Jennifer Kehoe

{{short description|British Army officer and skier}}

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Jennifer Kehoe}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2018}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Jennifer Kehoe
{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}}}}

| image = Jennifer Kehoe MBE with medals.jpg

| alt = Jennifer Kehoe at the 2018 Paralympic winter games

| headercolor = lightblue

| nationality = British

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|15 November 1983}}

| birth_place = Staffordshire, United Kingdom

| partner = Menna Fitzpatrick

| coach = John Clark

| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Country | {{flag|Great Britain}} }}

{{Medal|Sport|Alpine skiing}}

{{Medal|Comp|Paralympic Winter Games}}

{{Medal|Gold|2018 Pyeongchang|Slalom}}

{{Medal|Silver|2018 Pyeongchang|Super combined}}

{{Medal|Silver|2018 Pyeongchang|Giant slalom}}

{{Medal|Bronze|2018 Pyeongchang|Super-G}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Para Alpine Skiing Championships}}

{{MedalGold|2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska Gora|Downhill}}

{{MedalGold|2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska Gora|Super-G}}

{{MedalSilver|2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska Gora|Slalom}}

{{MedalSilver|2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska Gora|Combined}}

{{MedalBronze|2019 Sella Nevea/Kranjska Gora|Giant slalom}}

{{MedalBronze|2017 Tarvisio|Giant slalom}}

{{Medal|Comp|World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup}}

{{Medal|Silver|2017 Pyeongchang|Slalom World Cup}}

{{Medal|Bronze|2017 Pyeongchang|Super-G World Cup}}

{{Medal|Gold|2016 Aspen|Overall World Cup Champions}}

{{Medal|Gold|2016 Aspen|Overall Giant slalom World Cup Champions}}

{{Medal|Silver|2016 Aspen|Super-G World Cup}}

{{Medal|Bronze|2016 Aspen|Downhill World Cup}}

{{Medal|Bronze|2016 Aspen|Slalom World Cup}}

| show-medals = yes

| website = www.mennaandjen.co.uk

| sport = Alpine skiing

}}

Major Jennifer "Jen" Kehoe {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (born 15 November 1983) is an author{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0903530414/isbncheckuk-21|title=A History of 28 Engineer Regiment 1951- 2014|last=Kehoe|first=Captain J. A.|date=2014-06-01|publisher=Institution of Royal Engineers|isbn=9780903530415|edition= First}} and former professional skier,{{Cite web|url=https://www.paralympics.org.uk/athletes/jennifer-kehoe|title=ParalympicsGB {{!}} Jennifer kehoe|website=ParalympicsGB|language=en|access-date=2018-03-12}} formerly competing with visually impaired athlete Menna Fitzpatrick as her sighted guide{{cite news |title=Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe: {{sic|Para-ski|iers|nolink=y}} call time on partnership|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/58326720|access-date=10 September 2021 |work=BBC Sport |date=25 August 2021}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/15908676.Former_Bournemouth_School_for_Girls_pupil_Jennifer_Kehoe_to_represent_Team_GB_at_Winter_Paralympics/|title=Former Bournemouth School for Girls pupil Jennifer Kehoe to represent Team GB at Winter Paralympics|website=Bournemouth Echo|date=31 January 2018 |language=en|access-date=2018-02-28}} on the IPC World Cup circuit and has represented Great Britain winning four medals including gold at the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Games in South Korea becoming Britains most decorated winter Paralympians.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/wales/42609799|title=Welsh teenage skier Fitzpatrick: Paralympic call-up 'means everything'|date=2018|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2018-02-27|language=en-GB}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.forces.net/sport/forces-athletes-wholl-be-competing-winter-paralympics|title=The Forces Athletes Who'll Be Competing In The Winter Paralympics|work=Forces Network|access-date=2018-02-27|language=en}} She was a British Army Officer.{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-kehoe-19246240/ |title=Jennifer Kehoe |access-date=21 December 2021 |website=LinkedIn.com}}

