Amy Williams facts for kids
Williams receiving her gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Amy Joy Williams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | British | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 29 September 1982 Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England |
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| Residence | Bath, Somerset, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 63 kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Craig Ham (2015–present) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | http://www.skeletonamy.co.uk/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Great Britain |
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| Sport |  Skeleton |
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| Event(s) | Women | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | GB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by |  Michael Grünberger Markus Kottmann |
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Medal record
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Amy Joy Williams, born on September 29, 1982, is a British athlete who used to compete in skeleton racing. She is famous for winning a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Before skeleton, Amy was a runner. She started skeleton training in 2002 after trying it at the University of Bath.
Amy didn't make it to the 2006 Winter Olympics. But four years later, she joined the Great Britain team for the 2010 Games. There, she won a gold medal! This made her the first British person to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics in 30 years. She was also the only British athlete to win a medal at those Olympics.
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Amy's Early Life and School
Amy Williams was born in Cambridge, England. She grew up in Bath. She went to Hayesfield School Technology College and Beechen Cliff School. Later, she studied at the University of Bath. Her dad, Ian Williams, was a chemistry professor at the University of Bath. Her mom, Janet Williams, used to be a midwife. Amy has a twin sister and an older brother.
Amy's Sports Career
Amy Williams first loved running. She was a 400-meter runner. But she couldn't get into the national athletics team. So, in 2002, she tried skeleton racing. She tried it on a special push-start track at the University of Bath. Amy said her first time on a skeleton track was exciting and a bit scary. But she really enjoyed it and decided to train in skeleton.
First Big Wins
At her first major competition, the 2009 World Championships in Lake Placid, she won a silver medal. This was a great start to her skeleton career.
Olympic Journey
Amy couldn't compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. This was because Great Britain could only send one skeleton athlete that year. Another athlete, Shelley Rudman, got the spot and won a silver medal.
Four years later, Amy qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This time, her country was allowed to send two skeleton athletes.
At the 2010 Games, Amy won the gold medal in women's skeleton. She broke the track record twice during the competition! She won by more than half a second. After the first day, some other countries questioned her helmet. They thought it might give her an unfair advantage. But the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation had already approved her helmet. So, the protests were rejected.
Amy became the first British person to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics in 30 years. Before her, Robin Cousins won in figure skating at the 1980 Winter Olympics. She was also the first British woman to win an individual Winter Olympics gold medal since Jeannette Altwegg in 1952.
Beyond Skeleton Racing
After her Olympic win, Amy also appeared on TV. She was a contestant on the ITV show 71 Degrees North in 2011. She finished in third place. She also appeared in the CBBC show, 12 Again.
Life After Retirement
On May 1, 2012, Amy Williams announced she was retiring from skeleton racing. She said her injuries made it hard for her to continue the sport.
In January 2013, she became a co-presenter for the BBC Two show Ski Sunday.
Amy also tried rally driving! She agreed to co-drive a Honda Civic with motorsports expert Tony Jardine. They trained and qualified to compete in the 2013 Wales Rally GB.
She also became an ambassador for TeamGB, working with Robin Cousins. She joined the BBC Sport team as a commentator. She specializes in ice sports like skeleton and bobsleigh.
In April 2014, Amy became a presenter on Channel 5's The Gadget Show. She left the show in 2017 to care for her child.
In August 2015, Amy married Craig Ham.
In 2018, she was part of the BBC's team covering the 2018 Winter Olympics. In October 2019, Amy became the first Ambassador for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust. This charity helps former athletes mentor young people who need support.
In June 2022, Amy co-presented the ITV4 coverage of the 2022 Isle of Man TT motorcycle race.
In 2023, Amy was named an Ambassador for the University of Bath. She helps with their sports programs for local school children.
Awards and Honours
Amy Williams received a special award called the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2010. This award is given for great achievements. She was also made an Honorary Freeman of the City of Bath on June 5, 2010.
See Also
In Spanish: Amy Williams para niños
