Ollie Hill reckons blocking out the buzz of social media held the key to making British Winter Paralympic history at Beijing 2022.
The 32-year-old became the first British snowboarder to win a Paralympic medal after a stunning first run in Friday’s banked slalom.
Hill, who had his right leg amputated in 2018 and only made it on to the British team two years later, stopped the clock in 1min 10.45sec to guarantee himself a podium place ahead of SB-LL2 teammate Owen Pick.
The snowboarder switched his phone off for the bulk of his time in Beijing and says the sound of silence helped haul him to his surprise success.
“I haven’t had my phone on for the last couple of weeks,” he explained. “I only sent close, close people from back home this [Chinese mobile] number that we’re on out here.
“They all know who they are, but to be honest I haven’t turned my Instagram on.
“To be honest, it’s been quite nice not having any social media for a couple of weeks - but as soon as I get home, I think it’s going to get a bit wild.
“It’s been amazing and I’m so stoked to be here. I’m a little bit surprised by this as I was on a mission just to get here in the first place.
“Just to think I could come away with an actual bit of silverware and pull it out of the bag for Great Britain – I can’t believe it or even put it into words.”
Hill has always had a passion for snowsports and first strapped on a pair of skis at the age of just four on a family holiday.
But his attention soon pivoted to snowboarding as he juggled the sport alongside a promising career as motorcross rider in his teens.
Everything changed in December 2018, however, when a then-29-year-old Hill was involved in a serious car accident and forced to get his right leg amputated below the knee.
Hill refused to let his brush with adversity hold him back and, after joining the GB Snowsport programme in 2020, came fourth in the banked slalom at January’s World Championships before then reaching the Paralympic snowboard cross quarter-finals on Monday.
Then came that brilliant banked slalom display four days later, guaranteeing a medal before he even started his second run behind home favourite Qi Sun and Finnish flyer Matti Suur-Hamari and ahead of teammate Pick by just 0.19s.
“The first run took the pressure off and made all the difference,” added Hill. “I tried to push, push, push for the gold – but as soon as I went through the first four or five turns I felt it was a bit slower.
“Everyone knows exactly what it means to me – I bet my sisters right now are on the phone to each other crying their eyes out.
“They helped me so much through all of this, so they’ll definitely be the ones who are a bit teary.
“And my old man and mum will be proud, I’m sure – I can’t wait to speak to them later on.”
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