Olympic Winter Games skeleton gold medallist Amy Williams has became the first woman athlete to be inducted to the University of Bath’s new Hall of Fame for Sport.
Williams was inducted to the Hall of Fame by Professor Kevin Edge, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath.
Her inclusion in the Hall of Fame follows a career in the sport of skeleton that was capped by a spectacular gold medal at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Williams, a University of Bath Sports Performance graduate, became Britain’s first woman skeleton Olympic gold medallist and the first woman individual gold medallist at an Olympic Winter Games for 58 years.
Throughout her career, both as an athlete and since her retirement in 2012 as a TV personality, Williams has been an outstanding ambassador both for the City and the University.
Professor Edge said: “When we first talked about creating a Hall of Fame for Sport at the University of Bath, the name Amy Williams was at the top of many people’s lists.
“We like to think of her as ‘our Amy’, but she is truly an inspiration to us all at the University, to the people of Bath, and to many, many more.”
Williams said: “I’m honoured and proud to be inducted to the Hall of Fame. The University of Bath has played an important role in my sporting life and I feel privileged to be recognised in this way.”
Williams is the third athlete to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, following Jason Gardener and Ben Rushgrove, who became the first two inductees two weeks ago.
Amy was unavailable for that ceremony and so was inducted to the Hall of Fame today.
The Hall of Fame will be located in the foyer of the Sports Training Village, a world-leading sports facility that has been a training base for some of Britain’s top athletes over the last two decades.
It recognises the athletes and coaches who have excelled in their sport and made a significant contribution to the sporting environment at the University.
Amy’s gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games was all the more remarkable as it was the first gold medal of her skeleton career.
Her earlier successes had included silver medals at the World Winter University Games and World Junior Championships, both in 2005, and at the World Championships in 2009.
Williams’ gold medal on the challenging Whistler track used at the Vancouver Games, was Britain’s only medal of the Games and Britain’s first individual gold medal at an Olympic Winter Games for 30 years. Williams also became the first woman individual gold medallist for 58 years.
Williams has lived in Bath for most of her life and was made a Member of the British Empire in 2010 and installed an Honorary Freeman of the City of Bath. She has been an outstanding ambassador both for the City of Bath and the University of Bath.
It was announced last month that Amy is to become the new face of Channel 5’s The Gadget Show.
