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FEBRUARY
CONCIERGE
MY TIME
When did you lose your sight?
I initially lost sight in my right eye when I was one, and then it went
in my left eye when I was six. I don’t really remember anything
negative from that time. My mum just dealt with it really well. I’ve
been to mainstream schools and they have all been really fantastic.
So you didn’t really face any challenges growing up?
Not that I noticed, but I’m sure there were lots of people doing
things behind the scenes to help me.
When did you start skiing?
I started skiing just after I lost my sight. My mum thought it was a
good idea, and from the moment I put my skis on I thought, this is a
fantastic thing and I loved it.
How did you manage to ski without sight?
I went to ski school, and my mum didn’t tell them that I couldn’t see
so I was introduced to skiing naturally. When I was much younger
I thought I had perfect vision because I didn’t know anything
different. So I used to follow people without even realising they were
guiding me. I just followed the ski instructor’s voice and learnt that
way. There were never any problems. Well, they lost me once, but
apart from that it was all good!
We went skiing once a year and then I became more obsessed
and insisted we had to go more often. I don’t really live in the right
country for skiing – England’s not really known for its mountains!
When did you realise how good you were?
I’ll tell you in a month’s time!
When did you take skiing up as an Olympic sport?
I got involved after watching the London 2012 Paralympics, which
were simply amazing. I thought, I want to do that. I contacted the
charity Disability Snowsport UK and it snowballed from there. I was
At just 18, visually-
impaired skier Millie
Knight is tipped to take a
medal at the Paralympic
Winter Games in South
Korea next month. She
was the youngest member
of ParalympicGB at the
last Winter Games in
Sochi She and her guide,
Brett Wild, are the
reigning World Downhill
Champion in her category.
She talks about the
challenge ahead in South
Korea – and her love of
Innsbruck
WORDS
HANNAH CONSTANT
PHOTOS
JASON DODD PHOTOGRAPHY