Inspiring People - Millie Knight
By Matt Perry - 10 March 2022
A few people from around Worth Unlimited have agreed to tell us about someone who inspires them. First up is Matt Perry!
Millie Knight
British Paralympian Alpine Skier (visually impaired)
I love all kinds of sport! So when the Olympics or Paralympics or their winter equivalents come around, it’s a little slice of heaven! Well more than a “little slice” and more like a smorgasbord!
With the Winter Paralympics now underway, we are once again witness to the extraordinary achievements of people who find themselves at some kind of mental or physical disability as they launch themselves across snow or ice with phenomenal speed and/or skill.
I’ve tried skiing once! It was at an indoor ski slope in Milton Keynes and I swear I spent more time on my backside than I did upright. My legs were like jelly and the massive snowsuit meant that I was sweating buckets. Needless to say my career as a downhill skier was not going anywhere!
It’s difficult and scary to ski at speed down a steep slope - I’ve watched Ski Sunday and seen how dangerous it is when they crash out into the side netting. So how much braver and skilled do you have to be when you can’t fully see where you are going!? That’s exactly what World Champion and Paralympian Skier Millie Knight does. Have a look at this website article to get an idea of what Millie sees as she slaloms down the course:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/sports/olympics/skiing-millie-knight-paralympics-fear.html
These incredible athletes remind us that when we see a disabled person as somehow deficient - it's actually us who are limited.
Let’s use the Winter Paralympics to open up the conversation about views on disability, and to encourage and praise young people we work with who have disabilities.
Follow Millie on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/knight_millie
