When Team GB snowboarder Aimee Fuller arrived at the Sochi Olympics in 2014, she expected the food hall to have everything. It almost did – except the one item she never starts her day without.
“It is said that the Olympic Village has every food under the sun,” she said. “But I can confirm, I searched high and low, and the one thing they didn’t have was a good old bowl of traditional oats.”
Aimee, 34, did what any oat-deprived athlete would – she phoned her nan. Within days, Susan McGough was on a flight to Russia with a suitcase packed with Quaker porridge.
“When you have a ritual and it’s a part of who you are – it’s vital – we needed our oats,” Aimee said. “The team went into panic, my nan was coming out to watch, and she got it, she understood. She had great fulfillment in going to the store for the Olympic squad, and quite literally, she brought out an entire case of oats for the rest of the team.”
Aimee and Susan’s story was part of the inspiration for a new partnership between Quaker and Team GB ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina in February.
The collaboration aims to fuel British athletes with the same oat-based breakfasts that has powered Aimee through her career.
Eating porridge was a ritual for Aimee’s family. Her grandfather prepared his oats slowly and traditionally, and after his death, she and her nan continued to do this together, experimenting with toppings like berries, nuts, and honey.
“My nan is the classic example of somebody who has embodied change,” Aimee said. “Moved with the times, just being very open. I competed in a sport that was different and did require me to take a very different route; my nan is someone who has never judged any of us as a family.”
She also used porridge as a way to bond with her late coach Nelson Pratt. The two would compete to create the most elaborate toppings and always share a laugh before hitting the slopes. Their ritual was affectionately called ‘executive pRarge’
“Nelson taught me a lot about nutrition and how to take care of my body,” Aimee said. “After his passing, the ritual became a tribute – a celebration of friendship, mindfulness, and finding joy in everyday moments.”
Through years of Olympic competition, porridge remained Aimee’s anchor. “Training days began with yoga followed by a nourishing bowl of porridge – sometimes with Greek yogurt or eggs for protein,” she said.
“The porridge was a staple of our day as snowboarders spending long hours on the mountains. We needed something hot and hearty that fuelled us as well. And that was porridge.”
When Team GB head for the Italian Alps in February, Aimee and her 85-year-old nan will be cheering them on, confident they’ve got more than enough oats to propel them to victory.
