Profile - Zoe Gillings

Name/Nickname: Zoe Gillings

Born: 14 June 1985

Hometown/From: Isle of Man

Career Highlights: 8th Olympics 2010, 7th World championships 2011, more world cup podiums than any other British snowboarder (4 bronze, 2 silver and 1 gold), 3rd Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Snowboard Cross Small Finals

Goals: Olympic gold

Personal Sponsors: Optimal Payments, Pokerstars, Dare2B, Bolle, Kinetica.

Shout Outs: Thanks to all my sponsors and UK Sport

Short Bio:

Following 6 years of skiing Zoe turned her attention to snowboarding and competed in the British snowboarding Championships at 10years of age. At the age of 15yrs Zoe competed at the European Youth Olympics in Finland, finishing in an impressive 6th position then turning pro at 16yrs Zoe spent two season in Canada. Zoe won early success finishing 14th at her first World Cup SBX competition in Whistler and 2nd the following season at the Canadian National Championships.

Zoe's major breakthrough came in 2004 at the age of 19yrs when she took her first World Cup podium, finishing in 1st place at the South American World Cup. If World Cup gold wasn't enough, Zoe then took silver in the next World Cup competition securing her an overall ranking of World No 1 for the best part of the 2004/05 season. No other British athlete has ever won a podium finish at World Cup level in SBX. Following Zoe's domination of World Cup SBX, she suffered a career threatening injury in 2005 shattering all the mid bones in her left foot. The doctor explained she would be lucky to walk again, never mind snowboard. Despite this and following 8 months intensive rehab, Zoe managed to strap on a snowboard in time for the 2006 Turin Olympics finishing in an impressive 15th place.

Over the next 4 years, despite challenging circumstances with regards to funding, Zoe fought her way back to the top of her sport after her career threatening injury with several World Cup podiums and a top World ranking of 5th. Zoe, having established herself as one of the UK's top Olympic snow sports athletes then secured the highest British snowsport finish at the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver finishing in 8th position.

Facing severe funding issues and the prospect of having to retire from competitive snowboarding because of them in May 2011 Zoe turned entrepreneur and launched www.IsleofDeals.com a daily deal website based in the Isle of Man, this company along with Zoe's major sponsors Pokerstars and Optimal payments and UK sport podium funding are now propelling Zoe's career.

Zoe not only represents British sport at the highest level while running her own business but has her very own Grass Roots schools campaign which has been running for the past 6 years inspiring the youth of British sport.

Zoe also writes for several industry magazines as well as national newspapers.

Websites: www.zoegillings.com

Twitter: @zoegillings

Facebook: www.facebook.com/goingforgoldcard