Olympic champion 'living out a dream' on Strictly

An Olympic champion who has swapped gym kit for sequins says the opportunity to take part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing is like "living out a dream".

Tabby Stoecker, the University of Bath and Team GB athlete who won skeleton gold at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year, will take to the dancefloor on Saturday night with her partner Mark Karmalita to perform a jive.

The 25-year-old, from Highgate, London, said the new challenge had led to tiredness, sore feet and aching bones.

"I'm genuinely having the time of my life so the longer I get to stay in this competition the better because for me it's like living out a dream. I just really hope I can make Bath proud," she said.

Stoecker made history as Britain's youngest Olympic champion in skeleton after she won alongside fellow Bath athlete Matt Weston.

She said a notable difference with dancing, however, was that while she had years to prepare for the Olympics, she had five days to learn a new routine every week for Strictly.

"It's been a really big change, almost like polar opposites," Stoecker said.

"I'm finely tuned for skeleton, but when it comes to eight-hour dance days I'm knackered.

"My body hasn't had to take on a challenge like this in a long time and I've actually ended up getting a few little injuries."

She added: "This week's been quite tough in terms of trying to manage my body and how it's adapting to dancing."

She said the two disciplines required shared skills of positivity and perseverance - particularly when it came to feeling pain from training.

"I think being an elite athlete, I'm used to being in certain levels of pain.

"Being a bit uncomfortable, that's how you push yourself.

"Although it's new in the feet, it is the same principle of understanding that sometimes that's part of it.

"And when you get to the point where you're no longer feeling that pain anymore and you're used to it, you're doing something right," she added.

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