( CNN ) -- Imagine hurtling down a mountain at 60 miles an hour . Now imagine doing it virtually blind . For Kelly Gallagher , it 's a thrilling reality . She might not quite reach the speeds of fully-sighted skiers -- Olympic champions can clock upwards of 90 mph -- but it is nonetheless a daunting prospect . It involves a great deal of trust in her guide , Charlotte Evans , a former skier herself who will play a key role in their chances of success at next month 's Winter Paralympics in Sochi . `` I do n't really have depth perception , so snow in particular is quite difficult , '' Gallagher tells CNN 's Human to Hero series . `` I definitely need Charlotte to be able to help me ski . '' The 28-year-old from Northern Ireland was born with oculocutaneous albinism , a condition that affects skin , hair and eyes . Bright lights give her difficulties , forcing her to squint . `` I grew up not really realizing the extent of my visual impairment , '' she says . `` I was always encouraged by my parents to do whatever I wanted to do and if I wanted rollerblades , my mum would reluctantly let me have them . `` So although I know I have a visual impairment , it has n't really stopped me in too many ways -- other than I ca n't drive a car . '' Gallagher was certainly a late bloomer when it came to skiing , only taking it up -- understandably with some trepidation -- as a 17-year-old while on a family holiday in Andorra , the tiny landlocked nation bordering Spain and France . `` I tried to convince the instructor that I could n't see anything , '' she says . `` He thought it was the bad visibility . `` We just got on with it and had a go , and I 've never felt that sense of freedom or sense of joy from anything I 'd done , so it was something I really threw myself into when I was at university . `` It 's a real joy and something I have n't found in another part of my life . Ski racing and skiing at speed , it 's something that I 'm not able to do on a bike or on a car or on a horse . `` I always have to give away that responsibility or that part of enjoyment to someone else . Somebody else is always driving or I 'm not able to go fast on a bike or I 'm doing it in tandem , but with Charlotte skiing in front of me , I 'm doing it all my own and she 's just leading me . '' Evans serves as Gallagher 's eyes as they twist , turn and descend on tricky terrain . She guides Gallagher , who trails a few meters behind , down the course , as they communicate through microphones in their respective helmets . Gallagher tunes out the sound of the wind , spectators and looming helicopters , focusing solely on Evans ' voice . It 's then up to Gallagher to make adjustments as she 's warned about a difficult patch , told to `` tuck '' or , conversely , drop speed . Call it a sort of leap of faith but also a study in quick reflexes . `` Charlotte and I worked a lot off snow in order for us to have that foundation on snow , '' Gallagher says , revealing that they saw a sports psychologist early on to help their partnership . If they ca n't communicate due to a breakdown in the audio equipment , Evans will -- and has -- stopped races . `` Safety first '' is her mantra , though Gallagher admits she was n't averse to throwing caution to the wind earlier in her career . `` There 's a confidence that comes with knowing Charlotte is in front of me , '' said Gallagher . `` Even if Charlotte is in difficulty , I am very confident skiing behind her . She would n't be bringing me into a situation where I would n't be able to cope with anything . '' Evans is a former English champion who combined with Gallagher after a serious knee injury essentially ended her own competition hopes . By the time they met in November 2010 , Gallagher had already made history by becoming Northern Ireland 's first Winter Paralympian at the Vancouver Games earlier that year . When her guide -- another ex-racer named Claire Robb -- later left , Gallagher was `` desperate '' to find someone else in order to continue her athletic career . In came Evans , who had snapped her cruciate ligament at the British Championships but still harbored hopes of a comeback . `` I was asked to do this and my first instinct was , ' I must be crazy . I ca n't have that responsibility . I 'm 18 . I ca n't . I do n't think I 'm ready for that , ' `` Evans recalls . `` It was actually my dad who was very much like , 'You have to just try . What 's the problem ? ' `` I did . The plan was to go back but I made a lot better decision and I 'm now here four years later . '' The two are like family now . Even when on individual holidays , thoughts of the other are never far away . `` We would talk about this thing called , 'mention-itis , ' `` says the ever-bubbly Gallagher . `` Whenever I go home , it takes me a good four to five days to stop being like , 'Charlotte thinks this ' or 'Charlotte does n't like to eat that . ' `` Even on Charlotte 's worst day , I would rather be with her than anyone else skiing . I find it a total delight to ski with her . '' `` Awww ! '' responds Evans . There 's no doubt that the chemistry has led to fine results , so a medal or two in Sochi -- the Paralympics begin on March 7 -- would n't come as a surprise . They plan to compete for Great Britain in all five alpine skiing events -- the downhill , super-G , super combined , giant slalom and slalom . The pair warmed up by winning a super combined race in Canada in January , and they grabbed two silver medals and two bronze medals at last year 's world championships in La Molina , Spain . `` I think our hopes are just to ski as well as we can and stick to what we know and not try to change anything , '' says Evans . `` It 'll be my first Games . I 'm normally the confident one who says , 'We 're going to this race and we 're going to do this , ' but maybe Kelly will be my help and bring me back to the base . `` We ca n't wait to get on the big stage . '' At some point Evans wants to finish her degree in sports science . As for Gallagher , she admits she 's nervous about returning to her job as a statistician -- because her `` brain has really turned to mush '' since immersing herself in skiing . For the time being , though , and with Evans ' assistance , the numbers might add up to success in Sochi .
Kelly Gallagher and Charlotte Evans will be competing at the Sochi Winter Paralympics . The skiers enter the Games in good form , claiming top spot in a recent super-combined race . Gallagher is visually impaired and Evans became her guide after a serious knee injury . Gallagher says of her native Northern Ireland : `` We have hills but we do n't have mountains . ''