- UK Sport Investment 2010-14 (Sochi) - £405,400
- UK Sport Investment 2006-10 (Vancouver) - £205,000
- Number of Podium Funded Athletes - 4: Kelly Gallagher, Charlotte Evans (Guide), Jade Etherington, Caroline Powell (Guide)
- Sochi Performance Target - 2-5 Medals
The Sochi Journey
The British Disabled Ski Team (BDST) has been led by two strong ambassadors on the Road to Sochi, in visually impaired athletes Kelly Gallagher and Jade Etherington.
Following her fourth place finish in the Giant Slalom at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics, Gallagher began working with sighted guide Charlotte Evans, a pairing that has gone on to achieve great success. In 2011 Gallagher became the first Briton to win a medal at the IPC World Championships, winning silver in the Slalom and bronze in the Giant Slalom. They went on to win a further four medals at the 2013 IPC World Championships from the five events in which they competed.
Supported by Sport Northern Ireland and the BDST throughout her career, Gallagher’s improving performances were recognised by UK Sport when she was given a place on the National Lottery funded World Class Performance Programme in 2011, along with guide Evans.
Etherington joined the BDST development squad in 2009 and started skiing internationally in 2011. Competing with her guide Caroline Powell, Etherington won her first World Championship medal in January 2013, with bronze in the Super-G. Later that year, in June 2013, Etherington and Powell joined Gallagher and Evans on ‘Podium’ level UK Sport funding, offering them direct financial support and further access to coaching and sports science and medicine.
The consistent performances of Gallagher and Etherington on the international stage saw the sport receive a funding boost of over £130,000 following UK Sport’s annual investment review of winter sports in summer 2013, bringing total investment for the Sochi Cycle to over £405,000.
This additional funding enabled the BDST to employ a member of staff to oversee the logistics of the programme and ensure that Alpine coach Tony McAllister could dedicate his time to working directly the athletes.
Paralympic year started strongly for Gallagher and Etherington, with both athletes winning medals at the IPC World Cup in Canada in January 2014, and both will be medal prospects when they compete in all five skiing disciplines in Sochi.
The other members of the GB skiing team are: Millie Knight, Rachael Ferrier (Guide), Anna Turney, Mick Brennan, Ben Sneesby, James Whitley.