Amanda Lightfoot: The Return!

Amanda Lightfoot is the next in the catch up series with previous biathlon23 interviewees. The 32-year-old British biathlete was absent from the World Cup last season but she is back and ready to race this winter. She has a career best finish of 31st from the Individual in Oestersund in 2017 and represented Great Britain at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang and 2014 in Sochi.

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We last spoke 4 years ago!! What has changed for you since then?

4 years has flown by. I’m now engaged to a fantastic and wonderful guy that is Ilario Maddalin.
I now have 12 nephews and nieces. Lol
I got promoted to Sergeant in the British Army.

What happened last season? You didn’t compete on the World Cup, why was that?

Last season I did not compete, I needed to go back to the military and complete career courses. So last season I did not compete internationally. I did compete at the British Championships in Ruhpolding and won the women’s Overall, coming away with 6 medals and 4 trophies though.

How much did you miss racing last season? What things did you miss and was there anything that you didn’t miss?

I absolutely missed racing last season, I missed the atmosphere of the World Cup, the biathlon family and just competing in general.

Do you think missing last season will make the start of this season more difficult or could it be a positive thing?

For sure I will not be on top form this season after missing a whole summer training, shooting and a full competing season, but training has been going well this year, and it’s the right time to come back in before Beijing. I’m hoping to find myself again on the circuit and really enjoy what I love about biathlon. Next season is the big season when the Olympic qualification season starts and this is my next big goal.

What have you been doing for summer training and what are the plans up until the start of the season?

So far I have mainly based myself in Ruhpolding. This year I have put a big focus on the shooting and I can see and feel the benefits this is having on me as a biathlete. My shooting has always been my Achilles heel, so I knew this had to be my primary focus this summer.

I went to the Summer World Championship in Minsk (where unfortunately she was ill), then following that I’m doing the German Championships here in my summer home turf that is Ruhpolding.

What are your goals for this season?

My goals are to enjoy what I love doing and that’s competing. I’m not getting any younger and after Beijing it will be the end of my career.

I have goals at all levels this season and I plan to achieve them all.

Do you think biathlon is getting more popular in the UK? Do you ever get recognised by people?

Yes I believe it is, we have summer camps both in Scotland and the south of England where more and more people are discovering the crazy and awesome sport that is biathlon.

I do get recognized by people, however it is a lot more grander in Europe where you find most of your fan base.

What are you hobbies away from biathlon?

I have to say learning the piano, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for years, but I do struggle finding the time to learn. I also love a good coffee and cake on a free afternoon..
And this season I’ve just signed up to study 2 modern languages, so looking forward to trying to find the time to fit that in.. haha.

Is Oberhof still your favourite track and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen your favourite biathlete?

Did I really say Oberhof?? Wow..
Well that has definitely changed, it is now Oslo, it has to be the most beautiful place and atmosphere on the World Cup Circuit.

My favourite biathlete would now be the Olympic Champion and a great friend that is Hanna Oberg. I watched her grow into a fantastic athlete whilst training along side her and the rest of Sweden team for over 3 years. it was amazing to be part of their great inspirational journey to Olympic gold.

Does your rifle have a name yet?

Hmmm… no.. however I’m open to suggestions, send them to me via Instagram @amanda198726

Quick fire Questions:

Favourite biathlon nation (not your own): Sweden
Favourite rifle design (any biathlete): Amanda Lightfoot.. haha
Favourite ski suit design (from any nation):Japan
Favourite shooting range: Ruhpolding
Lucky bib number: 61
Funniest biathlete on the World/IBU Cup: Tarjei Boe
Nicest biathlete on the World Cup/IBU Cup: Mona Brorsson
Best thing about being a biathlete: competing on the World stage and being part of a huge biathlon family.

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Shawna Pendry: The Interview!

Photo courtesy of Shawna Pendry.

Shawna Pendry is a 17-year-old British biathlete who is based in France. She was born in England but moved to France aged four. She started cross country skiing when she was eight and biathlon at eleven in Font-Romeo where Simon and Martin Fourcade started. Last season was her first competing internationally on the IBU Junior Cup.

Check out her website: https://shawna-pendry.site123.me/

Why did you become a biathlete?

I became a biathlete because my best friend cross country skied and it looked fun so I also joined the ski club, a few years later we started shooting and I loved it! Since then I have been doing biathlon.

How do you assess last season overall? Were you happy with it? Was there anything you were disappointed with?

Last season was my first season competing in international races so it was pretty scary but I also learned so much. I am happy because at each competition I had the impression that I was getting better and stronger but also because I reached one of my main goals that was to qualify for a pursuit race. I am not disappointed with anything because I know that with every mistake I made I also learned something.

How do you manage going to school with training and competing in biathlon?

It is hard to do both school and sport especially in winter because I am away so often on competitions but I am lucky to got to a “sporting school” were most of the students are like me so the teachers are very helpful, and then when I am away I have to try and work even if all I want to do is ski and sleep.

It’s not easy being a British biathlete. How are you funded and do you get support from the BBU or train with any of the British team?

I do receive financial support from the BBU who with the aid from their IBU funding cover the majority of my travel and accommodation costs during the race season. I still need to fund my equipment which I do with the aid of my parents and I am always looking for external help like crowdfunding or grants just like the ‘Vincent Budge Award’ from the British Skiers Trust that I am very proud to have just received.
Training wise I train with my local team and I will join the British team for an on snow training camp in the autumn, apart from that I do not do any training with them as I need to stay at school this season.

