I started skating when i was 8 years old at my friends birthday party at Gosport ice rink. I loved it and took to it. My parents were pleased since I was always one of those hyperactive children, although not much has changed there.

I love figure skating and ice dance so I decided to take tests and do competitions in both. It was hard work but I loved it. I have had ice skating coaches in Basingstoke, Sheffield, Guildford and Slough through out the years. All of my coaches have been previous British ice skating champions. I am lucky to have parants who have taken me all that way.

Everything was going great, I had been landing all my double jumps and wanting to try triples. My dream was to show skate. I applied for an audition for Disney™ on ice when i was 16. They come to the UK once a year. I was going to audition in August that year. I turned 17 in June and 5 days after my birthday I had a riding accident with my horse. It wasn't his fault, his hoof fell down a rabbit hole. As i fell off, I broke my back in 4 places. I was in hospital for 3 weeks. The first week I was in there my kidneys went into shock and stopped working for a week. I had to learn to walk again and then I had a back brace for 3 months.

So that was my audition out the window. While i was spending time in my brace I decided to finish my level 1 coaching exams. I passed all of them with distinction. Subsequently I completed my level 2 coaching exams and qualified and an ice skating coach. I started skating on my own again and improved my ice dance. I won the top 2 sections in the Oxford Ice Dance competition in 2006 & 2007. I came 3rd in the Adult British Ice Dance Championships in 2006 and 2nd in 2007.

Also in January 2007 I got some local & national press publicity. You can take a look at the article at the Portsmouth Today website.

I am now building up my ice skating teaching business at Gosport ice rink and I am still skating professionally too. I am hoping to compete in my 1st International Ice Dance competition at the end of 2008.

Jodie x