The 30-year-old won her nation's first individual Winter Olympic gold medal since ice skater Robin Cousins in 1980 and was the first British woman in 58 years to become a Winter Games champion when she secured gold in a new track record at Vancouver 2010.

As a Team GB ambassador, Williams, who also won silver at the 2009 World Championships, will work to motivate and inspire the athletes and team members aiming to take part in next year's Sochi Games, while helping the British Olympic Association (BOA) to raise the profile of the team before and during the Olympics.

The athlete, who was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 2010, has committed her time voluntarily and will be at the heart of the action engaging with supporters and fans, as well as the competitors' family and friends in Sochi.

"Never in a million years did I anticipate the intense spotlight that winning gold at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics would cast on me," Williams said.

"I wasn't prepared for what was to follow after becoming an Olympic Champion in Vancouver so I hope, that through my role as an ambassador, I can not only help Team GB members in Sochi achieve their Olympic ambitions but also, and very importantly, enjoy the most special moment of their life of becoming an Olympian or an Olympic medallist.


Williams' first assignment is to support the British team at the 2013 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival (EYOWF) in Brasov, Romania, this month, and she is looking forward to embracing the role.

"I am really looking forward to the year ahead and the projects I will be working on including supporting the Team GB at this month's European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Brasov," she explained.

"The London 2012 Olympics aimed to inspire a generation and the athletes competing in Brasov and Sochi are part of that generation.

"I am one of Team GB's greatest fans and I can't wait to see who will be selected for the team and what we will achieve at these Winter Olympics after some great performances this season."

The BOA's chief executive, Andy Hunt, also welcomed the news and thanked Williams for her commitment to the team.

"As our first official Team GB 2014 Ambassador, Amy Williams will be an integral part of Team GB and play an invaluable role at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics where she will be at the heart of the action engaging with Team GB supporters and fans and also sharing her thoughts and experiences of the Olympic environment with the family and friends of our athletes," he said.

"We thank Amy for committing her time voluntarily.

"We know that Team GB athletes will be proud to have her as their ambassador."

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