Fuller believes she’s a top-ten contender on road to Sochi

Aimee Fuller is a girl that likes to accessorise. She recently became the proud owner of a Blue Peter badge and now wants a shot at something even more valuable in Sochi.

But the snowboard slopestyle specialist still needs to bank two top-12 finishes in three forthcoming World Cup appearances, with two events scheduled in Copper Mountain, Colorado before Christmas, to secure the Olympic qualifying standard.

And in a sport where the margins between looking a champ and feeling a chump are fractional, she hopes that fortune will favour the brave, otherwise she'll be watching her sport's big moment on the small screen.

Slopestyle promises to one of the stories of the Games when it makes its Olympic debut in Sochi, with the aim of the sport to choreograph a thrills but no spills run that makes best use of all the features and jumps that punctuate the course.

Individuality is key, breaking the rules of convention is encouraged and Fuller is known as someone with little respect for the boundaries, becoming the first woman snowboarder to land a double backflip at last year's X Games in Tignes.

"I've got three chances to get my two top-12s. I've had a lot of bad luck and a few injuries have knocked my confidence. But I've had a solid few months to prepare myself and get as strong as I can," said Fuller, who finished a disappointing 25th in the World Cup opener in New Zealand earlier this year.

"I know what I've got to do and I just need to get my head down. I know what I've got to do and I've a good window of opportunity to perfect some things. I've recognised the few areas where I'm a bit weak.

"I know it's achievable because I consider myself a top-ten contender. I'm pretty gutted with how the qualifying events have gone but it's not out of sight yet and I'm excited to have the opportunities.

"I'm very motivated to get there and get it done. The Olympics is a huge opportunity and I want to peak there but it's also just one event in our season. I'm in snowboarding because I love it but the opportunity to go to Olympics is massive, so why not make the most of it?"

Unsurprisingly Fuller admits to being an adrenaline junkie, enjoying motocross from the age of just six before strapping on the skis at her local dry ski slope in Kent aged 12.

However, she might not risk her trademark back flip with so much at stake in weeks to come.

"You've got to manage your tricks, it's about assessed risk," she added.

"I learned the double back flip last year and I've wanted to put it down in a competition run, which I managed at the European X Games, which is the biggest event outside the Olympics for us.

"It's a pretty high-risk trick, lots can go wrong with it if you under or over rotate. However, it's not just about having one trick in your arsenal; everything else has got to be perfect as well.

"Our sport is now in the Olympics and you can feel the spotlight and it's really surreal. We want to show the world what we've got and put our sport on the map and I want to be there."

© Sportsbeat 2013