Blog

Some info about me

How did you first get in to snowboarding?
When I was eight and my mother was living in the Swiss resort of Flims. I was at boarding school in England but my brother and I went skiing during my winter and Easter holidays. This gave us plenty of time to practise our skills up in the mountains. I quickly realised that I wanted to snowboard professionally. At 17, I went up against the best British riders at the British Snowboard Championships. I was on the podium for all four events and was placed second overall in my age category. This led to my first sponsorship deal with Oakley and put me on the road professionally.

How do you deal with your type 1 diabetes as a professional snowboarder?
It comes down to two main factors: a good diet and being prepared. A good diet means three meals a day. Breakfast consists of cereal and fruit – plenty of carbohydrates to keep my blood glucose levels stable during the morning. (Breakfast is always determined by what I plan to do during the day.) Lunch centres on having enough carbohydrates to last the afternoon, so it’s normally a bowl of pasta, a plate of chips or a sandwich if I’m in a hurry. Depending on how the day went with regard to blood glucose levels, I eat what I want for supper but always have my fill of greens.
Being prepared means making sure that everyone I snowboard with, go drinking with and play sport with knows that I have type 1. When I’m snowboarding, I’m a lot more intense with my riding partners and explain all the signs indicating high or low blood glucose levels. I make sure that they carry a hypo treatment with them at all times in case I lose mine.

Has type 1 diabetes ever prevented you taking part in snowboarding?
Not so far. The only real problem is getting tired a bit quicker than other riders, so I take a few more days off. Everyone has been so supportive of me that I can’t see any problems occurring in the future. My positive attitude plays a very important part in my career, as does safety, of course. As I said, it’s all down to preparation

What are your latest achievements?
I’ve been the only snowboarder to do a demo during the World Free Ski tour (Verbier ride 2005 and 2006). I achieved my best ever results this winter, coming third in the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships and ninth at the World Freeride Tour I am also the top-ranking British Freerider in the new world Freeride ranking, with a world ranking of 30. My snowboard sponsor, Allian, has now put me on their international team, which makes me very proud.

In 2006, I went from John O’Groats to Land’s End on a monkey bike dressed up as a cow for a charity. Also, my brother and I set up our own company, Southwell Enterprises, which has been a great success.
I’ve just spent most of the last winter in Verbier, travelling around and following the snow, trying to make the best of the bad snow conditions. Worked out OK as I have had a lot of coverage in all the magazines and I was very pleased with my video parts. My greatest achievement, though, is just doing what I want without type 1 diabetes holding me back.

What advice would you give to somebody with diabetes wanting to snowboard?
Follow these simple rules:
- Listen to your body. If you’re finding it hard to adjust to the climate, don’t push yourself and keep a very close watch on your blood glucose levels.
- Prepare for a day on the mountain. Have a good breakfast and make sure everyone in your group knows that you have type 1 and knows the hypo warning signs. Always make time to stop for lunch.
- Wrap your insulin and testing kit in a hat or a sock in your rucksack to prevent it freezing. Also, wait until you are in a warm lift or a restaurant before testing.
Winter sports are great fun. Look after yourself and you’ll have the time of your life.