Great Britain has 25 athletes competing at the Winter Paralympics, supported by dozens of coaches and staff. But at ParalympicsGB House in Cortina, one “very good girl” has been stealing the spotlight.
Pickle is an eight-year-old black Labrador guide dog, who assists Hester Poole in visually impaired Para-alpine skiing events.
“She loves the mountains — she’s always really bouncy when she sees the snow,” said Poole, who has had severely limited vision since birth. “When I get to the bottom of the piste, win or lose, there’s this furry ball of love waiting for me.”
Poole, 18, from Bath, is competing at her first Winter Paralympics in the giant slalom on Thursday and the slalom on Saturday. She and Pickle began working together while filming the Channel 5 series Puppy School for Guide Dogs.
Pickle has helped Poole regain confidence and live more independently. The pair’s bond was evident during an impromptu press conference in Cortina, where Pickle also received canine-adapted ParalympicsGB kit.
“Empathetic and attuned to human emotions,” Pickle proves to be an ideal teammate for an elite sporting event. She enjoys playing with her ball and even joined in a game of volleyball during team training.
While athletes follow strict nutritional plans, Pickle is more relaxed, eating “pretty much anything she can find on the floor.” Although her loyalty is unquestioned, Pickle’s eligibility raised a few eyebrows — she actually holds a German pet passport.
