Karen’s skates just keep on rolling

When Karen Davison first wore a pair of roller skates at the age of five, she was hooked, and on course for a career of skating success. Karen, 21, from Marton, Middlesbrough, is a first year BSc (Hons) Sport Science student at the University of Teesside and has been British roller skating champion for 12 years. She won her first beginners title at the age of seven, and later competitions have placed her third in Europe and fifth in the world.

Karen’s next challenge is the British competition in July, followed by the European, which will be held in Sicily. She is currently developing new techniques to add to her skating programmes.

Karen said: “When I was little my older sister Anne used to skate and I didn’t like the look of it, but once I tried on the boots I was keen. I get such a sense of personal achievement out of skating, and even though it’s a minority sport I’d love to make a career out of it.”

She trains for ten hours a week in Middlesbrough, Shildon in County Durham and Derby, under the supervision of Coach Paul McIlhone, a six-time Senior British Champion. Her favourite performing music for routines comes from the soundtrack to the 1996 film version of Romeo and Juliet, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio. Karen combines the training with her University studies and youth work in East Middlesbrough.

She added: “The sport has enabled me to travel all over the world, to Spain, Italy and for the 1999 world championships I went to Australia’s surfer’s paradise on the Gold Coast. It was amazing and I came sixteenth out of 40.

“I was also very nervous when I skated in Colombia. I felt awful before I went out in front of an audience of thousands, but it went well.”

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