14 minute read
The Diary of Mia Brookes
past, present & future
By mia brookes
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Bonjour! Mia Brookes here, I hope you are all doing good! Hopefully you are all shredding it back on the mountains after two winters off snow. Here’s a quick update on my season last year… one of the best seasons I have ever had, despite everything!
unreal
I hit my first ever proline jump in Hintertux at the start of the season; the stoke was unreal and I was so happy!
In December we left the UK as another lock down was happening and my school announced it was closing again. We headed to Laax with the caravan, I competed in my first ever Europa Cup in Corvatch (Switzerland) which was amazing! My coach had to leave quickly before another lock down began in the UK and flights stopped, and my dad came out to see me but then had to self isolate straight away upon arrival, so it was just me and mum on the hill.
I came second overall at the Europa Cup, which I was super stoked about! I then went on to take second in the Crans Montana slopestyle Europa Cup in January too. Also in January, back in Laax, I got a feature on the Crap Show! Being invited to film for the Crap Show has been a dream of mine for a while now and it finally came true!
Moving on, the COVID-19 and travel situation really got out of hand and my coaches got stuck back home after a trip to The States with some of the team. I was schooling remotely in
STOKED
Switzerland and really needed a good coach to help me on the mountain to achieve some goals, so we had a great idea. Shout-out to ma main man Jason Rickwood (a.k.a Gypsy Snowboarding in Morzine) for being the best person on the planet and coming to help coach me over the winter !!!!!!!
Jason stayed next to us in a camping pod on the campsite in Laax and travelled round to some more of the Europa Cup comps with me. Some of my most memorable moments in the time I had with him were probably:
• landing my first ever 1080 • coming second behind Anna Gasser in the Absolute Park spring battle virtual rail comp • winning the Europa Cup big air in Davos • winning the Leysin Europa Cup Slopestyle. We were both really stoked about this because I was having a really difficult time trying to land a cab 9, I couldn’t put it down in practice, but had to (in my Dad’s words) “throw sh*t at the wall” and just send it in the comp, and I landed it! So yeah that was one that got us really stoked! • it was announced, (on my 14th birthday too!), that I’d been nominated and awarded The Reason Magazine’s ‘Rider of
the Year’. So stoked!
Jason left, my Mum went home and my Dad came out for the end of season. Dad, my Team GB coach Hamish and I went to Corvatch for my last Europa Cup, the slopestyle and big air finals. Sadly I didn’t manage to land my runs in finals, but came third in big air, meaning at the end of the season I came third overall in the 2021 Europa Cup.
Sadly, right at the end of the season, I then ended up in hospital with a concussion. I fell over riding into a jump, got airlifted to hospital and checked out overnight. All was ok but the Team GB doctors and physios recommended I go home and rest, taking three months off my board. That doesn’t seem like long, but trust me, it felt like forever! Once back in the UK I had weekly sessions with my physios Jeff Ross at Harris and Ross in Manchester and Alison from GBSnowsport. I also did lots of weekly strength and conditioning sessions with Nathan from the EIS. I cycled lots too, this helped to keep me fit, focussed and ready for my return to snow. Overall though, I had a great season!!!!
Thanks to everyone who helped me along the way, you are all so good and I love you all!
This winter I’ve been selected again for the GB team and I am really looking forward to representing them at the junior World Championships in Leysin as well as the Europa Cups again. As I turn 15 soon I can start competing in World Cup competitions and begin my journey towards the 2026 Winter Olympics.
You can follow my journey on Instagram @mia_brookes and I hope you enjoy this follow up article that I’ve prepared for you; Q&A’s with my team mates. I thought it would be fun, since this is an Olympic winter, to talk to the past, present and future Team GB winter olympians. They inspire me so much and they’ve each asked me one question too!
So, let me introduce you to Jenny
Jones, Katie Ormerod, Katie
Summerhayes and Kirsty Muir. >>
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Hi Jenny Jones! How did you feel when you found out
you had won a bronze medal for Great Britain at the Winter Olympics?
I think it took a good few minutes to sink in, then I had to keep checking with myself and it would then sink in all over again. It was a feeling of real achievement and I remember feeling very proud. I had actually done it, even though I was so much older, had gone through so many injuries, I managed to hold it together when it mattered. There, in that moment, I really wanted to hug everyone who had helped me win that bronze. One mega hug.
How old were you when you learnt to snowboard? Where was it?
I learnt to snowboard when I was about 16 and it was on Church Hill dry slope, which is now called Mendips Snow Centre, I think.
If you could do anything right now, anywhere in the world, what would it be and why?
I would fix my Dad's heart. He had a triple heart bypass surgery a year ago and although he is recovering really well, he’s not 100%. I would love to make him feel better.
But if you mean activity wise, well then after fixing my Dad's heart, I'd probably go somewhere really warm to surf with the boyfriend and mates:)
Where is your favourite place to go snowboarding and why?
One of my favourite places to go snowboarding is Japan, Moiwa. There’s great powder snow, a cultural experience, brilliant adventures and wonderful memories of shredding with buddies. Another of my favourite places to snowboard is Sainte Foy; its chilled, friendly with super fun terrain, I love it.
