A FORMER pupil at St Chad’s Primary, Uppermill, has triumphed over adversity to achieve her dream of competing in the winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
Brogan Crowley, 27, from Moorside, was going for gold on Thursday and Friday (February 10 and 11) in the women’s skeleton having beaten both serious injury and financial challenges.
She had also beaten off competition for the two places in Team GB from other members of the 15-strong skeleton programme.
“It has been quite a journey, a crazy few years,” explained Brogan who have overcome enormous odds to make Team GB.
Brogan continued: “I remember having my last end-of-season review and one of the questions was where I was in terms of the goal of competing in Beijing.
“I replied I did not think I was anywhere near, and it was not realistic. You are set certain push and sliding targets and I was way off.
“I always knew the potential was there, but I could not see myself being in Beijing but, here I am in the team. It is crazy.”
It was through injury that Brogan, also a former pupil at Hulme Grammar, switched from pentathlon to skeleton having seen an advert for would-be skeleton competitors.
Brogan said: “I have been in the skeleton programme for seven years, but it is probably only classed as year five or six because of the injuries I have had.
“I have not slid that much because of injuries which stunted my development.”
Brogan has suffered numerous ankle problems and multiple stress fractures of the feet, culminating in complications following an operation in 2019 when a nerve was severed in her foot.
Despite further surgery involving a graft from her hip and nerve from her leg, Brogan said: “It is kind of healing, but it is going to take years and I still barely have any feeling in my foot.”
The catalogue of injuries has given Brogan a fresh perspective of life.
“I have a different mindset, one of appreciation and joy, and I live in the moment and make the most of each day,” she continued.
“If I looked too far into the future, it would be daunting.”
As well as injuries, Brogan has had financial challenges to deal with.
Though an elite athlete assisted by UK Sport through the National Lottery, she said injuries meant she was only on the base level of the five tiers of funding, so money was tight.
Brogan said: “Funding has been very difficult in the last few years because it is on a sliding scale and based on results and I have not been competing through injury.
“Equipment is expensive, and I like it to Formula One. The more money you have, the more gain you get. It is also expensive living in Bath where the skeleton programme is based.”
Brogan has raised about £3,000 from crowdfunding which has helped buy items like new runners for a new sled and helmets, things she was struggling to afford.
“It was incredible and so helpful. I received contributions without asking from family, friends and random people,” she said.
Team GB’s women have won a skeleton medal at every Olympics since the discipline was reintroduced in 2002, including Olympic champions Amy Williams and Lizzie Yarnold and Laura Deas who won bronze in 2018 and who will be joining her in Beijing.
Brogan explained all three skeleton stars have been huge influences on her career.
She said: “Lizzie and Amy have stayed around a lot and mentored me which is hugely inspiring.
“Especially for me as a woman, you don’t always have incredible female idols within sport, but to have them in skeleton has been amazing for me.
“Lizzie has also become a good friend. I have been with Laura for the last couple of years and it has been great gaining experience from training with her.
“The message a lot of the time that we get given is to enjoy it and appreciate it. At the end of the day, it is just another race.”
And her preparations included taking part in the Olympic test event in Beijing, so she is familiar with the venue. She has also had to get used to racing on a new sled which she described as “completely different”.
As to her approach in Beijing, Brogan said: “I did my first world championships last year, which was my first four-heat race, the Olympics is the same set-up.
“It’s no different to anything else. There’s just more eyes on you and watching you, so everything should be the same.
“That’s the message that we’ve been given to just take it one step at a time, embrace everything and enjoy it. “
Brogan has received congratulatory messages from former school friends from St Chad’s and from aunts, uncles and cousins who live in Uppermill and Greenfield.
“They are proud of what I have achieved as they have seen how difficult it has been for me, and a lot have also contributed financially to help me.”
The Chinese capital becomes the first city to host the summer and winter Olympic Games.
Usain Bolt’s emergence at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 was an abiding memory for Brogan who was then still at school.“The thing I remember the most was Bolt because I know that’s when he came onto the scene and was breaking records left, right and centre,” she said.
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