after England was only allowed to enter one contestant she unfortunately wasn’t selected.

This didn’t stop Amy’s drive for the sport however, later qualifying for the next Winter Olympics in 2010. It was here at the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010 that she accomplished her greatest achievement. She won the gold medal in the women’s skeleton, even breaking the track record twice in the process.

Amy’s victory at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games is a notable event in British sporting history. She was the first to win gold in a single person event in 30 years for Britain at the Winter Olympics, and the first British female individual to win gold since 1952. Aside from her victory at the Winter Olympics, Amy has also gained a number of other accomplishments within the sport. In 2005 she competed at the Winter Universiade Innsbruck, claiming a silver medal. In 2009 she competed in her first major event, the 2009 World Championships claiming another silver medal. In 2011 she competed at the 2011 European Skeleton Championships, taking home a bronze medal.

The European Skeleton Championships 2011 would be the last time that Amy competed in the sport, announcing in 2012 that she was leaving the sport due to injury. Since then Amy has had many other doors and opportunities opened to her due to her sporting fame. In 2013 it was announced that she would be taking on a role in presenting, becoming a co-presenter of Ski Sunday. Since that role on Ski Sunday Amy has landed herself many TV roles. She became a commentator for BBC Sport, covering a number of skeleton and bobsleigh events. In 2014 Amy took over Rachel Riley's job as a presenter on the Channel 5 programme, The Gadget Show, leaving in 2017. In 2018 then Amy took on the role of a commentator for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games as part of the BBC team. In 2010 she was appointed an MBE in the Queens 2010 Birthday Honours.