James Barnes-Miller

1. Tell us about yourself and your achievements as a Para-Snowboarder?

Name is James Barnes-Miller and I’m a Paralympic snowboarder from Kent. I have been on the team for 5 years now and went to the last winter Paralympic games in Pyeonchang, where I finished in 7th place in the Snowboard Cross and 10th place in the Banked Slalom.

The season just gone was my best season so far, I finished in 3rd place in the overall world cup rankings for the combined, and 2nd overall in the Boardercross world cup season.

2. After Owen Pick encouraged you to contact the British Para-Snowsport team, how has your friendship with him grown?

We spent a lot of time to together for the three years up to the Paralympics. After the games he wanted the summer off, which is fair, as every one was exhausted. The next season he got his own coach and the only time I saw him was in America for the Dew Tour. At the end of last summer we started training together again and we’ve both just had our best season ever, which is great.

3. How can someone reading this take up Para-Snowboarding and try to follow your successes?

I think there’s a few different ways to get started. Either contact Disability Snowsport UK who have instructors at most indoor centres in the UK, the AFPST (armed forces para snow team), who are doing a great job of developing athletes ready to come into the team, or finally contact GB Snowsport who will point you in the right direction or tell you who it would be best to speak to.

4. How are you preparing for the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing?

The plan that we had has totally changed now as we have missed a few months off training and don’t know when we will be able to start again. But whilst in lockdown I’m training hard, I’m lucky I have a load of gym stuff in my basement. As soon as we can we will get on snow, wherever that may be. Then, going forward we are going to try to get as much time on race courses as we can.

5. Do you think disability sport gets enough media coverage and how can it be improved?

I think Channel 4 do a great job with the Paralympics, and every games the coverage by them gets better and better. But other than the Paralympics there isn’t great coverage of disability sport. Our world championships in Norway next year is being held at the same place and time as the Para-Alpine and the Para-Nordic which is great for the TV coverage.

I think having a platform that streams disability sport would be great. I wouldn’t have a clue how this is done, but being able to go on-line and chose the disability sport you want to watch would be class.

6. Do you do any competitions in the UK that people can come and watch, such as at indoor snow slopes?

I don’t, which is a shame. We do try and get to the Brits at the end of the season, but that takes place in Laax, Switzerland.

7. What are your aims for the next 5 years?

So, at the moment I’m fully focused on Beijing and everything we are doing is to try and podium there. Then after that, start the process again for the Paralympics in Italy. Like I said earlier, I had an awesome season just gone and I want to build on that and get better and better.

8. In normal circumstances, how do you practice and train during the off season?

I’m not a big fan of off-season. The summer is the most important time for us, and this is where the biggest changes can happen. I sit down with all my support staff at the beginning of the summer and work out my weaknesses and things I need to work on. After that, my strength and conditioning coach and physio will work out a programme for me to follow in the gym. Then my coaches and I will figure where in the world will be best for what we need to train.

We always start the summer getting back to basics and build it up on every training camp to eventually be back riding full Boardercross courses by September/October.

9. Tell us more about the ‘casualty role play’ you do?

I haven’t done this for a long time now. When I was doing it, it was great as we mainly worked with the armed forces and emergency services. We would work with these guys to set up medical scenarios as part of their training. As a team we would have a make-up artist and people with missing limbs. We would then be made up to look like we had been blown up and injured, then put into scenarios for the guys on the ground to treat.

10. Who are your biggest competitors for the 2022 Winter Paralympics and tell us about them?

Everyone has massively upped their game and do so every season. But, the Chinese turned up the season just gone and smashed it with the 2022 Paralympics being their home games, so I think they will be the ones to watch. With Boardercross anything can happen on the day and everyone is working hard, so I think the racing will be incredible.