first sochi paralympic blog british team

Here are the Olympians going to Sochi representing Great Britain unfortunately there will be no Irish competitors

 

Kelly Galaher

 

·        Born

18/05/1985

·        Hometown

Bangor, County Down

·        Events

Visually impaired: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super Combined, Super-G, Downhill

·        Disability

Oculocutaneous albinism, a visual impairment that affects the way light is transmitted to the brain due to the lack of pigment in the eye

·        Interesting Fact

Kelly became the first athlete from Northern Ireland to compete at the Winter Paralympics when she made her debut at Vancouver in 2010

 

Jade Etherington

 

·        Born

09/03/1991

·        Hometown

Lincoln

·        Events

Visually impaired: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill

·        Disability

Visually impaired due to a genetic condition called Axenfeld syndrome

·        Interesting Fact

Jade is a trainee teacher and often sets geography quizzes for her GB team-mates

 

·        Mick Brennin

·        Born

29/10/1979

·        Hometown

Doncaster

·        Events

Sit-skiing: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G

·        Disability

Lost his legs in a suicide car bombing in 2004 while serving with the Army in Iraq

·        Interesting Fact

Mick played ice sledge hockey against the Canadian Defence Minister in an exhibition match at the Vancouver Paralympics

 

Anna Turney

·        Born

05/07/1979

·        Hometown

Northampton

·        Events

Sit-skiing: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill

·        Disability

Broke her back in a crash while snowboarding

·        Interesting Fact

Anna uses meditation and yoga to calm her mind before racing

 

Ben Sneesby

 

·        Born

26/06/1994

·        Hometown

High Wycombe

·        Events

Sit-skiing: Slalom and Giant Slalom

·        Disability

Born with a tumour on his spine, leaving him with no feeling in his left leg and only partial sensation in his right leg

·        Interesting Fact

Ben is an accomplished wheelchair basketball player. He captained the England South team at the 2013 Sainsbury’s School Games.

 

·        Mike Knight

·        Born

15/01/1999

·        Hometown

Canterbury

·        Events

Visually impaired: Slalom and Giant Slalom

·        Disability

Visually impaired after contracting a parasitic disease called toxoplasmosis as a child

·        Interesting Fact

At 15, Millie will be the youngest ever athlete to represent ParalympicsGB at a Winter Games

 

James Whitley

·        Born

17/11/1997

·        Hometown

Wilmington, East Sussex

·        Events

Standing: Slalom and Giant Slalom

·        Disability

Born with an impairment to both hands

·        Interesting Fact

James is a big Formula One fan. His favourite driver is Jenson Button

 

 

A team representing Ireland has competed at every Summer Paralympics games but the country has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics. Paralympics Ireland (formerly the Paralympics Council of Ireland) is the National Paralympics Committee Athletes from Northern Ireland may compete for either Great Britain or Ireland at the Paralympics, on the same basis as at the Olympics