A family friend who has known Winter Olympics gold medal hopeful Mia Brookes since she first began snowboarding has said the world champion was sliding down slopes “almost as soon as she could walk”.
Brookes, 19, from Sandbach, Cheshire, will begin her campaign on Sunday, having been too young to take part in Beijing in 2022.
The snowboarder will compete in Big Air and slopestyle fresh off the heels of striking gold in the X Games last month, making her a strong contender to become the first Briton to win two medals at the same Winter Games.
In 2023, Brookes became the youngest snowboarding world champion – and the first to come out of Britain – aged 16, and was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.
The snowboarder was just 18 months old when she tried the sport for the first time at Kidsgrove Ski Centre in Stoke-on-Trent.
Ann Loton, chairwoman of North Staffs Ski Club, which is based at the centre, has known Brookes and her family for many years, and described the Olympic hopeful as “very special”.
“Her parents are passionate snowboarders, so she was never going to do anything else but snowboarding,” Ms Loton said.
“Her father and grandparents were very involved with the ski club, so almost as soon as she could walk, she was on a little board just sliding down slopes,” she added.
Brookes was born to snowboarding enthusiasts Vicky and Nigel, who lived in the Chamonix resort in the French Alps for five ski seasons.
Mr and Mrs Brookes would take their daughter on six-week ski trips, staying in a campervan, during which the young athlete would balance training with schoolwork, Ms Loton said.
Their love of winter sports was shared by Brookes’ late grandfather, the late David Dick, who was once president of the entirely volunteer-run ski club Ms Loton now chairs.
Brookes has always been “very well-supported” by her parents, who, along with other family members, are in Italy to watch her compete, Ms Loton said.
Those at North Staffs Ski Club, she added, simply “can’t stop talking” about Brookes and feel a “great deal of pride” over her accomplishments.
She said a snowboard signed by the 19-year-old is on display at the centre, and the club has been delighted to have her return to the centre to present competition prizes.
“She’s very driven, very determined,” Ms Loton said of Brookes. “She has got her own thoughts about everything and how she should go about things. She’s very focused about what she’s doing, very single-minded.”
She added: “We’re all very proud of her and can’t wait to see what she achieves in the Olympics.”
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