The Swinton youngster travels to Deeside in North Wales three times a week to pursue the sport she loves. And her dedication has paid off. Beth, a year 11 pupil at St Ambrose Barlow High School, has been selected to represent Great Britain at under-18 level.
"I have always liked skating," said 15-year-old Beth. "When I was about nine someone suggested playing roller hockey at Pendlebury Recreation Centre. So I joined the Pendlebury Coyotes and took it from there.
"Everyone was very supportive and suggested I took up ice hockey, so I went to Flintshire. I play for the women's team, the under-16s boys and sometimes the under-19s boys. It can get quite rough and physical but the referees don't really allow fighting. There can be a bit of pushing and shoving but nothing worse than that - unless you're playing with the under-19 boys!
"I would like to get a scholarship in Canada or America because they have women's leagues."
Headteacher Bill Livesey said: "This is the highest individual sporting honour a pupil at the school has ever achieved and we are very proud of Beth."
Great Britain under-20s coach Roger Hunt described his side's World Championship Division One Group A campaign in Sheffield as "a learning experience".
Having gained promotion by winning the gold medal with a 100 per cent record in Lithuania in January, they experienced the other side of the coin as five straight defeats at iceSheffield dumped them back in Division Two.
Hunt said: "It was a learning experience for the players. In the end the guys had nothing left in the tank." Tweet
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Well done. That just shows what dedication is needed for minority sports in the UK. We too travelled to Deeside. We are now in Calgary where hockey is King. Interesting though that soccer is well funded on well organised. Even rugby is well organised. Britain has much to learn from Canada about funding and supporting ALL sport.
Well done Beth. We know you will have had to struggle hard to do this.
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