POISED at the top of a mountain, skis fixed firmly on her feet, Sarah Hannibal takes one last breath before digging her poles into the ground and launching down the slope.

The 24-year-old from The Weind, Theydon Bois has been accepted onto the Great Britain team for Telemark skiing and is hoping to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

The extreme sport is fast, dangerous and physically demanding but Sarah loves every minute of it.

She said: “There are constant challenges and it's very competitive. I have always been sporty and I like to push myself. I just love being in the mountains.”

Unlike Alpine skiing, the course can go up hill, around corners and over jumps.

Sarah said: “Skiing used to be used as a form of transport to get up mountains and there would be all sorts of challenges coming back down.

"Telemarking uses the sort of skills people would have needed when it was used as a transport so it's the next challenge once you have mastered Alpine skiing.”

Ski instructor Sarah was training the British Military when her talent was spotted and she was asked to join Team GB.

The sport is not yet recognised in the Winter Olympic games but the team of ten is hoping this will have changed by the time 2014 arrives.

Sarah said: “We are completely self funded but we are pushing to change that and become recognised.

"At the moment I'm training with the guys from Concept Fitness Gym in Epping, getting ready for the World Cup in December. If we produce good results then we could really go somewhere.

"It's an adventure into the unknown and I'm seeing where it will take me.”