What is it like training where Martin and Simon Fourcade started? Have you ever met them?

It is really inspiring coming from where Martin and Simon started because I tell myself that they have become some of the best biathletes in the world so why could I not maybe some day? I have already met both of them and they’re really nice, I actually trained just next to Martin the other week when he came back home.

What are your plans for summer training?

For this summer I am training mostly at Font-Romeu and I have 3 training camps with my local team that I am looking forward to.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

My strengths are my motivation and determination and my weaknesses are being impatient and skiing up hills.

What are your goals for this season?

My main goal for the upcoming season is to represent Team GB at the Lausanne Youth Olympic games. I also want to qualify myself to as many pursuits as possible!

If you have any time after school and training what do you like to do in your free time?

I love cooking, especially cakes and cookies (they taste so good after a hard training!) and I also like reading.

Do you have a favourite biathlon track? Where is it and why?

Yes, my favorite track is at Sjusjøen in Norway because that is where I shot my first 10/10 in competition and qualified to my first pursuit race, and because Norway is so pretty!

Who is your favourite biathlete (past or present) and why?

My favorite biathlete would either be Tiril Eckhoff or Ingrid Tandrevold because they are both inspiring women and they make biathlon look fun.

Does your rifle have a name?

No it doesn’t but I think if it did it would be something like Gwendolyn or Bernadette!

Describe yourself in three words.

Determined / organized / impatient .

Quick fire Questions:

Favourite biathlon nation (not your own): Norway
Favourite rifle design (any biathlete): the one with unicorns
Favourite ski suit design (from any nation): Finland
Favourite shooting range: Sjusjøen
Lucky bib number: I don’t have one.
Funniest biathlete on the Junior Cup/Nicest biathlete on the Junior Cup: I don’t really know anyone because I’m shy, come and say hi next season if you’re reading this!
Best thing about being a biathlete: Travelling to awesome places and missing school for it!

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Funding Biathlon: Not so Great, Britain!

Biathlon is not exactly Britain’s most popular sport. Actually if you asked the average Briton they probably couldn’t tell you what it is. However this does mean that it doesn’t have any biathletes, it just means that they don’t give them any help. The best known of these are Lee Jackson, Kevin Kane and Amanda Lightfoot. They are not the only ones though. Amongst the ranks of the British Biathlon Union, the national governing body for biathlon in the U.K, are Scott Dixon, Marcel Laponder, Adele Walker and Nerys Jones to name but a few.

The BBU is funded by sponsors, the IBU, the Army Winter Sports Association and by the athletes themselves. It is run on voluntary basis and the paid staff consists of a Secretary General and a wax technician. They have no performance director or any support staff who are paid. There is no support for biathlon from any of Britain’s main sports bodies or any National Lottery funding.

Why is this? Well for all the talk of a lasting legacy in sport after the London Olympics this only seems to apply to sports that have “podium potential”. So basically if you get a medal you can have some more money. As far as I am concerned this is completely the wrong way round and leaves a lot of Winter Sports stuck in a vicious circle. If you have won a medal it seems to me that you are doing pretty well as it is with the funding you have.

Surely it would be better to give sports like biathlon more money to give them a chance to catch up with the likes of curling and skeleton. How are you supposed to improve if you are not funded? All you end up with is a couple of sports who might provide a medal and a lot that end up struggling. You would think that money could be given to sports like biathlon to give them a chance to see what they could do even on a trial basis or on a sliding scale depending on each year’s results on the IBU Cup and World Cup instead of basing everything on Olympic performances.

Another thing that could be improved is the amount of races that the British Biathletes, and those from other countries with the same issues, have to compete in. On the IBU World Cup you have to finish in the Top 60 to qualify to compete in the Pursuit race, and you must be ranked in the Top 30 to take part in the Mass Start. So if you have a World Cup round where there is a Sprint, Pursuit and Mass Start if you don’t make it into the Top 60 and you are not ranked in the Top 30 overall you could find yourself travelling to places like Khanty- Mansiysk or Kontiolahti to take part in one race. This can be expensive if you are not well funded and is hardly going to give you valuable experience on the World Cup especially if you are a young athlete.

Maybe they could think about introducing a B race for the Pursuit where the Top 5 or 10 finishers are guaranteed to take part in the next Pursuit A race to give them an incentive to race for. Or maybe they could re-introduce the Team race for the lower ranked countries and reward them with some funding rather than points. I imagine these suggestions might be difficult to put on the schedule and cause logistical difficulties but I am sure the fans wouldn’t complain as you would get more races to see each day.

As it stands at the moment the BBU and the athletes themselves have done a remarkable job to have achieved what they have done so far. However the lack of funding, assistance and interest in biathlon from the Sports funding bodies especially after a successful summer Olympic campaign means that you are not so Great, Britain!

For more information on British Biathlon:

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For information on the biathletes:
http://britishbiathlon.blogspot.co.uk/
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Update as of January 2014: Good news on the funding. The BBU has a new sponsor, Aspen Healthcare Solutions, for the next 4 years securing funds until the Winter Olympics in 2018!