If you could give any future advice to Olympians what would that be?
It's not over until it's over! If you're going for the Olympics, put all your effort and passion into it, right until the end. Enjoy every minute of the process - the doing - and you’ll have an incredible journey you’ll never forget, no matter what the outcome.
Would you have done anything differently along your journey?
I have to say no! Although I would have liked not to have had a severe concussion two months before the Olympics. However if I hadn’t, could or would the outcome have been different, because I didn’t go through that experience? It might have changed some kind of link in the chain and I may not have been standing on that podium at the end. Who knows, ha!
Do you have a question for me?
Yes! If you could be a snowboarder from another country for the day, who would you be, where would you be and why?
Has to be Yung Doli (Lucas Baume) P60,Laax!!!
Hey Katie Ormerod! At the Olympics do
you prefer Big Air or Slopestyle?
I don’t have a preference between Big Air and Slopestyle as they are both really fun. I already checked out the Beijing Big Air and it was amazing, so I can’t wait to hit it again in February at the Olympics and I’m particularly looking forward to seeing what the Slopestyle course will be like as well.
If you could do any other snow sport discipline what would it be and why?
I would do freestyle skiing as I did it for a couple of years when I was three years old, so I would love to give it another try and I feel like my Gymnastics background would be very useful for learning tricks.
What is your routine on the night and morning before any competition?
My competition routine is exactly the same as any other training day. I make sure I go to bed early, so I can get as much sleep as possible and in the morning, I will have a healthy, filling breakfast to keep me going throughout the day. I also listen to some happy, uplifting music on the way to the competition venue to keep my vibes high.
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What has been your best moment and your worst moment?
My best moment was winning the Overall World Cup Slopestyle Crystal Globe. I’ve always wanted to win it, so it was the best way to end the most amazing season and I’m still excited about it now. My worst moment was breaking my heel. It was the worst situation to be in, but it made my best moment, winning the crystal globe, even sweeter.
Do you have a favourite song to listen to when snowboarding or before a comp?
I generally mix up my music before a competition, so I listen to anything from Musicals to Beyonce… Anything that is motivating and fun.
Do you have a question for me?
If you could compete in any other Olympic sport, what would it be?
I’ve never given this a thought before! So I suppose it would have to be Skateboarding?!
Follow Katie O’s Olympic winter on Instagram @ormerodkatie
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Hello Kirsty Muir! How do you feel
going into your first olympics?
I’m really nervous! However I’m super excited to ski in a new resort and I’m looking forward to the whole experience! I can’t wait to go to Beijing, I’ve never been to China so I think it will be an amazing experience!
How did you feel when you landed your dub 12? What was your preparation for it?
I was so happy when I landed my first dub 12, it was an incredible feeling going over twice for the first time! In preparation for the dub I first tried the trick on an airbag, along with prepping them on a trampoline. This helped me to feel a bit more comfortable before trying the trick on the snow.
If you weren’t a skier and you had to get a job tomorrow, what would it be?
I have always loved sports so I would say I’d love to do something sports related. I have always thought about being some sort of sports coach or a physiotherapist.
What’s your favourite snack on the mountain?
Usually I have a banana as a snack on the mountain, however I definitely have a sweet tooth so sometimes I have some Haribo or chocolate.
What is your morning routine before training?
In the mornings, I get up and have breakfast. I then make some lunch to take with me to training, after that I get ready to go skiing and if I have any time left I usually do some stretching. Once we get up the hill, we then do a warm up.
What are your top three TV series to watch on a down day?
Stranger Things, Greys Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries.
Do you have a question for me?
If you had a full day to do whatever you would like (anything other than snowboarding ), what would you do?
Definitely definitely Alton Towers with my friends or everyone I know on the GB team. I used to be petrified of rollercoasters when I was a lot younger, but now they’re like the best thing ever!!!
Follow Kirsty’s journey to Beijing on Instagram @kirski12
Hi Katie Summerhayes! If you could do
any other snow sport discipline other than skiing, what would it be and why?
I would do snowboard Slopestyle! I’d love to give it a try it and it looks really cool!
What is your routine the night and morning before any competition?
I try and not get too stressed! I just try to have a chilled night, watch a film and try and visualise what I want to do the next day.
What has been your best moment and your worst moment?
Getting selected for two Olympics is my best! But doing my ACL for the third time in September 2018 was a really hard moment and I’m so glad I recovered and came back from that setback.
Do you have a favourite song to listen to when skiing or before a comp?
Anything Taylor Swift!
Do you have a question for me?
What’s your favourite ice cream flavour?
Mint Choc chip, my go to flavour every time!
Follow Katie S’ winter season on Instagram @summerhayeskatie
I’m so lucky to call these girls my friends, I’m really inspired by them and I wish them all a really incredible winter Olympic season! I’d also like to shout out Morzine’s Sam Nelson for looking after everything in the background for me, he works so hard! And obviously my Mum and Dad work tirelessly to make sure I can travel, compete and live my dream. I couldn’t do it without them, obviously!
