Team GB’s world champion will face off against China’s Eileen Gu for gold in Milano Cortina having conquered her fear of flying high above a 22-foot wall of ice

As part of Zoe Atkin’s degree at Stanford University she is learning how the brain conquers fear. The Team GB freestyle skier is about to put theory into practice in one of the most dangerous – and dazzling – sports at the Winter Olympics. “What we do is pretty risky,” she says. “When a regular person watches, they’re like, ‘Oh my god, these guys are crazy. What are they doing?’”

No wonder, given her sport involves skiing down a 22-foot wall of ice before twisting and spinning her body high into the sky and landing back on the wall. Then repeating the daredevilry five more times in quick succession.