A regional daily reporter has swapped the newsroom for the ice rink in the week the Winter Olympics begins in Russia.

Having never been ice skating before, Manchester Evening News journalist Emma Flanagan wanted to find out more about what winter sports can be done in the city after the 22nd Winter Olympic Games kicked off in Sochi on Friday.

Armed with gloves, skates and more than a little trepidation, Emma stepped onto the ice for a private lesson at Silver Blades Ice Rink in Altrincham.

Managing to avoid a previously planned trip to an ice rink about four years ago because of a dislocated knee, she made it through the introductory class unscathed with Team GB coach Jake Bennett.

N-ice to meet you...Emma takes to the rink with her instructor

“Resisting the urge to ask for one of the toddler penguins provided to help the little ones I headed out with my instructor Jake to take on the ice,” she wrote on the MEN website.

“As I turned green with envy watching teenagers do parallel spins, I moved with the energy of a funeral procession around the perimeter of the ice rink.

“The trick, apparently, is to keep your heels together as you skate which is a lot easier said than done. As I slowly edged my way around, and nearly breaking Jake’s hand in the process, I gained a little more confidence taking bigger steps and sometimes managing it without holding onto Jake.”

Emma was also taught how to get up when falling over and even tried skating backwards before her lesson was over.

“Before it was time to just enjoy having a skate around it was time to figure out how to skate backwards,” she wrote.

“It’s only now that I realise how silly it was to try and go backwards when you couldn’t really say I’d mastered forwards but never the less I gave it a go.

“Pointing my toes inwards I had to travel backwards on the balls of my feet.

“It was then I realised how much of a strain ice skating is on your calf muscles. I hadn’t realised how tight they had become from constantly balancing although Jake assured me that being less tense would go a long way to relieve the pain.”

Before her time was up, Emma chatted to Jake about the members of Team GB he coaches.

“He didn’t say either way whether or not I should consider joining so I think I’m still in with a chance,” she added.