A SENIOR lecturer at the University of Worcester has picked up two trophies at the Great Britain Inline Speed Skating Indoor Championships.

Pammie Murray-Hopkin raced to success in two categories — the veteran and senior women — at the contest in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

It is the first time Murray-Hopkin has won a Great Britain championship since she took up the sport just three years ago.

Since then, she has competed across Europe, against professional speed skaters and is now racing at international contests.

The senior lecturer in leadership at the Henwick Road university said she was delighted to take home the title of Great Britain women’s champion.

“It was such a great achievement for me,” said the 42-year-old, of Battenhall, Worcester.

“I only took up skating three years ago as it had always been a dream and, as I was approaching 40, I thought it was now or never.

“My aim was to get into the GB team but to win is just fantastic.”

Murray-Hopkin, a member of the Birmingham Wheels speed skating club, is a former 400-metre hurdles and steeple chase athlete, competing internationally before taking up speed skating.

She is now manager of the GB women’s team and is part of the national coaching set-up.

The sport becomes an Olympic event for the first time in 2012 and Murray-Hopkin is hoping to be involved in the coaching of Great Britain’s competitors.

The university runs the Skatesmart programme, which is sanctioned by the Federation of In-line Speed Skating (FISS).

It helps those who want to teach and coach youngsters in different locations, levels of activity and fitness.

The programme has been extended into a Level Two Sports Coach UK award via Sports Coack UK with the British Roller Sports Federation and FISS.