Q&A: Quick-Fire Answers from Millie Knight

What’s your earliest sporting memory?

My earliest sporting memory is games at school. I was rubbish! I didn’t really know I couldn’t see at that point – but I gave everything a go and I was so so bad.

Do you have an early memory of the Paralympics?

My first significant memory of the Paralympics was London 2012, when I went to the opening ceremony. I remember looking at some of the best athletes in the world walking in, representing their countries. I was like WOW!

If you weren’t an elite athlete what would you be? 

I’m going to be an osteopath and I would’ve probably started my career a bit earlier.

When did you first believe you could be a professional skier? 

I remember my first training camp with the British team. The coaches sat us all down for a chat and at the end called us athletes. I was a bit like ‘woah, I’m 12 years old and I’m being called an athlete’. It was so cool.

And when did you first believe you could be a Paralympian?

In 2013 I won my first medal at my second international race. It made me think I probably had a bit of potential.

What advice would you give the younger you?

Don’t be so fearful! Go into everything with more confidence.

What’s the one piece of advice you have for someone following in your footsteps?

If you have a disability, it’s not an excuse. Give everything a try, even if you’re bad at it, because I was bad at every sport I tried until I found skiing.

Do you have any superstitions that help you when you’re competing?

Yes! I used to be very bad for superstitions. I’d sit in the same chair for every dinner. My sport psychologist said ‘Millie, what happens if someone sits in your chair at breakfast? You can’t let that affect your racing!’ So I’ve tried to stop that. Mind you, I have to put my left sock on my left foot, and they’re all labelled!

What keeps you awake at night?

Ha! Downhills and Super G can be pretty scary. From my crashes, fear is something I experience quite significantly. My heart usually pounds pretty hard the night before a downhill race.

How important is rest for your recovery vs nutrition or fitness?

I always try to get an early night and relax before I go to sleep. I don’t want to be stressed or rushed, so I lay out everything for the next day in order, which means every step I make is progress to getting on my skis. I wake up early so I can go back to my room after breakfast to chill out. Training usually starts pretty early. In Pyeongchang in 2018 we were up at 4am, then training until lunchtime. We’d then do lots of recovery and physio and go through our videos from that day’s training with our coaches. After that it’s a little bit of downtime, dinner, repeat – and sometimes there’s a gym session as well!

What’s your number 1 sleep tip?

Get into a good routine.  When I’m abroad, I bring everything I need at home with me – so my sleeping environment is similar to what I’m used to. I have a dehumidifier, my Amazon Alexa, all my charging stuff and a photo book of home.

What are your most common dreams and nightmares?

My most common nightmare is definitely crashing while I’m skiing! I don’t have a common dream but my goals slip into my dreams. Because I can’t see very well, most of my dreams are like feelings, so I get elation when I’m dreaming.

To learn more about Millie, visit her athlete profile