Ski star Menna vows to be ready for Winter Paralympics 2026

Britain’s most decorated Paralympian sustained the injury while training in Switzerland in November 2024. She said, “I was doing slalom, and I went straight into a gate (the twin poles alpine skiers must pass between during a slalom event). I fractured the tibia in my left leg in about five places. It’s definitely one of the more serious injuries of my career. At this stage I’m not allowed to ski, but I’m having physio and getting stronger.”

The fact that she broke the tibia in her right leg during the Covid pandemic is helping her mentally, she explains, because she knows exactly what she needs to do to recover. Missing the World Championships in February 2025 is “a bit annoying”, but if all goes to plan, she’ll be skiing again in the Spring. She added, “I’m desperately trying to get strong in time for some good summer training this year.”

Menna’s injuries are proof – if any was needed – of the risks inherent in her sport. Her achievements include four medals, including a gold, at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang and two more medals at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing. But competing at the highest level in a sport where racers reach speeds of up to 80 mph in the downhill event (the fastest of the Alpine skiing disciplines) pushes bodies and nerves to the limit.

At 26, Menna says she is more aware of the risks than she used to be, “but I’ve had so many years of doing it that I’m comfortable doing it.” She added, “When I was younger, I was like ‘I’ll do anything’. But it’s good to have some fear and nerves because that’s going to stop you from doing completely daft things.”

Born and raised in Macclesfield, Menna has about 5 per cent of her eyesight having been born with a condition known as congenital retinal folds. She has no vision in her left eye and limited sight in the right. Her skiing journey began at the age of 5 when her father gave her lessons on family holidays.

Menna said, “When my mum and dad were told I had a visual impairment the doctor said you’ve got two options: you can either wrap her in cotton wool and don’t let her do the dangerous things other people do, or you can let her learn the skills she needs to live an independent life. You do that by waiting ten seconds every time she falls to see if she can pick herself up.”

Her parents took the second option and Menna threw herself into sport. She said, “I’m the youngest of three girls and my parents are sporty. We were going to school sports events every night of the week. So, it was a case of joining in with my sisters or having a really boring time.”

Menna was discovered by a coach whilst skiing at an indoor slope in Manchester in 2010. She began training with the British Para Snowsport team and made her international debut for Great Britain in 2012.

Nowadays, she keeps her eye on “five or six” female skiers she views as her main competitors for medals. She said, “There’s a couple of girls from Austria, a couple from Italy, a Slovakian and a South Korean. I’ve definitely got an opportunity to get another gold in Italy, but the girls have really upped the level of competition. Since Pyeongchang the sport has really progressed, and you have to keep ahead of that.”

Keeping her at the top of her game is support made possible by National Lottery players. Menna is part of UK Sport’s World Class Programme (WCP), a scheme supported by National Lottery funding. The WCP helps our top athletes perform at the highest level by giving them access to the coaching and training facilities they need to win medals on the international stage.

When she isn’t training or competing, Menna volunteers at her local Brownies group. She also visits schools and gives talks to students. She said, “I’m terrible at just sitting down and relaxing.”

6th March 2025