ICE HOCKEY: AFTER three years of helping athletes based at the University of Bath improve their performance, Wiltshire-born applied sports scientist Debbie Palmer is returning to international action herself as a member of Great Britain's ice hockey squad.

Debbie, who has already represented Great Britain as a short track speed skater at three Olympic Winter Games, retired from competitive ice hockey in 2000 because of pain caused by a prolapsed disc in her back.

But after exercising regularly with a Swiss ball something she has only used since working at the University of Bath she found the pain eased and she was able to have another goat the sport.

Debbie was born in Swindon and studied at Grittleton House School, near Chippenham, and then New College in Swindon.

She took up ice hockey again at the start of the 2004/5 season playing for Cardiff Comets in the women's Premier Division, and is now back in the GB squad. Her next target is to secure a place in the GB team for the 2007 World Championships, likely to be held in Australia.

Debbie took up ice hockey aged 13 and then tried speed skating at 15, when she took part in a competition in Bristol. Straight away she found out she was rather good at it she beat the speed skaters using slower ice hockey skates.

So although she was first called in the GB ice hockey squad in 1991 a year before her speed skating international debut speed skating was her sporting priority until her retirement from that discipline in 2002 after a decade in the sport.

During her short track speed skating career Debbie represented Great Britain at the Abertville Olympic Winter Games in 1992, as well as at Lillehammer in 1994 and Salt Lake City in 2002. She was 10-times national speed skating champion, won the 3k title at the 1996 European Championships, and also won three World Championship medals and 10 European Championships medals.

"Speed skating was my priority and I always used to fit ice hockey in around speed skating," said Debbie.

"I was struggling to do two sports, particularly as I had a few injuries, so I retired from ice hockey in 2000 to concentrate on speed skating for the last couple of years. But this season I've played more ice hockey than ever."

Cardiff Comets finished fifth in the Premier Division this year and second last season, when, on Debbie's return to the sport, she was the Premier League's top scorer with an impressive 36 goals and 36 assists.

"Since I've been playing for Comets I've had a new lease of life. It was great to be top scorer in the league in my first full season back," added the 32-year-old. "Last time I was top scorer was my first year as a senior player when I was about 16."

Women's ice hockey is not a professional sport in the UK, and technically it's a non-contact sport - but you have to have plenty of commitment to play.

Training sessions are fitted around public sessions in ice rinks so tend to be at unsociable times of the day. Debbie trains once a month in Sheffield from 10pm till midnight, before driving home to the west country, and once a week from 9.15pm to 10.45pm in Cardiff.

Debbie is also currently working towards a Sport and Exercise Science PhD, carrying out research into injuries within rugby at the University of Bath's School for Health and works as a part-time applied sports scientist in the Sports Department's Human Performance Centre.

The University of Bath has one of the leading university sports departments in the UK. Under its TeamBath brand, its success is based on the expertise and dedication of staff, and its excellent facilities, used by the community and Olympic medal winners alike.