How have you been spending the off season?

I’ve been working on my fitness a lot in the gym as well as enjoying spending some time in France. I’ve got to do a lot of really fun sports over the summer including hiking, BMX riding, climbing, white water canoeing, paragliding and bungee jumping!

My brand ambassador work has also taken up a lot of my time recently alongside training, so just keeping super busy!

What have you planned for the coming season (what are your goals)?

Getting a medal at any competition I enter is always a goal of course but mainly I’m looking at continuing to improve my technique as this is the final season before qualifications begin for the 2018 Olympics. I took a season out of World Cup competitions last season so I’m looking forward to attending the World Cups around the world again this season.

How is the long term goal of funding yourself for the Olympics going (it's such a shame to hear you had lost all funding after a massive effort in Sochi).

There is little funding for professional snowboarders here in the UK, so I’m working hard to get the funds together through my own online business (PoundShaveClub) and also through brand ambassador work. There are so many things that help me day-to-day and it’s great to be able to highlight these as a brand ambassador.

Do you have any exciting projects lined up that you can tell us about?

My main focus is the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. There’s always the dream of a medal so I’m keen to keep that in my sights. We have a test event there this season so I’m excited about that. I will also be presenting an award at this year’s UK Heart Safe Awards, on behalf of defibshop.co.uk for the Life Saver of the Year category, something I am incredibly excited about. I won’t be at the event as I will be away training, so I’ll be presenting the award via video link!

Where is your favourite resort and why?

I love Whistler in Canada, every time I go there they’ve got fresh powder and a great snow park. Everyone there is super friendly and the town has a nice atmosphere. Plus the resort is just massive so you can keep riding for ages and never do the same run twice!

If you could plan the perfect trip what would it involve and who would you take with you?

It would probably be somewhere I could snowboard in the morning and surf in the afternoon. I would bring along my husband, a bunch of friends and everyone in my family as my brothers, parents, nieces and nephews all like either the snow, the beach or both.

Your work as an ambassador for defibshop sounds particularly interesting, how did you get involved?

As a trained first aider, I had been introduced to defibrillators and advised how easy they were to use. Incidentally I also visited my sister-in-law’s dental surgery where I saw one on the wall and found out it had been purchased from defibshop.

I also found that as I read more and more stories about athletes at the top of their game suffering from cardiac arrest, whilst playing the sport they love. Thinking about myself, my team and my family, I decided to approach defibshop about how I could ensure we were all Heart Safe. After meeting the team it was clear how passionate they all are about what they do, and I was over the moon to start a partnership! I now have 2 defibrillators with me at all times to protect me and my team when we travel and compete. A SCA can happen anywhere at any time, so I wanted to be equipped and the defibrillator units are easily portable, and even easier to use.

Why are defibrillators important to you?

A SCA can affect anyone at any time regardless of your age, your gender, your ethnicity or your lifestyle, and a defibrillator is so important in saving a life should this happen. 12 young people under the age of 35 die each week in the UK as a direct result of suffering cardiac arrest, and the only definitive treatment is CPR and the use of a defibrillator.

I ensure that all parts of my body are protected when I train and compete, and for me, it made sense to protect my heart as well. I often train in remote areas, so I feel a little safer knowing I have it with me. I think of it as an extension of my first kit, and they’re so easy to use, that they should be in all public places and buildings.

Why do you think defibrillators need more of a profile in sport?

I think it’s not just about raising their profile in sport but in every aspect of life too. Sport definitely needs more defibrillators as there are so many athletes that fall prey to SCA, and it just shows that you can be fit and healthy and still fall victim to this.

We notice you recently sustained a nasty head injury what happened there and how is the recovery going?

I managed to get a nice deep cut on my head by catching it on a piece of metal which was sticking out of the wall whilst in France last month – thankfully nothing too serious! I had to get four stitches but it’s healed nicely now so I’m back to focusing on my training and my ambassador work. 

More information on Zoe's work with Defib Shop can be found here