…and we shall have snow; as the saying goes and the cold weather of late has made training on the water difficult or impossible for Izzy. With one training session with the youth team already cancelled recently and more freezing temperatures forecast, winter training in the UK is not without its trials.
As most university students head home for the Christmas break at the end of this week, Izzy will be setting off (weather permitting) for Weymouth to train with team mates from the Olympic Development Squad (ODS). Building strength in the gym, she will also be taking to the water to continue practicing her board handling skills. Asked what kit she wears out on the water during the winter months Izzy said, “I wear a thick wetsuit and a sailing jumper and coat, but I don’t like to wear wetsuit boots unless it’s really very cold. I also don’t wear a hat, I find my balance can be affected so I avoid them. The worst thing about sailing in colder temperatures is the effect on my hands: I don’t wear gloves as they can interfere with handling the rig. So I suffer terribly, they’re usually purple coloured and freezing; I have to shake and rub them afterwards to get the circulation going and then they burn like mad.” Lets hope the weather’s not too cold down in Poole harbour!
Looking to the New Year, Izzy has another week long ODS training camp at the beginning January, which will swiftly be followed by exams at Exeter and so Izzy is having to cram revision in between a few festive mince pies.