Swifty met Charlotte Gilmartin on twitter when she purchased a SwiftyONE last year. Interested to see how scooting complimented her training for the 2018 Winter Olympics, team Swifty went to Nottingham to find out.
Olympic Speed Skater, Charlotte Gilmartin and her pet Schnauzer, Daphne.
Charlotte Gilmartin, who are you and what do you do?
CG: “I am short track speed skater for Team GB; which means I race around a 111m ice track on 17 inch fine blades, reaching speeds of 35 mph. I train in Nottingham with the national team. I am incredibly passionate about what I do, the sport has to be like an obsession at this level to thrive.”
Speed skating for Team GB, that’s so impressive – how did you get started?
CG: “I began skating at 12 after being spotted at a friend’s birthday party. Aged 15 I joined the national team and at 23 I was honoured to compete for the country at the highest level. I finished 16th in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
I am the current European 3000m champion, finishing second overall behind my teammate Elise Christie in the 2016 European championships. I am feeling super excited about the upcoming season. The long term goal is to win a medal at the next Winter Olympics in 2018 Korea.”
So building up to 2018 Olympics, there’s a lot of hard work ahead then, can you give me an idea of your training schedule?
CG: “The training load and style varies depending on the time of year we are in. During a hard volume phase, for example, our daily regime might look a little like this:
6 am – wake up
6.40 am – cycle to training 3 miles
7 am – brief for the session ahead
7.15 am – warm-up (40 min)
8.15 am – on the ice completing around 100 laps
10.20 am – cool down
10.40 am – intense abs session
11.15 am – cycle home
12 pm – nap
1 pm – lunch
2.45 pm – cycle back to the rink
3 pm – brief
3.15 pm – warm-up
4 pm -5.45 pm back on the ice for possibly speed 6x 2 laps then 4x half lap standing start.
6 pm- stair session (sprinting up and down the stadium stairs)
6.30 pm – cycle home
Then home to refuel and hydrate as much as possible before it starts over again with tired legs. 5-6 days a week. Sessions mix also with weights, running, cycling, imitations and jumps.”
That’s a tough regime – what aspect is the most gruelling?
CG: “Definitely getting out of bed at 6 in the morning and struggling to walk down the stairs, knowing there is a big day ahead. The best bit though is when we rest to peak for racing, it’s the best feeling having fresh legs to perform.”
Swifty Ambassador Charlotte Gilmartin, speed scooting on SwiftyZERO
What do you do in your down time? Do you have space for other interests?
CG: “I have the cutest Schnauzer called Daphne, that I take for long walks on the weekend. I mostly go home to see my family, watch movies to rest up my legs.”
Charlotte with her Swifty and Daphne the dog
Tell us about your scooter?
CG: I came across the super cool scooter brand on Twitter @swiftyscooters where we starting chatting… Still, need to race skates vs scoots! I love the practicality of the adult scooters, quicker than walking but easy to fold up for the train or car. The main thing I like about Swifty is the strong look, the bigger wheels and stylish colours. Swifty just makes life roll easier. Daphne loves to run alongside my Swifty or pull me along for the journey.
Does scooting compliment your skating training in any way?
CG: “As I train up to 4 times a day, I tend to use my Swifty more for recovery.”
Are you saying you actually use your Swifty to ‘rest’?
CG: “I use my Swifty as an easy way to get my errands done on a busy day, walking the dog as she enjoys pulling me around, rushing into town from the ice rink to shop or get lunch. I can park in the free spaces just outside of town to roll into work – on the tired leg days! Scooting means I do less walking, which can drain the legs. Rest and recovery is a really important part of being an athlete. I recently discovered that Swifty is working on an electric version which sounds absolutely ideal!
Charlotte Gilmartin on a rest day!