Young people introduced to bobsleigh and skeleton

The UK's only bobsleigh and skeleton push-start track has been used to introduce young people to the sports.

Super Sliders, a charity that uses the sport to teach life skills, ran a session for 36 people at the University of Bath's training facility, which is used by Olympic athletes.

Participants were sent hurtling down the track at speeds of up to 30mph (48km/h), alongside classroom lessons taught by former Olympic athletes.

2018 Olympic bronze medallist Laura Deas said: "Ice sports are all about facing fear and overcoming it, in doing so you learn more about yourself."

The event was the fifth, and largest, class that had taken place at the University of Bath facility.

Super Sliders' programme is based on a medal system, where participants graduate from individual skeleton to a two-man bobsleigh.

Three-time Olympian Lee Johnston, one of the coaches, said: "It's a unique sport to be involved in, and it teaches them confidence.

"That's huge because they're about to go 30mph in a sport that is all about trust in each other."

One of the groups with young people attending was the Bristol charity Young Bristol.

Phil Harris from the charity said: "It's a fantastic opportunity, lots of young people take part and they leave and they're absolutely buzzing.

"It's inspiring to hear directly from these athletes who have worked so hard.

"Many of our young people have gone away and repeated what they learned in the workshops to the others," he said.

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