Menna Fitzpatrick

Menna Fitzpatrick, MBE (born 5 May 1998) is a British alpine skier.[3][4] She is visually impaired having only 5% vision and skis with guide Jennifer Kehoe. They competed at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang in March 2018[3] where they took four medals, including a gold in the slalom, making Fitzpatrick Team GB's most decorated Winter Paralympian.[5]

Menna Fitzpatrick
Menna Fitzpatrick selfie
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1998-05-05) 5 May 1998[1]
Macclesfield, England
Height1.5 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight55 kg (121 lb)[2]
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
SportPara-alpine skiing
Disability classB2
PartnerJennifer Kehoe
Coached byAmanda Pirie
Medal record
Women's para alpine skiing
Representing  Great Britain
Paralympic Games
2018 PyeongchangSlalom
2018 PyeongchangSuper combined
2018 PyeongchangGiant slalom
2018 PyeongchangSuper-G
World Championships
2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraDownhill
2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraSuper-G
2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraSlalom
2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraCombined
2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraGiant slalom
2017 TarvisioGiant slalom

Early life and training

She was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, and studied Media Production at the Macclesfield College.[2] Fitzpatrick has congenital retinal folds, meaning that she has had no vision in her left eye and limited sight in her right eye since birth. Despite this, she learned to ski whilst on family holidays from the age of five with her father acting as her guide. She was discovered by a coach whilst skiing at the Chill Factore indoor slope in Manchester in 2010, and subsequently started training with the British Para Snowsport team. She made her international debut for Great Britain in 2012.[6]

Skiing career

In 2016 Fitzpatrick and Kehoe were the first British winners of the overall World Cup Visually Impaired title at the International Paralympic Committee's World Cup in Aspen.[4] It was Fitzpatrick's first season competing at World Cup level: she and Kehoe also won the discipline title for giant slalom that season, as well as placing second in the super-G classification and third in the downhill and slalom standings.[6] In 2016 she was awarded the Ski Club of Great Britain's annual Evie Pinching award "which celebrates the next generation of young, up-and-coming snow sports athletes".[7]

In October 2016 Fitzpatrick broke her hand during super-G training ahead of the 2016-17 season, keeping her off the snow for two months and requiring her to have surgery. Despite this, she and Kehoe were able to claim a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Tarvisio. The following season the pair took the discipline World Cup title for super-G.[6]

At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, Fitzpatrick and Kehoe took a bronze in the super-G and two silvers in the combined and the giant slalom before taking slalom gold on the final day of the Games.[8][5]

At the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships Fitzpatrick and Kehoe took five medals, securing bronze in the giant slalom and silver in the slalom[9] before winning gold in the downhill ahead of compatriots Kelly Gallagher and Gary Smith, becoming the first British skiers to win both Paralympic and World Para titles.[10] They then took a second gold in the super-G before rounding off their championships with a second silver in the combined.[11]

References
  1. "Menna Fitzpatrick". Paralympics GB. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  2. "FITZPATRICK Menna". Athlete Data. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  3. "Menna Fitzpatrick: Paralympic call-up 'means everything'". BBC Sport. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  4. "Menna Fitzpatrick Makes History". Snowsport Cymru Wales. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  5. Belam, Martin (18 March 2018). "Winter Paralympics: Menna Fitzpatrick wins Britain's first gold on final day". theguardian.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  6. "BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2018: Menna Fitzpatrick profile". bbc.co.uk. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  7. "Ski Club of Great Britain announces winner of the Evie Pinching emerging talent award". 31 May 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  8. Belam, Martin (14 March 2018). "Britain's Menna Fitzpatrick wins her third medal at Winter Paralympics". theguardian.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  9. "Para Alpine World Championships: Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe win slalom silver". bbc.co.uk. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  10. "Para Alpine World Championships: Menna Fitzpatrick & Jen Kehoe win women's downhill gold". bbc.co.uk. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  11. Hanna, Gareth (31 January 2019). "Kelly Gallagher wins three medals in two days at World Championships". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
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