GB Snowsport: Partnerships with Menna Fitzpatrick & Katie Guest

·21 min·2 clips

Menna Fitzpatrick describes the nerve-wracking return to snow after leg surgery ahead of the Paralympics.

The episode opens with hosts Michael and John introducing guests Menna Fitzpatrick and Katie Guest, a Paralympic alpine skiing duo aiming for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics. Menna is noted as Britain's most decorated winter Paralympian with six medals, including one gold, from Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022. Katie, her guide, missed Beijing due to a COVID infection. They discuss Menna's recent return from leg surgery, describing it as nerve-wracking but now placing her in a good headspace for racing. Katie explains how she maintained fitness and guided other athletes during Menna's injury, gaining new communication ideas. The partnership formed five years ago, with their first guiding experience being canyoning in Spain. They describe their roles: Menna decides speed during races, while Katie handles race-day timings, with logistics managed by coaching staff. Communication involves Bluetooth headsets, with Katie using tones and clock-face directions to guide Menna at high speeds, varying by discipline. They manage emotions, with Menna getting nervous in speed races and hyped for slalom. Off the slope, they maintain friendship despite living in different cities. Menna reflects on her Paralympic experiences: Pyeongchang was fun-focused, while Beijing was pressured and isolated due to COVID. She also discusses briefly skiing with reserve guide Gary Smith in Beijing. Looking ahead, they plan to use early World Cup races as confidence-building steps, aiming to peak at Cortina. When asked about medal prospects in five events, they avoid pressure, focusing on training. The episode concludes with well-wishes for their Paralympic journey.

As heard by us

Bluetooth headsets on helmets make Katie and Menna's racing partnership feel like a live exchange of speed, distance, tone, and trust.

This Anything but Footy episode is strongest when it stays close to the working parts of Katie and Menna's race partnership: Katie judging race-day timing, Menna deciding how hard to push, and both athletes holding distance while moving at speed.

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Why you'd press play

Want a close-up of race-day teamwork, where Bluetooth helmet headsets help two athletes stay close at speed?

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