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Heather Mills (the Heather Mills) wins silver for Britain in New Zealand

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
beanie1, I agree. As an example, I understand she has offered use of her villa near the Molltal glacier in Austria to other athletes.

I met her years before the McCartney era and thought she was very pleasant and definitely not the uber bitch I saw written about by the press. I do wonder whether Sochi will be worth all the effort and expense though. Don't think it'll feel special somehow.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Bode Swiller, I have heard exactly the same as you from people who have met her and skied with her.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Good to see Heather is actually going for Gold after all these years being accused of digging for it. Toofy Grin

Best of luck to her I'm sure she's a very nice woman but I wouldn't like to comment without actually having met Heather.

PS Heather (I'm sure you're reading this thread) the Molltal glacier is less than 4 hours drive from here and on behalf of all the snowheads I would be willing to conduct a trip report based on a free stay at your posh ski gaff in Kärnten. Late October would work for me. wink
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
Philbo wrote:
Quote:

Mistress Panda, her time isn't 10 seconds off the pace when you look at the spread. I'd guess too that the differences between LW2, LW4 & LW6/8-2 all have a bearing too, but not so significantly since they race in the same sport class.

It is 10 seconds off the pace - 10 seconds off the leader in her race (or class). That's a lifetime in ski racing, regardless of class.

No, she isn't. Here's a little more analysis, the numbers in brackets are the placings.

Day 1
SCHWARTZ Melanie
1st Run 0:59.53 (2) : 2nd Run 1:00.26 (1) : Combined time 1'59.79 (1)
MILLS Heather
1st Run 1:05.48 (3) : 2nd Run 1:03.61 (2) : Combined time 2'09.09 (2)
PUEYO MARIMON Ursula
D N F run 1 - OUT
STARKER Alexandra
D N F run 2 - OUT (presumably won 1st Run and is well placed for gold in this line up)

Day 2
STARKER Alexandra
1st Run 0:57.32 (1) : 2nd Run 0:59.54 (1) : Combined time 1'56.86 (1)
PUEYO MARIMON Ursula
1st Run 1:01.96 (2) : 2nd Run 1:03.11 (2) : Combined time 2'05.07 (2)
SCHWARTZ Melanie
1st Run 1:03.81 (3) : 2nd Run 1:23.38 (3) : Combined time 2'27.19 (3)
MILLS Heather
D N F run 1 - OUT

All I can do is post the numbers. Perhaps someone with a degree/technical interest in maths could explain why she isn't 10 seconds off the pace. Something about standard deviation, I think?

What I see is someone not far off the pace for the class and the only skier to improve times between runs. Again, good on her.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I have an O-level in The Bleedin' Obvious (B) - 2'09.09 is a shade over 9 seconds worse than 1'59.79.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Or, to put it another way, Heather is losing about a tenth of a second per gate compared to the winner. And that's huge.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
flowa, I think the reason it isn't 10 seconds is because she was 6 seconds off the pace in the first race, and 3 seconds off the second one, on day one. On day two she did not finish so didn't record a time, the combined times from the two races in day one came to nearly 10 seconds. So she lost by nearly 10 seconds, but it was over more than one race.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Mistress Panda, agreed - she came second by nearly 10 seconds but that doesn't mean she's as much off the pace.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
She has only got one leg.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
What are you all like doing a slalom course on one leg?

What does she have to do to get approved? TDF? Climb Everest?
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
She hasn't been doing it long so surely it is a magnificent achievement.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
So, are we officially putting her in the 'Hopeless Wannabe also-ran' catagory or the 'Plucky Brit' Catagory?
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:
Heather Mills trains for Sochi
Brilliant British ski-racer Heather Mills is moving closer to winning a medal in the 2014 Winter Paralympic games in Sochi, Russia - with the help of a new carbon fibre prosthetic leg which will improve her control and focus.

