Britain’s most successful Winter Olympian will deliver an online talk on International Women’s Day, on Monday, March 8 at 7pm.

The talk is part of a series of free events at Anglia Ruskin University.

Lizzy Yarnold competed in the high-speed event of skeleton.

She gained a gold medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 and then gained a gold four years later in PyeongChang, making her the first British athlete to defend a Winter Olympic title.

Lizzy said: “I am often asked ‘How did you get into such a strange sport?’

"As a child with huge sporting ambitions, and what my parents would consider to be a fierce sense of independence and grit, it was probably inevitable.

“With only one year to go until the next Winter Olympics in Beijing, I hope to give a rare insight into the athletes’ experience, and their expectations, of preparing for a Winter Olympic Games.”

Lizzy, who retired from the sport in 2018, will reflect on her journey as a female athlete and discuss the challenges she encountered.

She will also answer questions, which can be sent in advance via community@aru.ac.uk or be posted online on the night.

The Excellence in Sport Lecture Series is organised by ARU’s School of Psychology and Sport Science. Previous speakers have included Graham Gooch, Goldie Sayers and John Barnes.

Dr James Johnstone, Associate Professor in Sport Science at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “The Excellence in Sport Lecture Series goes from strength to strength, attracting some extraordinary speakers from the world of sport.

"To hear Lizzy share her experiences of Olympic sporting situations that we can only dream of being in, promises to be an amazing evening.”

The free event is supported by Living Sport. To reserve a place, please visit the events pages on ARU’s website at https://aru.ac.uk/community-engagement/community-events-listing

Other online events organised by ARU to support International Women’s Day include Women in Academia: Stats, Stories and Solutions (March 9), ARU alumni talking about their experiences in male dominated sports (March 10), and the Unique role of role of outreach in supporting women with multiple and complex needs (March 11).