Fans of winter sport have been given the chance to have their picture featured on a British bobsleigh as part of a new BBSA campaign ©BBSA

Fans of winter sport have been given the chance to have their picture featured on a British bobsleigh as part of a new campaign launched here today.

The British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (BBSA) are encouraging supporters to send in photographs of themselves as part of their "Selfie on a Sled" initiative for a fee of £25 ($31/€28).

The national governing body hope it will ramp up enthusiasm for both their bobsleigh and skeleton teams with the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang approaching. 

It will "bring supporters to the forefront of the British teams’ quest for medals on the path to Pyeongchang and will make their selfie one of the fastest the world has ever seen", according to the BBSA.

A number of British stars attended an event to officially launch the scheme here today, including Olympic skeleton gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold.

The 28-year-old has been named in the BBSA’s squad for the upcoming International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup season after she took an extended break from the sport following her success at Sochi 2014. 

Yarnold has been chosen alongside team-mate Laura Deas as the two female skeleton representatives, with the opening World Cup event scheduled to take place from November 28 to December 3 in Whistler in Canada.

Dom Parsons and Jack Thomas have been picked for the men’s team.

"Having Lizzy back sliding is a huge positive for the team as a whole," BBSA skeleton performance advisor Andi Schmid said.

"Her achievements speak for themselves but she is also a fantastic role model and she has a great influence on new and experienced sliders alike."

Montell Douglas is a new addition to the British bobsleigh squad for the upcoming season ©Getty Images
Montell Douglas is a new addition to the British bobsleigh squad for the upcoming season ©Getty Images

One of the standout names in the men’s bobsleigh squad is Joel Fearon, who clocked the joint third-fastest 100 metres time ever recorded by a British athlete when he ran 9.96sec during the English Athletics Championships in Bedford in July.

Also in the squad is Mark Lewis-Francis, a member of the British 4x100 metres relay team that won the Olympic gold medal at Athens 2004. 

Fearon and Lewis-Francis are joined by fellow brakemen John Baines, Sam Blanchet, Greg Cackett,Tremayne Gilling, Andrew Matthews, Ben Simons, and Judah Simpson for the men’s World Cup programme.

They are set to be used on a rotational basis, performance director Gary Anderson revealed here.

Lamin Deen, Brad Hall, Bruce Tasker have been chosen as pilots.

The women’s bobsleigh squad is made up of pilot Mica McNeill and brakewomen Anya Kay, Mica Moore and Montell Williams, a member of the England 4x100m team that won Commonwealth Games gold medals at Delhi 2010.