Jennifer Kehoe

Major Jennifer "Jen" Kehoe MBE (born 15 November 1983) is an author[1] and former professional skier,[2] formerly competing with visually impaired athlete Menna Fitzpatrick as her sighted guide[3][4] on the IPC World Cup circuit and has represented Great Britain winning four medals including gold at the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Games in South Korea becoming Britains most decorated winter Paralympians.[5][6] She was a British Army Officer.[7]

Jennifer Kehoe
MBE
Jennifer Kehoe at the 2018 Paralympic winter games
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born15 November 1983 (1983-11-15) (age 39)
Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Websitewww.mennaandjen.co.uk
Sport
SportAlpine skiing
PartnerMenna Fitzpatrick
Coached byJohn Clark
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
Alpine skiing
Paralympic Winter Games
Gold medal – first place2018 PyeongchangSlalom
Silver medal – second place2018 PyeongchangSuper combined
Silver medal – second place2018 PyeongchangGiant slalom
Bronze medal – third place2018 PyeongchangSuper-G
World Para Alpine Skiing Championships
Gold medal – first place2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraDownhill
Gold medal – first place2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraSuper-G
Silver medal – second place2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraSlalom
Silver medal – second place2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraCombined
Bronze medal – third place2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska GoraGiant slalom
Bronze medal – third place2017 TarvisioGiant slalom
World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup
Silver medal – second place2017 PyeongchangSlalom World Cup
Bronze medal – third place2017 PyeongchangSuper-G World Cup
Gold medal – first place2016 AspenOverall World Cup Champions
Gold medal – first place2016 AspenOverall Giant slalom World Cup Champions
Silver medal – second place2016 AspenSuper-G World Cup
Bronze medal – third place2016 AspenDownhill World Cup
Bronze medal – third place2016 AspenSlalom World Cup

As well as competing, she worked with wounded veterans and service personnel to support them in their recovery journey as the Performance Manager of the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team.[8][9] It was through Army racing that Jennifer became a para-alpine ski guide.[10] In 2014, she started her guiding career skiing with Paralympian Millie Knight, although a serious injury prevented Kehoe from competing in the Sochi Paralympics.[11] Now skiing with Menna Fitzpatrick, the pair exceeded expectations at the Winter Paralympics in South Korea.[12] They paired up in September 2015, which is proving to be a hugely successful partnership. Along with over 20 Gold and Silver medals to their names, they made history in 2016 by becoming the first ever British athletes to win an overall World Cup crystal globe and be crowned World Cup champions.[13] Kehoe and Fitzpatrick also won the discipline title for giant slalom that season, as well as placing second in the super-G classification and third in the downhill and slalom standings.[14]

Fitzpatrick and Kehoe took a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Tarvisio, despite Fitzpatrick suffering a broken hand in a super-G training accident in October 2016 ahead of the 2016-17 season, keeping her off the snow for two months and requiring her to have surgery. The following season the pair took the discipline World Cup title for super-G.[14]

At the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships Fitzpatrick and Kehoe took five medals, securing bronze in the giant slalom and silver in the slalom[15] before winning gold in the downhill ahead of compatriots Kelly Gallagher and Gary Smith, becoming the first British skiers to win both Paralympic and World Para titles.[16] They then took a second gold in the super-G before rounding off their championships with a second silver in the combined.[17]

Kehoe was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to Paralympic Winter Olympic Sport (sic).[18]

On 25 August 2021, she announced the end of her partnership with Fitzpatrick and said her future was within the British army.[3]

Military service

Kehoe underwent officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[19] On 12 December 2009, she was commissioned into the Royal Engineers, British Army, as a lieutenant with seniority in that rank from 16 June 2008.[19] She was promoted to captain on 12 June 2012.[20] After attending staff college, she was promoted to major on 31 July 2019.[21]

Notable awards 2018
  • Member of the Order of the British Empire - Presented by HRH Queen Elizabeth II
  • The Sunday Times Sportswoman Of The Year - Disability Sportsperson of the Year (VI Guide to Menna Fitzpatrick MBE)
  • British Army Sportswoman of the Year Award
  • Woman of the Year Awards - Outstanding Achievement

References
  1. Kehoe, Captain J. A. (1 June 2014). A History of 28 Engineer Regiment 1951- 2014 (First ed.). Institution of Royal Engineers. ISBN 9780903530415.
  2. "ParalympicsGB | Jennifer kehoe". ParalympicsGB. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  3. "Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe: Para-skiiers [sic] call time on partnership". BBC Sport. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  4. "Former Bournemouth School for Girls pupil Jennifer Kehoe to represent Team GB at Winter Paralympics". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  5. "Welsh teenage skier Fitzpatrick: Paralympic call-up 'means everything'". BBC Sport. 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  6. "The Forces Athletes Who'll Be Competing In The Winter Paralympics". Forces Network. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  7. "Jennifer Kehoe". LinkedIn.com. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  8. "Jennifer Kehoe - British Parasnowsport". British Parasnowsport. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  9. JustGiving. "Read Jennifer's story". www.justgiving.com. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  10. "Army Winter Sports Association". www.awsa.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  11. "Millie Knight & Jen Kehoe win skiing silver at IPC Worlds". BBC Sport. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  12. "Salisbury skiier [sic] hoping for Paralympics glory". Spire FM. 23 February 2018. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  13. "Overall world title". www.disabilitysportwales.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  14. "BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2018: Menna Fitzpatrick profile". bbc.co.uk. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  15. "Para Alpine World Championships: Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe win slalom silver". bbc.co.uk. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  16. "Para Alpine World Championships: Menna Fitzpatrick & Jen Kehoe win women's downhill gold". bbc.co.uk. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  17. Hanna, Gareth (31 January 2019). "Kelly Gallagher wins three medals in two days at World Championships". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  18. "No. 62310". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 June 2018. p. B18.
  19. "No. 59316". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 January 2010. p. 1217.
  20. "No. 60669". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 October 2013. p. 21336.
  21. "No. 62732". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 August 2019. p. 13981.
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