A CHANCE encounter with the skating rink has led a Royston teenager to championship glory on the ice.
Billy Wilson French, 14, from Wellfield Gardens, now has six British titles to his name in the sport and has been nomiated for a Barnsley Young Champions award.
His skill with the skates isn’t just restricted to one discipline either: he competes in both free skating and ice dance and his medal collection features 26 golds, three silvers and two bronzes.
He has qualified for the GB development squad for both sides for the past two years.
His talent even saw him perform as part of Disney On Ice at Sheffield Arena in December.
This year, he is working alongside new partner Lucy Hancock on the international circuit. But his sights are set on the worlds and eventually, the Olympics.
Dad Glenn said: “He has only been skating for five years now, which is late for skating people. He went to a party with his best friend and his dad at the skating rink. His friend’s dad asked us if Billy had ever been skating before, because they thought we should watch. So we went to the designer outlet at York, he got on the ice, and off he went.
“We looked into lessons and after a couple of weeks he was picked up at Sheffield by Nancy Ambler. Now he trains with Mark Hanretty too, who is currently away on Dancing On Ice and Yebin Mok who skated for the USA who trains him in ballet.”
Later this month he is travelling to Germany with Lucy to take part in the Bavarian open.
“His ultimate goal is to be an Olympian and skate internationally.
He only has one day off the ice a week and trains at Sheffield and Altrincham on Saturdays. Most days, he gets up at around 5am for his training schedule to work.
“His level of fitness is unbelievable. I played football semi-pro and the fitness level they have to be at, we were never even near.
“He is my son, yes, but with the amount of work he puts in it is well deserved. It is all down to his hard work.
“The judges at the solo competitions are scrutinising one person doing one routine, and you are out on your own there on the ice. It is a good achievement for him and it is brilliant that he is being recognised by the people of Barnsley for it.
“I had tears in my eyes when I heard he had been nominated.”
