Cobblers help out bobsleigh star

Bill Ellis hopes to help Paula Walker and Jackie Davies go to the Winter Olympics

Trowbridge cobbler Bill Ellis thought he had seen everything in more than 30 years of mending shoes until bobsleigh star Paula Walker turned up!

The Great Britain international, who lives in nearby Hilperton, trains at Bath University and has enlisted the help of Bill to save the team money.

Paula and team-mate Jackie Davies, asked the cobblers to adapt running shoes with ice spikes.

The special shoes would normally cost £180 a pair.

The duo, who are both in the army in Wiltshire, are hoping to win a place at next year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver but money is tight.

"They're usually very expensive," explained Paula. "I couldn't afford it this season because funding is an issue so I went down to Bill's store and asked him if he could do it."

This is the most unusual thing I've ever come across! Bill Ellis

Bill, along with colleagues and Power Shoe Repairs, have been able to adapt several pairs of basic athletic shoes and the cobbler hopes it goes some way towards helping them qualifying for the Olympics.

He said: "This is the most unusual thing I've ever come across! We scratched our heads and said we would try it!

"Its going really well, hopefully it works! I'll be really chuffed. "If more people could help British athletics I'm sure we would do a lot better. Whatever we can do we'll try."

Paula and Jackie have to be in the World's top-ten rankings by Christmas in order to earn a place in Vancouver.

"It would be a dream come true. The Olympics is the pinnacle of anyone's sporting career and for me to do it at 23-years-old would be absolutely amazing."

Paula had not even taken up bobsleigh when the last Winter Olympics were being held in 2006.

"I really didn't like it when I started but I kept at it and then I went for GB trials and got straight in!"