Team GB skeleton gold medallist says she discovered talent after Instagram ad

Team GB gold medallist Tabitha Stoecker has said she discovered her talent for skeleton after seeing an advert on Instagram.

Stoecker, 25, made history on Sunday with teammate Matt Weston, 28, after beating Germany by 0.17 seconds to win mixed team skeleton gold.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Monday, she said she initially trained as a circus performer, before coming across skeleton by chance on social media in 2019.

"I did flying trapeze, acrobatics, and I absolutely loved the performance element of it all," she said.

"I saw an advert on Instagram for Discover Your Gold Talent ID process and got selected for skeleton, and I guess the rest is history."

Stoecker has previously said how she did know what skeleton was at that point, but she was "at that age where you're not sure about things, and I wanted to test some other stuff out".

Milan-Cortina is her first Olympics, with the athlete only making her international debut in December 2021.

Stoecker, who finished fifth in the women's skeleton finals on Saturday, also told Radio 4's Today programme that the circus had definitely prepared her for the "adrenaline" of skeleton.

Following Weston's individual gold medal win on Friday - Team GB's first of the Games - some 4,000 people have signed up to the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association's (BBSA) talent ID campaign.

More than 1,000 of the sign ups have been since the the team race on Sunday.

"We're delighted to see so many people wanting to try the sport and looking to emulate Matt and Tabby by becoming an Olympic Champion, said Natalie Dunman from the BBSA.

"Matt, Tabby and all our GB athletes started out in the sport by signing up in a similar way so we're confident there could be future Olympic medallists among them.

"Our athletes come from incredibly diverse backgrounds and that's one of the things that makes our programme so special."

Weston told Today: "The sport runs off people applying, giving it a shot and taking the opportunity with both hands. I didn't think I would ever be going to the Games competing in skeleton nine years ago … it's been an amazing journey."

For those hoping to get into the sport, Stoecker advised: "You need guts, and you need a dream."

Weston said that anyone who fancies "throwing themselves headfirst down a mountain" should take the opportunity.

He also began his athletic career focused on a different sport, and competed internationally in taekwondo, before a stress fracture in his back forced him to retire.

However, Weston then broke his back doing skeleton about three years ago. He said: "Skeleton isn't the safest of sports, but it's a hell of a lot of fun when you get it right."

Unlike other countries, Team GB does not have its own ice track. Instead, skeleton athletes have to train on a push track at the University of Bath, which is the only one in the UK.

Weston explained on BBC Breakfast: "We don't actually have ice to train on. Some other nations like Germany have four tracks so during the winter they can train way more than we can and hone in on their equipment and skills, they have the opportunity to do that way more than us.

"So that fact that we can come to an Olympics and beat them, feels pretty amazing."

Stoecker added: "I'm sure it is a little bit shocking how amazing GB can be with such a disadvantage with the actual sliding side of things, but historically we have done so well."

Skeleton is one of Team GB's most successful winter sports, with gold medals previously having been picked up in PyeongChang in 2018, Sochi in 2014, and Vancouver in 2010.

Weston also said he is getting married in July - and Stoecker's boyfriend is the best man. "Skeleton has brought us all together," she said.