An academic from the University of Worcester has taken multiple inline speed skating titles at the British Championships.
Dr Pamela Murray triumphed in the British Inline Speed Skating Track Championships in Birmingham, winning gold in the 1000m, 3000m, 5,000m points race and Dobbin Sprint, with a silver in the 500m.
This was all the more remarkable given that it was only Pamela's second competitive event since returning from two years out of the sport.
"It's been great to come back and it's great to get a track title," said Pamela, a Senior Lecturer in Leadership within the University's Business School, who has worked there for the last 10 years. "I did try really hard and every step counted. The first race, the 500m, I had a quick start but I dithered. If you hold back for a second they're gone. After that I thought I have made all this effort to get here, just go for it."
The Championships, held on a 200m hard surface track, attracted club skaters from all over the country, and Pamela has been in training intensively for the last two months using the cycling track at Stourport for practice. "In recent weeks I have been getting used to moving around the track again," said Pamela, who is a member of Birmingham Wheels Club.
The mother-of-one has enjoyed previous success, winning the British Championships in 2007-2009 and in 2015, and the British Marathon title on several occasions. Previously she has placed ninth in the marathon event at the European Championships and has been manager of the British women's team.
Pamela, 51, of Battenhall, Worcester, has competed in all three disciplines in speed skating - short track, long track and inline. Competitors in each tend to use both ice time and land training so there is a lot of technical crossover. Inline is an indoor and outdoor event comprising races such as points, elimination, relays, road, sprints and endurance. Short track and long track are ice disciplines.
The inline speed marathon is Pamela's favourite event. She is hoping to go on to compete in the European Championships next June, with qualification opportunities in late summer and early autumn such as at the Berlin Inline Speed Skating Marathon and the British Marathon Championships, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Velo Park in Lee Valley, London.