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Major Natalie Taylor wins Marie Claire award

Marie Claire’s ‘Women at the Top 2015 Awards’ has honoured Major Natalie Taylor with one of ten awards.

Major Natalie Taylor

Marie Claire’s prestigious event showcases innovators, trailblazers and game-changers and celebrates the triumphs of ten inspirational women - including the Army’s Major Natalie Taylor.

Graduating as a Doctor in 2007, Major Taylor went on to do her officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before becoming a General Duties Medical Doctor for 1 Medical Regiment. She has subsequently served in Germany, Afghanistan and in the UK.

In addition to her duties, Major Taylor has led the Army Medical Services’ Ladies nordic and biathlon ski team to their first medal in 2014, and continues to coach the team.

Her exceptional sporting abilities are also demonstrated outside of the Army. Major Taylor has completed 2 ironman competitions 13 days apart, and won the 6633 Arctic Ultra Marathon, a 350-mile foot race in the Canadian Arctic which she completed in just over 6 days.

Major Taylor is one of two Army doctors leading ‘Exercise Ice Maiden’, an all female trans-Antarctic expedition in 2017. The team will walk 1,700km in temperatures of down to -80C and wind speeds of over 60mph. On the exercise, the team will carry out medical and psychological research on women undergoing endurance in extreme conditions whilst promoting the development of leadership, teamwork and the moral and physical courage vital to the delivery of operational capability. This exercise aims to characterise the qualities of a modern woman in the British Army, and inspire a new era of female expeditionary spirit within the military.

On receiving the award, Major Taylor said:

There are numerous incredible women in the UK Armed Forces, so I am extremely honoured to receive this award from Marie Claire.

Being in the Army has allowed me to develop my physical and mental capabilities, and I would not have achieved my potential to this extent without those opportunities.

Published 2 October 2015