Rowan Cheshire: GB Olympic freestyle skier retires aged 24, citing concussion effects
Thursday 20 February 2020 13:09, UK
British Olympic freestyle skier Rowan Cheshire has announced her retirement aged 24, citing concussion effects.
Cheshire, then aged 18, suffered a horror crash in training before the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi which left her with a broken nose, severe concussion and unable to feature at the Games.
She recovered from a near two-year injury absence and finished seventh in the halfpipe at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018.
"I feel so privileged to have spent the last nine years pursuing the crazy sport that I love," said Rowan.
"But my body and mind just can't keep up with the pace of it anymore and I have enjoyed exploring different avenues this year during my rehabilitation.
"The synergy between your body and mind, particularly when competing in professional sport, has to be seamless and for me, that has been the most interesting part of this decision - my body might be fit enough now, but is my mind up to the task?"
"My body and mind just can't keep up with the pace of it anymore"
Cheshire made history when she became the first British person ever to win a Freestyle Skiing World Cup halfpipe title, a year after she won a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships.
The Brit has spoken about the impact concussion had on her mental health and the resilience exercise has taught her, and how instrumental it was for overcoming her physical and emotional setbacks.
Cheshire added: "Being a part of Team GB at the Winter Olympics was a dream come true and I'm so grateful I was given the opportunity to compete.
"I hope in the future I can inspire people to take up sport, achieve their goals, find their passion and recognise the positive impact physical activity can have on your mental health."
