2006 Winter Olympics
In order for her to take part in the 2006 Olympics, Rudman needed £4000 to pay for a new professional sled. Her home town held a special canoe event to help raise the money, and they succeeded. Rudman also spent some time as a supply teacher at Devizes School, a secondary school located in Devizes, Wiltshire.
By the time the 2006 Winter Olympics began in Turin, Rudman said she was aiming for a top 10 position; however, during a practice run she had the fastest time, even beating the World Champion at the time. This great performance in the practice run made the public become aware of her. In the first heat, she was 4th; however, after a brilliant second heat, she finished with a silver medal. Live television pictures were shown from her local pub, where a large crowd that had gathered to watch her race were cheering and celebrating her victory. The 2006 Olympics were only intended to be a stepping-stone for her as training for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
On her return to Pewsey the village put on an open top bus tour where thousands of people attended to witness her return to Pewsey.
Read more about this topic: Shelley Rudman
Famous quotes containing the word winter:
“And in spite of all the dishonour,
The broken standards, the broken lives,
The broken faith in one place or another,
here was something left that was more than the tales
Of old men on winter evenings.
Only the faith could have done what was good of it....”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)