We would like to give a huge congratulations to all of the Get Kids Going! supported athletes for their amazing achievements in the Winter Paralympics.
In a hugely exciting games, the athletes made us all proud with their determination and prowess after a particularly challenging few years. Their work at the Paralympics got off to a flying start when Millie Knight and her guide Brett Wild won GB’s first medal on the opening day of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Millie said the bronze ranked above her silver medal in the 2018 games. She said “It is the best bronze we’ve ever had in our lives.”
The Get Kids Going! supported athlete is competed in her third Paralympic Games. She recovered from a number of concussions, including a crash in February 2021, and won super combined gold in the World Championships in Lillehammer which was a great start to 2022.
The medals continued for Get Kids Going! supported athletes as on day two Menna Fitzpatrick won silver in the women’s Super G Vision Impaired, alongside her guide, Gary Smith. This is the fifth Paralympic medal of her career and made her the most decorated Winter Paralympian.
“I am so happy to be most successful British Winter Paralympian that is not what we came out to do today though, we went out to ski well, so to come out with a silver medal and a pretty amazing title as well means we are delighted.” said Menna.
“Just before the pandemic I broke my leg, Gary was guiding me at the time, and he was a great support during my rehab and to come through that and Covid as well make this really special.
“I had such an amazing time today I just want to go out there and do it again.”
Neil Simpson and his guide and brother Andrew Simpson won GB’s first gold medal on day two of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. With that amazing achievement the 19 year old Get Kids Going! supported athlete Neil, became the first British male athlete to win a gold on snow. Neil was the only Briton to top the podium in 2022, he also winning bronze in the men’s super combined class. Along with his brother he was given the honour of carrying the Union Jack as the Games closed on Sunday.
Neil was competing in his first ever Paralympic Games. He said “I am just really thrilled, it’s not really sunk in yet. This is our first season doing Super-G. Initially when we came down and Andrew said we had gone in to first place, there was a bit of an anxious wait.
“I wasn’t thinking about it being a winning performance, I was just thinking that it was a good run. We put it all down on the line and really went for it and I’m just very happy with the performance – it felt good. There was a sketchy moment coming into the bowl but we knew we needed to get back on it and really went for it down the bowl, so I’m really happy with that.”
Get Kids Going! Para Snowboarder James Barnes-Miller won the small final. He came fifth in the UL snowboard cross finals, but his achievement means that he gained the best snowboarding result for the Great British Paralympic Team.
James Barnes-Miller became the first snowboarder to represent Great Britain at the Paralympic Games at PyeongChang 2018. James ultimately finished 7th in the snowboard cross SB-UL and 10th in the banked slalom.
Meanwhile, Get Kids Going! supported athlete and three-time Paralympian James Whitley finished ninth in a field of over 30 skiers. It was his best finish ever at a Paralympic Games in the highly competitive men’s downhill standing class .
“I’m really pleased, it’s my best Paralympic result to date and my best downhill result to date, so I’m really happy with how it went,” said James with his time of 1:19.05.
Get Kids Going! supported athlete Callum Deboys, made his Paralympic debut on the first day of the Winter Games and came 17th with a time of 22:32.0 in the men’s sprint sitting para biathlon.
He said “I can’t believe that I’ve actually come here, finished the first race and it’s just the dream come true
“The conditions were tough, it was very windy out there and a pretty strong headwind, but the sun and the snow conditions were perfect, I really can’t complain.”
Finally, Get Kids Going! supported athlete Hope Gordon made history by becoming Great Britain’s first female Para Nordic skier at the Beijing Winter Paralympics. She finished 17th in qualifying in the women’s sprint event, missing out on the top 12 who went through to the semi-finals. “It is cool to be the first girl, but the main thing for me is as long as I’m not the last,” she said “It would be lovely to have more females involved in the sport. Hopefully this can be a platform for the females out there.”
We wanted to close with a fabulous photo of Menna, Millie and James Whitley from one of their very first training trips when they were young, so that you can see just how amazingly far they have come on. It shows how much your brilliant fundraising support has meant to them and led to Paralympic success.
A huge congratulations to all of our athletes at the Winter Paralympics and visit our homepage to find out more about the Get Kids Going! team at the Winter Paralympics 2022.