A 26 year old athlete from the Isle of Wight, who in 2007 won Gold for the Island in the long jump at the NatWest Island Games in Rhodes, is setting her sights on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Kimberley Murray has launched a crowdfunding appeal to help make her dream come true.
British Skeleton talent programme
Before you ask, no, long jump isn’t now included in the Winter Olympics, Kimberley had to retire from long jump due to injury, but it hasn’t stopped her passion or drive for sport and earlier this year she won a place on the British Skeleton talent programme.
She explains,
“I was a successful applicant from over 1,000 on the power2podium talent search for the next British skeleton champion. It was like X Factor, an emotional rollercoaster with multiple phases and deselections along the way until finally early 2015 I was confirmed on the British Skeleton talent programme.”
Full-time work on hold
Training for this high-performance sport has meant having to give up her full-time job working for SportScotland Institute of Sport as an exercise physiologist.
Kim explains it was her dream job and “the result of five years of university at Bath and Loughborough and voluntary work experience”.
The crowdfunding appeal aims to raise funds to cover the cost of UK travel (which from Scotland, where Kim is based, can be significant), rent, bills, food, training facility costs and equipment for training.
A big dream
Kim says,
“I am from a small Island but I have never been afraid to dream big and would love to bring a gold medal back home. I am eager to see where this journey takes me over the next seven years.”
If you would like to help support this inspirational home-grown athlete, head over to the PledgeSports Website to make your pledge.
https://youtu.be/VX53087Zays
Image: © Imac Images Photography
