This entry was posted on Sunday, January 26th, 2014at 12:24 pm by zoe.leahy@activenation.org.uk

Rising Star Jade To Represent Britain In Sochi Paralympics

Active Nation is proud to announce that one of our Rising Stars has been selected to compete in the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics.

Following on from her recent Silver medal win at the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) Alpine Skiing World Cup, Jade Etherington has now been named as part of the Great Britain Paralympics team going to compete in Russia in March.

Jade competes in the slalom despite only having five percent of her vision. She was born with Axenfield’s syndrome, a genetic condition that causes fluid blockages in the eye and can lead to total blindness.

She skis with guide Caroline Powell, who skis in front of her and gives directions and instructions via radio. The pair are hoping to continue their successful season with many predicting a podium finish.

Jade said: “Our hopes for Sochi are to perform at our best and hopefully that will result in a podium for GB.

“Medals only come with the right preparations, conditions, strength and performance but, with all that, anything is possible.”

Earlier this month, the pair won silver in the women’s visually impaired slalom race at the PIC Alpine Skiing World Cup in Copper Mountain, Colorado in the USA. It really couldn’t have been any closer as the pair were pipped to the gold medal by just one-hundredth of a second by Russia’s Alexandra Frantseva and guide Pavel Zabotin.

Jade added: “Caroline and I have been working hard both on and off the hill working on strength, technique, distance and commands for each discipline.

“Our performance has improved and we hope to further this in the near future ready to peak at Sochi.”

As well as competing across the globe, Jade is also doing teacher training at Lincoln Castle Academy. Whenever she’s in the city Jade continues her training and fitness schedule at Active Nation’s Yarborough Leisure Centre.

Contract manager Stuart Blackbourn said: “Well done Jade. We are so proud to hear that she has been selected for Sochi and we will be following her progress and supporting her all the way.”

Jade is already used to the Russian slopes having won bronze at the IPC World Cup finals in Sochi in March 2013.

Jade and Caroline kicked-off the IPC Alpine Skiing season with a bronze in the Women’s VI Category World Cup Slalom race at Coronet Peak, New Zealand, in August – going one better a day later, winning a silver.

In November the pair won two silvers in the women’s super-G in Panorama, Canada.

Moving on to Copper in the USA, they won a pair of bronze medals in the IPC AS Noram Cup. Then, in the season’s first Europa Cup meeting, they won the giant slalom and super-G in Pitztal, Germany.

They then beat GB teammate Kelly Gallagher, and guide Charlotte Evans, to gold in the women’s slalom in Kuhtai, Austria, on December 19. The next day Gallagher, one of the favourites for gold for the Sochi Games having come fourth in Vancouver in 2010, reversed the finishing order leaving Etherington with silver.

Jade and Caroline then went on to secure their Silver medal in Copper Mountain.