She's already seen off her rivals on the ice to win gold at the Winter Youth Olympic Games but 2016 could yet get even better for Bath skeleton athlete Ashleigh Pittaway after being shortlisted for SportsAid’s prestigious One-to-Watch Award.

In February, Pittaway continued Great Britain’s success in the sport of skeleton as she claimed gold at the Youth Olympics in Lillehammer.

If Pittaway thought that would be the only highlight of the season, then she was mistaken as the Munich-born athlete moved onto the senior circuit, finishing third at the Koenigssee European Cup event and also 15th at the World Cup event at the same venue.

Not bad for the 16-year-old. However there was also further good news as she joined the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton centralised programme for 2017 – further cementing her status as one to keep an eye on – while her latest nomination adds to what has already been a successful career so far.

SportsAid’s One-to-Watch Award was launched in 2006 with double Olympic medallist Tom Daley the inaugural winner, with six of the ten recipients competing at the Rio Games this summer.

And Pittaway is now in line to join such illustrious company as one of three final nominees selected from over 1,100 rising British stars supported by SportsAid across more than 60 different sports – Alex Yee and Tom Derbyshire completing the trio.

The winner will be presented at the charity’s annual SportsBall on November 24 and, with no winter sports having previously won the award, Pittaway was aiming to make further history for her sport.

“I was blown away when I found out I was on the shortlist, I could not believe it as there were so many other worthy athletes in the country so to be in the top ten was really special,” she said.

“I feel really honoured just to be a part of the top ten so to win it would be amazing.

“SportsAid have been very supportive, when I won my gold at the Winter Youth Olympic Games they were there congratulating me at the end. But they’ve also been there throughout the whole year.

“Winning that gold was a really big thing, I still get congratulations from people now.

“I just tried to keep calm at the time and told myself that it was just a normal race.

“It was a great experience to then go onto the World Cup circuit and compete against the best in the world.

“At the start of the year, getting a gold at the Youth Olympics was my main goal for the season but to slide in a World Cup race too was amazing.”

With the new winter sports season fast approaching, Pittaway had been busy putting in the hard yards in training, including taking part in the British selection races last month alongside the likes of Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold.

For now, she is based predominately in Munich where she is finishing off her studies although next year the idea is to push on, and eventually spend more time training at the British skeleton base in Bath.

“I’ve collected a lot of experience and learnt a lot which I can hopefully translate into this season,” she added.

“We recently had the skeleton selection races so I was able to talk with the senior guys and get advice from them like Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold.

“I have school work to do this year as I have my final exams. It’s not always easy to balance both but my school have been very supportive.

“It’s a tough sport and physically and mentally tiring but it’s a lot of fun at the same time.”

The winner of SportsAid’s prestigious One-to-Watch Award will be revealed at the charity’s 40th anniversary SportsBall in London on Thursday 24 November.

All funds raised from the SportsBall helps to support the next generation of British athletes.

Please visit www.sportsball.org.uk for tickets.