Dame Kelly Holmes heads for the slopes – via Hemel Hempstead

Double Olympic gold medal winner Dame Kelly Holmes, who has a home near Sevenoaks, swapped her running shoes for a pair of skis recently to enjoy her first proper experience on real snow at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead.

The indoor Centre has 8,000sqm of real snow slopes with the UK's largest lesson slope and 160m main slope.  

Since retiring as a professional athlete the first British Olympian to win double gold has relished the freedom to have a go at a range of sports that might previously have interfered with her career on the track.

With plans to go skiing early next year  she was keen to ensure  a level of 'snow confidence'  before hitting the slopes and booked  lessons at The Snow Centre to help her feel more relaxed on skis.  

Kelly proved a natural and progressed rapidly from the centre's nursery slopes to taking the button lift to the top of the main 160m slope.  

Kelly said: "I have had a fantastic time learning a new sport and having never been to an indoor snow centre before I found it a great experience and it's definitely worth well doing. I would highly recommend it.'

http://www.thesnowcentre.com