With The Inside Track we learn who Lizzy Yarnold's sporting hero was growing up, her best mate in sport and what she gets up to off the track. Read on to find out more about the 2014 Olympic skeleton champion.
Denise Lewis was my sporting hero growing up. I used to compete as a heptathete before turning to skeleton and I remember watching her winning gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She was incredible - so strong and powerful. I just thought she was amazing!
My earliest Olympic memory is watching Denis at Sydney 2000. When I was young that’s all I wanted to be, an Olympian.
I first got involved in skeleton through The Girls4Gold talent search run by UK Sport in 2008. My older sister Katy had been selected for handball through Tall&Talented in 2006 but I wasn’t tall enough. I knew that I wanted to do that too, and use the opportunity to try and go to the Olympics so when Girls4Gold came along I had to go for it.
I have so many memories from previous Olympic Games. I got to watch Victoria Pendleton in the warm up rounds at London 2012 and being so close to an athlete I admired, seeing her warm-up routine and ability in competition, was fascinating.
My earliest memory of sport is from my primary school sports day when I was sprinting against all my class mates and I came second to my friend Dani. I still love all sports now; tennis, badminton, golf, netball. Anything really! I support England netball because lots of them train in Bath as well.
My best mate in sport would have to be German skeleton athlete Anja Selbach. She’s been sliding since she was 13 first in luge and now skeleton.
Outside of sport I really like reading. I do a lot of it when I’m away competing or training and I’m currently reading Ken Follett’s Winter of the World. When I’m home I like to bake bread and go on walks. I love seeing the countryside.
My ideal holiday location would be to go home! We travel so much and there’s nothing I like better than a home cooked roast dinner with pancakes for pudding. That would be my ideal dinner party food and I’d invite my sisters over for it.
Last film I watched? It was Suspician with Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine, Joan is a brilliant actress. I’m also watching season four of Suits.