A CONVERSATION with Elise Christie finds her in a good place, physically and mentally. When we speak she is in Switzerland preparing for round two of the eSkootr Championships (ESC), the former world champion’s latest pursuit following her retirement from short track speed skating at the end of last year. And more on that later.
The views of Sion, she reveals, are beautiful, the weather is warm and she appears to have fallen in with a simpatico group, all thrown together from different backgrounds to compete in the inaugural season of electric scooter racing being held in glamorous venues all across the globe. A podium place would again elude her in Switzerland but the next opportunity isn’t too far away with the third stage set to take place in Italy from July 15.
This would seem at first glance to be a curious career move for the Scot but it appears to be a good fit off the back of some well-publicised professional and personal challenges, including her mental health and anxiety difficulties and the claim revealed in her autobiography, Resilience, launched last year, that she had been raped as a 19 year-old.
The 31 year-old has felt let down by too many people over the years but the bond she has quickly formed with her new team-mates and rivals has helped provide the support network she felt was lacking previously.
“I’m enjoying it a lot and it’s been a nice change for me,” she says. “It’s been challenging having to adapt and learn as I’m so used to creating my own speed in skating but I feel that I’m getting better.
“I just get a bit ratty as I’m not one of the best at it yet and when you’ve got that competitive edge then you want to always be winning if you can. But that will come. And I’ve had to get fit again as well as it’s a lot more physically demanding than you might think.
“It was probably curiosity that drew me into this initially but then I went for tests and learned a bit more about what they’re all about. And I really liked the sustainability side of it too and the fact that it’s carbon neutral.
“The working environment they’ve created has been really refreshing too, so much different from what I had come from. Everyone helps each other and pushes each other on. The more time I’ve spent around these people the more I feel supported and that means a lot.
“My cat was sadly run over earlier this year and my boss at ESC rang me right away to check that I was okay and told me to take all the time I needed. If that had happened in the skating days they would have just told me to get to training. That’s just one example of how supported you are and everyone looking after you.
“The season runs on until we go to America in the autumn and then we’ll see about next year if I’m selected again. I’d love to be involved for the longer term if possible, racing initially and then maybe helping with promoting it. It’s so good for the environment, for mental health, you’ve got women and men racing together – there are so many positive factors surrounding it.”
Resilience was nominated for Autobiography of the Year at the recent Sports Book Awards. Researching and writing it was a cathartic experience for Christie who reveals there will be a revised edition appearing soon.
“Some people weren’t happy with some of the things that were written in it but it was all just honesty and things from my view,” she adds. “And the response overall has been really encouraging. People loved it and that felt amazing, especially after I’d come out with a few things for the first time. I wondered if I was doing the right things putting deeply personal things about myself in print, especially when people then picked up on certain aspects of it like sexual abuse.
“But I knew I had done the right thing when I had people contacting me who had been through similar situations to say it had been a big help for them to read my story. And it showed people that you can go through those dark times but still come through them to succeed in life.
“I’m going to be extending the book, adding in all the experiences of the past year plus a few of the things I couldn’t be fully open about at the time as I was working under certain people. So this will be a full and honest account. And now that I know that it got such good recognition the first time around I feel more confident doing that.”
Livingston-born Christie has moved back to Scotland from Nottingham, setting up home in Fife and hoping the tranquillity will help bring her a restorative sense of inner calm. She remains unsure about what the future holds for her in skating having previously spoken about a self-funded tilt at the 2026 Winter Olympics but outside of the GB system.
“I’m not really sure what’s going to happen with skating,” she admits. “The ESC have been supportive and would have no problem if I wanted to go back training again. I’m not going to do it this year as I would have to raise a lot of funds but it’s something I might look to get back into next year.
“I’ve moved back to Scotland, near the seaside in Buckhaven, so it’s been a completely fresh start for me. I’m used to being in the city so it’s very different but I’m enjoying the peace and quiet and maybe that’s just what I need.”
