Molly Summerhayes: Ex Sheffield Olympian joins police force

Molly Summerhayes won the halfpipe title at the Freestyle Junior World Championships in Italy in 2015 and competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea

A former Olympic skier has swapped the slopes for the streets by signing up to join the police force.

Molly Summerhayes, 23, competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

The halfpipe skier from Sheffield retired later that year after being told she would not receive funding.

She said she hoped joining South Yorkshire Police would give her as much excitement as competing in the Olympics.

Ms Summerhayes has started a degree apprenticeship at Sheffield Hallam University, meaning she will learn on the job as part of a three-year course.

"Retiring from sport was one of the hardest things in the world,", she said.

"After making the decision to stop, I knew I needed to find a career which would give me as much excitement as that had done."

The Olympian has swapped her skiing jacket for a fluorescent vest.

After completing the degree, Ms Summerhayes will be a qualified police officer, said South Yorkshire Police, which is currently trying to recruit 220 additional officers.

She added: "What appealed to me is the fact that every day is different, you're outside and you get to help people. I knew I wanted to find a job that mattered.

"I had lived and breathed sport and I wanted to find something I could be that passionate about again - and this time it's policing.

"Before joining, I was working in a normal job. I might have been to the Olympics but I'm a totally normal person, wanting to make a difference in the city where I'm from - and hopefully that's what I'm going to do."

Molly Summerhayes competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.