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Year 10 pupil, Imogen recently achieved success at the Britannia Cup, the British Synchronised Ice-skating Championships hosted at Nottingham’s National Ice Centre. In the advanced Junior B category, Imogen and her team claimed Gold, securing her second consecutive British Championship title. This follows her previous victory in the Intermediate category last year, making her a British champion for the second time.
We recently caught up with year 10 pupil Imogen regarding her victory
Are there any role models or individuals who have inspired you in your ice skating career?
My role models would have to be my coach, Daniella Alessi-Sowter. Daniella has taken me from the first day I stepped onto the ice in rental skates and has been pushing me to work the hardest that I can ever since. She’s been coaching me for five years and will hopefully continue to do so for many more. Daniella is also one of the two coaches that coach Slough Synchro Skating Club, the other being her husband Ryan Sowter.
Being a British Champion for the second time is exceptional. How has your training and preparation contributed to your success in both years?
In the first year of winning gold, my team really didn’t expect it. We were competing in the Intermediate category and even had a fall. The judges however marked us higher with a difference of 0.17 points between us and the second place team. The win honestly came as a shock to all of us. This year, I competed in the Junior B category with my team Magic. We train every Thursday evening and Sunday morning.
After we placed second at the Skate London Opens 2024 in November, we have been pushing ourselves every training session but also going out and practising on our own. Our hard work really paid off and we won by almost ten points.
What advice would you give to fellow students aspiring to achieve success in their chosen sports or extracurricular activities?
My advice would be to really push yourself and go for it. You can’t expect to get better at something straight away and it’s going to be frustrating and difficult to understand why it won’t click.
It's okay to need to take your time and just remember that nobody is watching you or analysing what you're doing during training because they're practising their own stuff too. Everybody starts somewhere.
What motivates you to excel in ice skating, and how do you balance your passion for the sport with your academic commitments?
My motivation really comes from the euphoric feeling of winning or even smaller wins such as finally being able to do a new skill. I’m driven not only by me feeling it, but my teammates too. The atmosphere within the team is so loving and is really like a second family. The memories we create make all our hard work worth it in the end, even if maybe we don’t get the score we wanted. As for balancing this with academic work, it’s difficult. I train, with or without my team, nearly every day. My teachers are understanding though, and I know I will be allowed help or extensions if I ask for it.
What are your aspirations and goals for the future in your ice skating journey?
With regards to the future, our next competition will be the Steel City Trophy Sheffield in March and then possibly an international competition at the Belgium Ice Crystal Trophy in Ghent.
We hope to move up into the Junior category next season, but overall want to push ourselves even more. For myself, I want to push myself to complete my next Skills level with the help of my amazing coach.
Congratulations to Imogen on her exceptional achievements and becoming a British Champion for the second time. We look forward to witnessing her continued success and growth in the world of ice skating.