As well as competing, she worked with wounded veterans and service personnel to support them in their recovery journey as the Performance Manager of the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team.{{Cite news|url=https://britishparasnowsport.org/person/jennifer-kehoe/|title=Jennifer Kehoe - British Parasnowsport|work=British Parasnowsport|access-date=2018-02-28|language=en-GB|archive-date=17 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617015335/https://britishparasnowsport.org/person/jennifer-kehoe/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jenniferkehoe|title=Read Jennifer's story|last=JustGiving|website=www.justgiving.com|access-date=2018-02-28}} It was through Army racing that Jennifer became a para-alpine ski guide.{{Cite web|url=https://www.awsa.org.uk/vi-skiguide/|title=Army Winter Sports Association|last=|first=|date=|website=www.awsa.org.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-28|archive-date=14 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614195315/https://www.awsa.org.uk/vi-skiguide/|url-status=dead}} In 2014, she started her guiding career skiing with Paralympian Millie Knight, although a serious injury prevented Kehoe from competing in the Sochi Paralympics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/31790417|title=Millie Knight & Jen Kehoe win skiing silver at IPC Worlds|date=2015-03-08|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2018-02-28|language=en-GB}} Now skiing with Menna Fitzpatrick, the pair exceeded expectations at the Winter Paralympics in South Korea.{{Cite news|url=https://www.spirefm.co.uk/news/local-news/2512703/salisbury-skiier-hoping-for-paralympics-glory/|title=Salisbury {{sic|ski|ier|nolink=y}} hoping for Paralympics glory|date=2018-02-23|work=Spire FM|access-date=2018-02-28|language=en-GB|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410134923if_/https://www.spirefm.co.uk/news/local-news/2512703/salisbury-skiier-hoping-for-paralympics-glory/ |archive-date=2018-04-10}} They paired up in September 2015, which is proving to be a hugely successful partnership. Along with over 20 Gold and Silver medals to their names, they made history in 2016 by becoming the first ever British athletes to win an overall World Cup crystal globe and be crowned World Cup champions.{{Cite web|url=http://www.disabilitysportwales.com/news/2016/03/07/fitzpatrick-scoops-overall-world-title/|title=Overall world title|last=|first=|date=|website=www.disabilitysportwales.com|language=en|access-date=2018-03-01|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811174435/https://www.disabilitysportwales.com/news/2016/03/07/fitzpatrick-scoops-overall-world-title/|url-status=dead}} Kehoe and Fitzpatrick also won the discipline title for giant slalom that season, as well as placing second in the super-G classification and third in the downhill and slalom standings.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/wales/46276055 |title=BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2018: Menna Fitzpatrick profile |author= |date=23 November 2018 |website=bbc.co.uk|access-date=9 March 2019}}

Fitzpatrick and Kehoe took a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Tarvisio, despite Fitzpatrick suffering a broken hand in a super-G training accident in October 2016 ahead of the 2016-17 season, keeping her off the snow for two months and requiring her to have surgery. The following season the pair took the discipline World Cup title for super-G.

At the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships Fitzpatrick and Kehoe took five medals, securing bronze in the giant slalom and silver in the slalom{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/46989944 |title=Para Alpine World Championships: Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe win slalom silver |author= |date=24 January 2019 |website=bbc.co.uk|access-date=9 March 2019}} before winning gold in the downhill ahead of compatriots Kelly Gallagher and Gary Smith, becoming the first British skiers to win both Paralympic and World Para titles.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/47058282 |title=Para Alpine World Championships: Menna Fitzpatrick & Jen Kehoe win women's downhill gold |author= |date=24 January 2019 |website=bbc.co.uk |access-date=9 March 2019}} They then took a second gold in the super-G before rounding off their championships with a second silver in the combined.{{cite web |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/paralympics/kelly-gallagher-wins-three-medals-in-two-days-at-world-championships-37767388.html |title=Kelly Gallagher wins three medals in two days at World Championships |last=Hanna |first=Gareth |date=31 January 2019 |website=Belfast Telegraph |access-date=9 March 2019}}

Kehoe was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to Paralympic Winter Olympic Sport (sic).{{London Gazette|issue=62310|supp=y|page=B18| date=9 June 2018}}

On 25 August 2021, she announced the end of her partnership with Fitzpatrick and said her future was within the British army.