[Archive 2012-12-20] Wikinews interviews Canadian Paralympic skier Vanessa Knight

Historical archive — originally published 2012-12-20. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Recently, Wikinews spent time with with Canadian Paralympic skier Vanessa Knight who was at Copper Mountain, Colorado for the IPC Nor-Am Cup.

Vanessa Knight: I am a disabled racer. I have a left arm amputation and I'm a speed skier.

((WN)) I've been asking a lot of Paralympic disability skiers, what is the craziest skier of the slope? The standing ones, the blind ones, or the mono skiers?

Vanessa Knight: Oh my God, the blind ones for sure. I couldn't imagine throwing myself down a hill without seeing anything. Especially the B1s. They have duct tape on their goggles.

((WN)) Are you going to beat... oh! Australia doesn't have any skiers for you to beat. Do you think the level of competition for women's disability skiing is high enough to give the sport a future?

Vanessa Knight: I think the level of competition is high enough, yes. But I still think we need more racers and people to get involved and really promote the sport, because, I mean, the more the merrier, right?

Vanessa Knight: I guess some girls are just scared and they don't want to throw themselves out there. But I'm not like that and neither are the rest of the girls here. They're not afraid to throw themselves down a hill and go fast.

((WN)) Is there anything you want to say about disability skiing in Canada that people in Australia or the world should know?

Source and licence

Text adapted from Wikinews interviews Canadian Paralympic skier Vanessa Knight by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.