Waterski ace Marie Toms braced for new season

But that's not Marie's main ambition this year.

She said: "Winning the title again would be great but what I'd really like to do is improve my personal best because that means I could pick up ranking points that would enable me to compete abroad against the best skiers in Europe.

"Last year was a bit of a washout because the weather was so bad, really windy for most of the competitions, and that made conditions on the water difficult. But it's already looking better this year and I hope it means I'll be able to achieve my aim."

Marie competes in the slalom, which involves repeated passes around bouys set along the course. The tow rope is shortened after each run and the skier scores with each buoy passed. The current British record is 1.5 bouys on an 11 metre rope and Marie is confident that, with the right conditions, she can break that.

She said: "My personal best is one buoy at 11m but I think I can manage at least three. I regularly manage it on a 12m rope in practice but it's all down to how you cope with the pressure of competition.

"It is more difficult than it sounds because the shorter the rope the tighter the turn and when you are travelling at 55km an hour you don't get much time to react to things."

Marie, who also won the British Universities title last year, has beefed up her training with weightlifting sessions over the winter. She even came second in the London Weightlifting Championships in December but has found it has helped her waterskiing.

"I've found it a real benefit," she said. "Because the weightlifting involves a lot of explosive moves it's given me a lot more strength and I've really noticed the difference when I've been on the water. Even though I've had less time to practice the quality of my skiing has been better."

Marie is keen for other people to try out the thrill of waterskiing.

She said: "This is a really great sport, especially when the sun is shining and it's something anyone can try. If people are worried about the cost they should try the winch system, which gives you an hour's skiing for just £15. There are quite a few places that do it so it's worth checking out.

"It's great exercise, a lot of fun and there's always a good social side to it when you've finished."

To find out more about clubs in your area visit britishwaterski.org.uk.

Marie is looking for sponsorship. If you think you could help get in touch with Marie via her website marietoms.co.uk or email her at marietoms@aol.com.