Wikinews interviews Australian sit skier Lincoln Budge

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Recently, Wikinews spent time with with Australian Paralympic skier Lincoln Budge who was in Copper Mountain, Colorado for this week’s IPC Nor-Am Cup.

((Wikinews)) I’m interviewing Lincoln Budge, one of Australia’s development team skiers, who is here at the IPC [International Paralympic Committee] Nor-Am Cup and you’re not skiing today?

Lincoln Budge: Well I skied first run.

((WN)) Ooh, a DNF [Did not finish].

Lincoln Budge: DNF, so nothing else for the rest of the afternoon now.

((WN)) So how have you preformed in the past days?

Lincoln Budge: I’ve done pretty well in the previous days. I’ve finished every race till now which has been good, I’ve improved my points on what I’ve had previously, so I’m progressing slowly and, yeah, it’s good.

((WN)) What classification are you?

Lincoln Budge: LW11.

((WN)) Are you shooting for Sochi or are you just kind of developing now with the idea of the next one [Winter Paralympics] in 2018?

Lincoln Budge: I’d like to go to Sochi, but realistically it’s probably not going to happen, I’ve only been skiing for three years, so. Yeah.

((WN)) And you’re from some town that’s really hard to pronounce in Australia.

Lincoln Budge: Yes, Yackandandah.

((WN)) What state is this in?

Lincoln Budge: Victoria, north east Victoria

((WN)) So Victoria is the state that produces all the great Australian skiers?

Lincoln Budge: Correct, Victoria is the state to be in.

((WN)) How long have you been in the development team?

Lincoln Budge: Been skiing for almost three years now.

((WN)) On the development team or just period?

Lincoln Budge: Period but I pretty much got onto the development team […] days in[?], so all my skiing has been with the team.

((WN)) You never considered doing the nordic skiing?

Lincoln Budge: No way. [laughs] That’s way too much dedication.

((WN)) Where do you like to ski and which, like Super G, Slalom, is your favourite?

Lincoln Budge: Down hill would be the one I’ve enjoyed most so far. It’s fast, obviously, a speed event, and the whole build-up to it, ‘s really fun and I enjoy the speed events.

((WN)) Where do you like to ski? Are you one of these people likes to come to the US, or do you think Victoria’s got the best ski fields in the world?

Lincoln Budge: US is pretty good, I’ve sort of skied quite a few hills. I’ve based somewhere different each year so far. […] I don’t really have a preferred one.

((WN)) Considering how expensive skiing is, do you think you’re getting adequate support from everyone to enable you to continue your ski career?

Lincoln Budge: Yeah, at the moment I’m getting good support from the team and everyone, which is really good and hopefully financially I can keep doing it into the future.

((WN)) As someone watching skiing: can you throw your monoski over your shoulder and transport it that way?

Lincoln Budge: I can if I want to but I’ve got a set of wheels that I clip the rig into so I can push it around more easily than putting it on me shoulder. I cart skis[?] around on my shoulder, but I’ve got a set of wheels, just to make it easier.

((WN)) Ok, thank you very very much.