Give double Olympic champion Lizzy a cheer and a wave during her bus tour of Sevenoaks

TOMORROW is the day (18 April) Sevenoaks gets to celebrate with double Winter Olympic Champion, Lizzy Yarnold, when she embarks on a victory bus tour of the area.

The tour will begin at the District Council offices in Argyle Road, Sevenoaks at 9.30am, where the public can wave Lizzy off. The bus will pass through Otford, Eynsford, Swanley and Horton Kirby before finishing in West Kingsdown where the former St Michael’s School pupil spent her childhood.

On the way there will be a number of stops at local schools as well as at Swanley High Street around 11am. The stops at local schools have been included as Lizzy is keen to inspire a new generation of young athletes.

The Skeleton sensation made history on Saturday 17 February 2018 when she became the first British athlete to successfully defend a Winter Olympic title, having retained her Olympic Gold at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after she won Gold at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in 2014.

Lizzy was the only British athlete at this year’s Winter Olympics to clinch a gold medal. Although known for her success in the Skeleton, she is a talented all-round athlete who took up the sport after entering a talent search in 2009. Skeleton requires nerves of steel, as competitors slide down a frozen track, lying face down on a sled and reaching speeds in excess of 90mph.

When Lizzy first took up the Skeleton, the Sevenoaks District Sport Council, funded by Sevenoaks District Council, awarded her a grant to help with the transition to the new sport.

Lizzy said: “It still hasn’t really sunk in that I am now a Double Olympic Champion! The last four years has been tough and at times I wasn’t sure if I would be able to defend my title, but it just shows if you dream big and work hard then who knows what you can achieve. Thanks to everyone in the Sevenoaks District for all their support. I can’t wait to show as many young people as possible my two Olympic Gold Medals – dreams can come true!”

Cllr Peter Fleming, Leader of the Council, added: “Lizzy’s hard work, drive and sacrifice to become an Olympic champion is an inspiration to us all. I am delighted that we were able to help her early on in her career through our funding of the Sevenoaks District Sports Council. I am deeply honoured that she has agreed to once again tour the Sevenoaks District where she grew up and spend time inspiring the next generation.”

The full route and timings are available by clicking here and live progress of the bus on the day of the tour will be posted on the Council’s twitter feed @sdc_newsdesk.