Get your skates on

ANN REED and Will Rowbottom insist age is no barrier to hitting the ice.

Ann was 42 when she took up skating, Will 58. But what made them start?

“My daughter wanted to practise before she went to Guides,” Ann says. “I took her along and discovered I absolutely loved it. I’ve been skating ever since.”

Will wanted to improve his wellbeing. “I needed to exercise. And it’s a lot more fun than running,” he says.

Ann even started entering competitions. And, at 62, she’s not done yet. “I absolutely love it,” she says.

Will, now 68, adds: “I have thought about leaving as some days I don’t feel I’m improving. But then I have a good day and I’m hooked all over again. It’s so sociable, too.”

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Meanwhile, Natasha McKay first skated at seven and is now one of the UK’s top figure skaters.

“I went to a friend’s birthday party and we all went to the ice rink,” she says. “After that, I begged my mum for a year for a pair of skates. I can still remember the day I finally got them – it was amazing.”

Despite the fact she is the British Senior Ladies Figure Skating Champion, Natasha funds her skating career with a job in TK Maxx. She couldn’t do without support from mum Tracey and dad Steven either.

She says winning the British title was all the more special as it meant so much to them.

“They’ve supported me and been amazing all through my career,” she says. “We’ve never had funding and it’s been hard, so I’m glad I’ve done well as I feel I am paying them back for their efforts.”