Getting MBEs from the Queen ‘surreal but an honour for two girls that just ski’

Britain’s most successful Winter Paralympians, Menna Fitzpatrick and her guide, Jennifer Kehoe, said meeting the Queen was “surreal” but an “honour” as they were awarded MBEs.

The sportswomen made history on the ski slopes of South Korea in March when they won slalom gold on the final day of the action to add to their haul of super combined and giant slalom silvers and a super-G bronze.

Investitures at Buckingham Palace
Investitures at Buckingham Palace

Speaking after the investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle hosted by the Queen, Ms Kehoe said: “It feels surreal, absolutely surreal to be here. Who would have thought that two girls that just ski, we love what we do, we’re athletes we just go out and do our sport….

“Suddenly you go and win a bit of silverware, or gold as it is, and suddenly you end up at Windsor Castle meeting the Queen and that’s quite a journey and quite an experience, a real honour for both of us.”

Ms Fitzpatrick has no vision in her left eye and limited sight in her right, but races downhill at high speed, guided by Ms Kehoe, in the B2 category for visually impaired athletes.

She made her senior international debut for Great Britain in 2012, and four years later with Ms Kehoe, an Army officer, the pair became the first British skiers to win the overall World Cup visually impaired title in Aspen, Colorado.

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