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Episode details

Essex,10 mins

From Southend Hospital to the Winter Olympics

Ben Fryer

Available for over a year

Dr Elsa Desmond, who works at Southend Hospital, will make history as she represents Ireland in Beijing 2022. She is Ireland's first ever representative in the luge event, which involves plummeting feet-first down an icy track at speeds of around 140km/h (87mph). Dr Desmond tells BBC Essex how she balanced working at Southend Hospital whilst training in her event, and how she was primarily targeting Milan 2026 but qualified unexpectedly for Beijing after a strong season.

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