Shelley Rudman

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Swindon's Winter Olympic hero

Ice cool: Shelley now adds Olympic

silver to the European silver she

won earlier this year (pic. above)

Pride of Swindon Shelley Rudman become a national treasure on 16 February 2006, when she won Great Britain's first medal at the Turin Winter Olympics.

It was downhill all the way as the 24 year-old Devizes school teacher charged her way to a Silver Medal today in the Skeleton Bobsleigh event, putting in a sensational second slide to claim her place on the podium in Cesana.

Clocking in an overall time of 2 minutes, 1.49 seconds, the former student of Pewsey Vale and Swindon New College (their fourth Olympian to date) was just 1.23 seconds behind Swiss Champion Maya Pederson.

Managing to keep as cool in the head as it was on the track, Shelley clearly abided by Britain's Performance Director, Simon Timson's last-minute advice, "Slide the track, not the occasion."

Sensational slide: Shelley was lying fourth before

her superb second run lifted her into second place

"I can't believe I've got a medal," exclaimed Shelley to the waiting press, "this is crazy!"

"I'm always better on my second run and I felt really focused. It really is a dream come true!"

It may have been a white-knuckle ride for Shelley, roaring down the slopes at speeds of 90mph, but it was nothing compared with what her local supporters in Pewsey have been through.

The village residents have felt every frantic turn, standing by their girl from the day she took up the sport just four years ago on a have-a-go week in Lillehammer, Norway.

Showing great pride in their local athlete, the villagers not only formed a supporters' club to help Shelley qualify for the Games, but they even helped raise enough for her to purchase a £3,000 sled.

It may have all been over in just two minutes for Shelley, but locals at the Moonrakers Inn will doubtless be celebrating long through the night tonight, as they raise a glass or ten to their very own Olympic icon.

Not only did Shelley go into the Games an outsider (she said herself she'd be happy to finish in the top 8), but her tale is all the more phenomenal given how late she got into the sport.

In fact, as a junior Shelley reached an extremely high standard at 400m hurdles and had it not been for a fateful trip to Norway, we might now be talking about her medal hopes in the Commonwealth Games.

But Shelley's speed off the blocks, combined with her natural talent, dexterity and nerves of steel, have given her what it takes to take on the world.

Shelley's rise to stardom, culminating in today's sensational Silver Medal, is one of the most phenomenal of any athlete reaching the pinnacle of sporting excellence.

It's certainly the stuff that dreams are made of, and in a few years down the line she could be the subject of a 'Cool Runnings' style blockbuster.

But as sure as you'll never get anyone from SwindonWeb on a skeleton track, Shelley will never forget her roots.

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	RELATED LINKS

Shelley Rudman - official website