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Blog: "Nothing beats being on the mountain"

The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) website features a blog post every Friday. This year, we’ll be sharing the experiences of disabled people and those who support disabled people, on their journey to being more active. This week, GB snowboarder James Barnes-Miller talks about his love for the great outdoors and ambitions for Pyeongchang 2018.

James Barnes-Miller snowboarding

Hi, James Barnes-Miller here, I am a British snowboarder on the GB Parasnowsport team. I am 28 years old and was born without my right hand. My specialist snowboard disciplines are boarder cross and bank slalom.

I have been a skate boarder since I was young and spent my teenage years skating with my friends. I started snowboarding in 2010 and after a chance meeting with the GB team during a trip to Landgraaf, Netherlands. I began training at an elite level in 2015.

I love being outdoors and that goes hand in hand with snowboarding. Nothing beats being on the mountain and the scenery is always mind-blowing. It really gives you a sense of perspective.

I have always been an active person, even before I started snowboarding. Building is my trade which is quite a very physical job, so it's something I'm used to. I like to keep busy and am at my best when I'm doing something physical. I think it helps with my mental health too.

When I’m not in training for snowboarding, I keep fit by going to the gym. I love the feeling after a good session in the gym, when you get that rush of endorphins. I can see and feel my training improve as a result of my active lifestyle. That sense of achievement is a big motivator for me. I find it quite addictive actually! I’m also a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so snowboarding ticks that box straight away.

Having a good support network is vital. Knowing that you have people behind you who understand what your goals are and what you're trying to achieve is really important to me. It pushes me to keep going. Being part of a team is good too, as knowing that other people are going through something similar is reassuring. It also makes it easier to cope the dramas that crop up from time to time.

GB Snowboarder James Barnes-Miller on podium after finishing third in snowboard cross. In November, I competed at the IPC Para Snowboard World Cup event in the Netherlands and finished seventh overall in the men’s banked slalom category. Shortly afterwards, I headed to Finland for another World Cup event and finished third overall in snowboard cross (above photo shows James on the podium in Finland). These races are pretty important for me, they provide crucial preparation and qualification for the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. My ultimate goal is to qualify for the Games, it would be incredible to call myself a Paralympian.

My message to other disabled people who want to be move active is don't hold back. My disability has never stopped me and I don't think others should let theirs stop them. Don't listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't do something because of your disability. There are always ways around things, you just have to look out for them. If you enjoy something and feel passionately about it, then just go for it - regardless of your ability.

You don't have to be the best to enjoy being active. Although personally for me, when it comes to snowboarding I want to be the best!

Find out how you can get involved in winter sports and learn to ski or snowboard, visit Disability Snowsport UK website.
If you want to be more active but aren’t sure how to start, visit our dedicated webpages for advice.