Former British soldier named ParalympicGB's flagbearer for opening ceremony
Former British soldier Scott Meenagh has been selected to be ParalympicGB's flagbearer for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina.
Meenagh, who is a Para Nordic skier, will share the honour with para alpine skier Menna Fitzpatrick, who is Great Britain's most decorated winter Paralympian.
Neither skier will be at the opening ceremony in Verona, with their events kicking off this weekend – they will instead take part via a video sequence, along with their fellow ParalympicsGB teammates, to be shown as part of the parade.
Speaking to ParalympicsGB, Meenagh said that he was "speechless" after he was given the news.
He said: "It's remarkable. I try really hard every day to represent my sport, myself and my country in the best way I can.
"I try to do that in my behaviours and express that in my performance, so now to have that little bit of recognition – I'm a bit speechless.
"I'm so ready now. I've been thinking about this for so long.
"I've been through a whole rollercoaster of feelings throughout this Paralympic cycle, so to be able to go out there now – I'm so excited to be on the biggest stage and to go out there and represent my sport.
"Having my family on the sidelines watching is the fairy dust on top; that's just a dream come true."
Both Meenagh and Fitzpatrick were given the good news by ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission, Phil Smith, who added: "I am absolutely delighted to announce Menna and Scott have been chosen as the ParalympicsGB flagbearers for the Milano-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games opening ceremony.
"Whilst for performance reasons they are not able to be in Verona for the parade, because they are both racing the following morning, they will still proudly represent ParalympicsGB with the pre-filmed content shown during the ceremony.
"Their selection – which was voted for by their teammates – underlines just how much both athletes epitomise the ParalympicsGB values that we as a team are so proud of."
Scott Meenagh competed in the 2018 and 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, and he plans to call time on his Para Nordic career after the Milano-Cortina Games.
He became the first British athlete to win a Para Nordic World Championships medal when he took silver in the 12.5km individual biathlon in 2023.
Whilst serving in the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan in 2011, aged 21, he lost both of his legs after stepping on an IED (improvised explosive device) in Helmand Province.
After a year of rehabilitation and learning to walk again with prosthetic limbs, he took up multiple sports such as rowing and athletics, and he captained the British Army at the 2014 Invictus Games.
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