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A VOLUNTEER of the Penrith Mountain Rescue team who was a first-aider in China for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics has shared his experience.
Keith Hill, 53 based in Brampton, went to Beijing for six weeks as the only UK-based ski patroller for the global event, working on the alpine events.
Great Britain ended the Beijing Winter Olympics with two medals – a gold and a silver in women’s and men’s curling, but it was the paralympics that really marked the occasion for Keith, in which the athletes brought home six medals, a gold, a silver and three bronzes from the alpine skiers and also snowboarding bronze.
“I enjoyed the paralympics probably more than the olympics, just because it was so amazingly inspiring.
“The athletes were just amazing at how much energy and bravery they put into, watching the British visually impaired skiers go past me at about 100 clicks, it was just inspiring considering they can barely see where they are going, it’s incredibly brave.”
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This isn’t Keith’s first feat at the global event having also been involved Sydney’s 2000 Olympics.
Keith was part of the international ski patrol team, on the purpose made ski slopes, to work with the Chinese patrol team, which was set up by Olympic Committee to help combat any language barriers.
“Watching the British paralympians get gold for the downhill event was simply amazing, I was cheering from the sidelines, well silently cheering as they went past, as they’re visually impaired, you can’t make too much noise,” he said.
SMILES: Keith’s no stranger to the snow, having been an instructor on the slopes of Glen Coe.
The MRT volunteer was happy to report there weren’t any major incidents or nothing too horrendous that he had to bring aid towards.
“There’s always a few moments you think oh my, but then the athlete gets up and walks it off,” he said.
“It was really interesting working around a live racecourse, you can’t go on to the course to rescue someone in need, you have to wait on radio traffic to make the call when it’s safe to go in and help, but I suppose the last thing you want is someone hitting you at 70mph.
“Overall I think Britain did very well at the Olympics, but especially the effort from the paralympians,” he said.
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