Nicknamed "H-bomb" by her coaches, Heather is utterly fearless, and totally committed to her sport.

During training in Austria, she spoke, exclusively, to GSG's Sally Ann Voak about her hopes for a medal, her arduous, and often painful, training schedule, and the "bionic" leg which she hopes will help her achieve her dream.

"I'm 45 and will only have one shot at this next year, so I must focus," she says, "I train with John Clarke of Eurosport skiing. I have learned more with them in 4 months than in 20 years. Now I have my new leg, I'm improving all the time."

Courageous Heather had her left leg amputated below the knee following a road accident in 1993. Having learned to ski on holiday at the age of 21, she returned to the sport a few years ago, still a virtual novice. Despite her disability, she found she loved it and improved rapidly. After being spotted tearing down a slope at 62 mph on slalom skis she was encouraged to try for ski race training. A trial with the British disabled ski team followed in December 2010, and Heather joined the development squad last year.

She has endured numerous injuries since learning to race, including a broken ankle, fractured pelvis and ribs.

"Most occurred because of problems with my old ski leg and some because I learned to race in such a short time, taking huge risks while just a beginner," she says.

As a leg amputee, Heather could be eligible to compete in the Games on a monoski - but medical experts advised against it:

"It's easier to ski with one leg and two "outriggers" (poles fitted with mini skis)," she says. "There's no stump pain while skiing, no prosthetic to contend with and you can achieve a nice straight line in the slalom."

"It was not an option for me as I have 2 metal plates in my pelvis and intense 5 hr daily training sessions put too much pressure on it. I smashed it in the motorcycle accident. It was plated, then one plate broke on the birth of my daughter, Beatrice in 2003. I trained my core muscles like crazy to strengthen it but it is still vulnerable."

Heather visited many clinics in the hope of finding a leg that fitted correctly - while continuing to train and compete:

"I was constantly crashing because I have a very short stump and suffered skin and tissue damage causing severe pain and constant blistering. I wasted pretty much my first 2 seasons of training, recovering from accidents.

"The nearest thing to describe the feeling to a two-legged skier is this: try skiing with both boots completely open, 4 sizes too big, speeding through the gates at 60 mph plus. The lack of response on a fast turn, plus the pain, makes it almost impossible to achieve the proper balance day after day without crashing. You get used to tumbles."

Despite her pain and problems, last year this incredible woman managed to claim the Super G Austria Cup title in the speed race and four golds at the US Adaptive Alpine Skiing National Championships in Aspen, Colorado.

The new leg has been made at the London Prosthetic Centre in Kingston-upon-Thames by Abdo Haidar, Consultant Prosthetist and his team. After watching Heather in action at the Hemel Hempstead ski slopes, Abdo worked on a design which would provide maximum control close to the ground.

He says. "We designed and fitted the socket in such a way that considerably reduces movement and thereby enhances control and focus. Of course, the key factor is the incredible drive and courage that Heather possesses."

It took a year of hard work, and countless fittings to get it right, but Heather believes her new leg will increase her chances of success.

"Abdo's comfortable, tight fitting socket design has enabled me to progress as a racer with a feeling of safety, which obviously gives me more confidence on those turns," she says.

This amazing lady adds, almost casually: "I don't wear it off-piste because it is specifically made for skiing. I have to screw it in before I ski off, which cuts the blood circulation for about 2 minutes. Then, on the chairlift, I release the screw with a button to get the circulation back. If my stump wasn't so tiny with so much soft tissue and no fibula for balance, I would probably not need to screw it in so much."

With that kind of determination and sheer guts, our Heather deserves to do well next year. The team at GSG wish her all the very best. Go for it, girl !


http://www.goodskiguide.com/authors/news/2013/4/8/heather-mills-trains-for-sochi/
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
The category that she is in probably also includes women using one ski and outriggers so it won't make sense to compare times all that much.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I have a lot of admiration for her, I hope she DOES medal! Very Happy
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