Kent gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold has told of her joy after collecting an MBE today at Windsor Castle.

Her Majesty the Queen personally presented the 26-year-old, from West Kingsdown, with the honour.

After receiving the award, the athlete tweeted: "I received my MBE from The Queen today, it was one of the most memorable days of my life. We all had so much fun!!"

She added:"I want to thank everyone so much for supporting me – my friends, family, coaches, support team and all those people who cheered me on from the UK early this year – it is great for winter sport to be recognised in this way.

"I fly to the US tomorrow for the first race of the season so this is just the perfect way to say goodbye to the UK – being here with my family and having a special day – before I get down to business tomorrow and start winning more medals!”

Yarnold claimed victory in the women's skeleton competition in Sochi in February.

She went into the Games as one of Team GB's brightest medal hopes and she lived up to expectations by blowing away the rest of the field.

On her return to Kent she was presented with a miniature gold postbox in West Kingsdown, where she grew up, and paraded through Maidstone in an open-top bus.

In November she was nominated as BBC Sports Personality of the Year alongside visually-impaired skier Kelly Gallagher and her Medway guide, Charlotte Evans.

"It was one of the most memorable days of my life" - Lizzy Yarnold

The winner will be announced at a televised ceremony on December 14.

Yarnold, who grew up in West Kingsdown, will be flying back from Lake Placid in the US for the awards, and will then fly out to Calgary in Canada.

Since winning gold Yarnold has used her success to inspire Kent school pupils, visiting several schools in the county and giving talks to children.

At Maidstone Grammar School, where she was head girl between 2006 and 2007, she set up the Lizzy Yarnold Sports Award which will be awarded to three pupils each year.

Speaking at the time she said: “It didn’t feel weird being back, it’s totally feels normal. A lot of the buildings are exactly the same and it brings back a lot of very good memories.

“Some of these girls are very talented athletes already. The questions they asked me were great and I loved talking to them.

“When I left I was given an award which said I was most likely to go to the Olympics. To now have an award under my own name is a very, very big deal and it’s an honour for me.”

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