Author: Callum

As part of being an Amp-bassador for finding your feet we are now doing a 3 monthly blog update for the troopers. My first blog is below:
Hello Troopers old and new, for those of you who have never met me before my name is Callum Deboys and I am a Para-Nordic sit skier for GB Snowsports! Para-Nordic skiing is a discipline in skiing where skiers rely on their body for locomotion going up and down hill. I compete over various distances ranging from 1k to 15k in both Cross Country and Biathlon (Skiing and Shooting). I lost my left leg above the knee in 2017 due to a motorcycle accident when I was on my way to work as a pastry chef at Trump Turnberry. I never thought I would become a para athlete but after my accident I needed a focus and had a real drive to compete at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing 2022.

Like many I have found the past year very challenging and stressful at times although it has been very beneficial, with having so much time at home to train we had a really big block just to focus on getting stronger and fitter with very little distractions. I often find myself isolated most summers being in my own training bubble so it was a comfortable place for me to be!

Being a skier, snow is very essential to what I do and we have been extremely fortunate to have been doing some traveling for sport and competition. It may seem glamorous getting away to a different country, these days more than ever. Although, when we are away we are based in a hotel room and only go out to train or compete. It is pretty much exactly the same as the UK in most countries that we’ve been too so you are definitely not missing out.

Thankfully, we did manage to get some racing in this season although it was cut very short. We waited for months to hear about any racing and it went by in a flash. The 2 events we went too were held in America and Finland. At both events I achieved personal best results which I put down to having such a dedicated year to training.

I hope everyone is staying safe, positive and enjoying having a little more freedom back! I hope throughout lockdown you’ve managed to learn a new skill and challenge yourself in ways you never thought possible, if you’ve not then it’s never too late to start. Thank you for reading my first little blog and I’ll look forward to writing my next one as we get closer to Paralympic Games in Beijing 2022.