WHEN Blackburn bobsleigh ace Paula Walker goes for glory at the World Junior Championships tomorrow, she will do so in tribute to her sick father.

The 24-year-old is determined to win a medal at Park City, Utah and dedicate it to dad Paul who is terminally ill with myloma cancer.

Paula pulled out of the final rounds of the World Cup to rush back to Blackburn to be with her father who has just undergone 17 days of chemotherapy treatment.

And she was going to withdraw from the forthcoming championships until her dad, a 52-year-old former operations manager at Whitbread Brewery, intervened.

“He told me not to,” said the former St Bede’s High School pupil. “So now I am determined to win gold and dedicate it to him.

“This is a tough time for all of us but he wants me to carry on and do him proud. So I am doing it for him.

She added: “He was pretty poorly when he was in hospital so I didn’t think twice about pulling out of the World Cup because family comes first. But now I am going to the championships, it will make me even more determined.”

Walker, who finished in 11th place at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver last year, has been promoted to GB number one pilot this season and has responded with a string of top 10 finishes in America, Canada and Europe.

And at each race she had written a special ‘get well’ message to her dad on the back of her legs.

“I feel very guilty continuing with bob sleighing knowing my dad is at home, but it is what he wanted,” added Walker, a corporal in the Royal Signals. “So each race I put something on my legs just simply like ‘love you dad’ or ‘hi mum and dad’ to cheer him up.”

Her messages from around the world have been well received back at the family home in Feniscowles.

“The messages she writes are lovely and her dad is always looking out for them,” said mum Denise, 49. “They really cheer her dad up.

“Paula was thinking about not going but her dad was having none of it.

“Win or lose, we are very proud of her and we have always encouraged her to go and compete.

“This is a tough time for all of us but this is a nice distraction for Paula to have and a focus for her dad and the rest of the family.”

After spending more than two weeks in Blackburn Royal Hospital, Mr Walker is currently back at the family home.

“It’s difficult to plan for the future, it is all about doing things in bite-size pieces,” added Denise.

“The world championships are something to look forward to and, hopefully, if Paul is well enough, we’ll all travel down to London for the awards.”