Britain’s elite athletes have named snowboarder Katie Ormerod as their first Athletes’ Athlete of the Month for 2024 for returning to competition after 660 days.

Katie was forced to wait between the World Cup Finals in March 2022 and her return to competition in January at the Laax World Cup through a bone infection. She endured months of surgeries and tests before being diagnosed, securing a top 12 finish when she worked her way back to the slopes.

It followed a lengthy recovery period after breaking her heel twice in the buildup to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, meaning she has now recovered from two potentially career-ending injuries aged just 26.

“I’m extremely happy to have won this award,” Katie said. “It means so much after going through everything with my bone infection, to getting back to competing, and then knowing that my fellow athletes have voted for me means a lot. I know probably a lot of them have been in similar situations.

“We all understand how it is, so to be acknowledged for finally getting back to competing again feels amazing.”

Katie’s success topped a poll among elite British athletes to decide who on the World Class Programme deserved most recognition for their successes last month.

She was shortlisted alongside Dean Bale (shooting), Leon Greenwood (skeleton) and Katie Robertson (hockey).

The Athletes’ Athlete of the Month award is given to elite British sportspeople by the BEAA for their achievements in competition or elsewhere, such as personal development, inspiring comebacks, charity work, awareness raising and more.

It celebrates successes across elite British sport, and commends more than just competitive accomplishment – with every winner decided by the athlete community.

Huge congratulations to Katie for winning, and to Dean, Leon and Katie Robertson for being nominated. Elite athletes, to cast your vote next time, get involved via your BEAA emails!