A DETERMINED disabled skier from the New Forest is preparing to take on the world in the 2006 Winter Paralympics in Italy.

Liz Miller from Brockenhurst lost her left leg below the knee due to medical complications following a skiing accident in 1997.

She was just 17 years old at the time. But instead of being knocked back by her disability she got on with her life.

"It's character building," she admits.

It took her a couple of years to get back on skis again at the Snowdome in Tamworth, when she was at university.

Then in 2000 the NHS came up with a special rigid prosthesis, strapped high on the thigh, designed for skiing.

She has not looked back.

Taking part in the British University Skiing Championships in 2003 made her realise her future lay in competition.

This March she took part in the British Adaptive Ski Championships and came away as Ladies Overall Ski Champion, Downhill Champion and Slalom Champion.

Now she has been pre-selected for the British Squad of the Paralympics Adaptive Ski Team and, as the only women, has high hopes of appearing on the slopes at Sestriere, Turin next March.

Much of her time is spent training at the National Sports Centre for the Disabled at Winter Park, Colorado, and soon she is heading off to New Zealand with the British squad for training during the antipodean winter.

When at home in Brockenhurst with parents John and Ann and sister Catherine and her family Liz keeps fit by running and general exercise.

She reckons it will cost her £10,000 to compete next season.

She has several sponsors and whenever she comes home heads off to work in the Foresters pub near Brockenhurst station to earn more money to keep her on the slopes.

Her parents are very supportive.

"Mum used to be a little scared, but she came out to see me in America last year and since she's seen me she feels a little better about it," she said.

Potential sponsors can log onto www.liz-miller.co.uk.

First published: May 12