A thrill-seeking grandmother is returning to ice dancing after going blind three years ago.

In her early 20s, Tracy Compton travelled the world, competing for Great Britain in international synchronised skating competitions.

At 45 years of age and registered blind, she is now getting back on the ice.

The adventurous mother of four and grandmother of three also competes in tandem cycling time trials.

With a current personal best of 25 miles in 1 hour, 4 minutes, Ms Compton said: "It’s thrilling. I think I’ve got a thing for speed."

At 13, Ms Compton, of Halesowen Road, Morden, lost the sight in her left eye through a detached retina. Nearly 30 years later, glaucoma claimed the sight in her right eye, leaving her completely blind.

Skating since she was five years old, Ms Compton ‘took to it like a duck to water’ going on to spend six hours a day skating in her teens.

                

Ms Compton stopped skating when she had her first three children. After returning to it briefly in her early thirties, she stopped again when her mum died in 2007.

"My mum used to work in the ice rink shop. When I lost her it was quite hard to go back," said Ms Compton.

Supported to get back on the ice by a friend and fellow-skater, Ms Compton said: "I was transported back in time. It was like I’d never been off the ice."

Ms Compton uses her hearing to avoid collisions with other skaters. She said: "You can hear somebody’s movements. I can hear the skates on the ice.

"Different moves sound different, like going forward or backwards sound different. I never really thought about it before."

"I’m an ice dancer at heart," said Ms Compton, who is now working towards her level nine ice dance medal.