Britain's Rowan Cheshire has announced her retirement from freestyle skiing at the age of 24 admitting that her 'body and mind just can't keep up with the pace'.

In 2014, she became the first British skier to win a Freestyle Skiing World Cup halfpipe title, only a year after taking bronze at the World Junior Championships.

She missed out on competing at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics after a horrific crash left her with a broken nose and severe concussion, but returned to the sport and achieved a seventh place finish at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang.

Since then, she has openly spoken out about the detrimental effects of her multiple concussions and the impact they have had on her mental health.

She said: "I feel so privileged to have spent the last nine years pursuing the crazy sport that I love. 

"But my body and mind just can't keep up with the pace of it any more and I have enjoyed exploring different avenues this year during my rehabilitation."

The young skier revealed the news to her followers on Instagram as she marked the two-year anniversary since the crash that ruled her out in 2014.

She wrote: "The synergy between your body and mind, particularly when competing in professional sport, has to be seamless.

"For me, that has been the most interesting part of this decision - my body might be fit enough now, but is my mind up to the task?" 

She was full of admiration for the team and reflected on what a positive experience it had been to compete for her country, adding: "Being a part of Team GB at the Winter Olympics was a dream come true and I'm so grateful I was given the opportunity to compete. 

Finishing the post, she wrote: "I hope in the future I can inspire people to take up sport, achieve their goals, find their passion and recognise the positive impact physical activity can have on mental health."