A PRIMARY school pupil took on young skiers down the Italian Alps last month and raced home with a podium finish.
With a passion for skiing running through the family, Freya Marsh, from Eccleston, has been on the slopes since the age of 2.
Learning the tricks of the trade at the Chill Factore and then at Pendle Ski Club, home of British number one world cup skier Dave Ryding, the 9-year-old has been consistently improving her skiing and slalom racing.
READ > Young 'warrior' born with heart on opposite side to undergo third open heart surgery
Initially competing in national competitions on 'dry' slopes, the 9-year-old switched over to snow tracks around 18 months ago and hasn't looked back since.
A member of UNIQ snow sports, the Eccleston Mere pupil has received training on European slopes but the English Alpine Championships in Bormio, Italy, was her first competition on the continent.
Ran by Snow Sport England, the prestigious Italian Alps competition sees hundreds of young English skiers compete in a range of categories and age groups.
Taking part in the girls under 10s giant slalom, parallel slalom, and slalom races, Freya held her own and finished sixth, fourth, and third respectively.
Suffering a fall on her first slalom run, Freya's mum Amanda said that her podium finish on the second attempt, with hundreds of people watching, shows her daughter's skill and ability to deal with pressure.
Amanda said: "It was an amazing experience for Freya, and it was really quite daunting with so many people taking part and hundreds of parents watching.
"To finish in third place in her first major competition after the fall on her first attempt is amazing.
"She was beaming from ear to ear at the awards ceremony and we are very proud of her."
With the summer skiing competitions approaching, Amanda said that the races are great experiences for Freya to see the world and test herself against other budding skiers.
Despite the competition, Amanda also noted how the environment is very supportive between all the young athletes who all want each other to succeed.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here