Winter Paralympics: Callum Deboys opens up on ‘massive struggle’ after high-speed bike crash

Deboys was lucky just to book his seat on the plane after being involved in a serious crash while out on his bike training in October

Callum Deboys during the men’s para-biathlon (Getty Images)

Callum Deboys admits his Paralympic performances have been hampered by the dramatic high-speed bike crash that almost derailed his Beijing dream.

The Scottish Nordic skier finished 22nd in the sprint cross-country event after racking up 17th and 18th-place finishes in the biathlon earlier this week.

But Deboys, 25, was lucky just to book his seat on the plane after being involved in a serious crash while out on his bike training in October.

He was hit by a car in a collision that tore a tricep tendon off the bone, leading to months of gruelling rehab in order to keep his hopes alive.

Deboys forms part of a five-strong British Nordic skiing team in Beijing but says he’s far from firing on all cylinders as he continues to recover.

He said: “It’s been a massive struggle just to even get here for me. I don’t even think I’m back to full fitness now. I’m nowhere near any good shape now, but I’m in good enough shape to be here.

“I had two weeks off completely after surgery, was back on the bike after six weeks, snow on ten weeks and competing at 11 weeks. That’s why I’m taking every race as they come and just trying to be as happy with the results I can.

“It was really significant and hard to bounce back from – that’s just the Games, it gives you the encouragement and determination to come back. If the crash didn’t happen, it would have hopefully been a lot of better results and I’d have been a lot faster.

“But that’s hindsight and I just need to look at what I’m doing now and focus on that. The struggle and everything along the way has all been worth it getting here and representing GB.”

Deboys kicked off his Beijing campaign with a 17th-place finish in the 6km biathlon sprint behind teammate Scott Meenagh, who became the first British Nordic skier to represent ParalympicsGB at a Games for 20 years at PyeongChang 2018.

He followed that up with 18th in the 10km equivalent to move into Wednesday’s cross-country sprint with experience.

Meenagh delivered a valiant display in Zhangjiakou but could only muster 22nd in qualifying, over 2s ahead of teammate Steve Thomas.

And the Scot, one of over 1,000 athletes able to train full-time, access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering technology, science and medical support thanks to vital National Lottery funding, added: “For where I’m at this season, that was really good and I’m really happy with that result.

“I gave everything I had out there and that’s all I can ask for. It’s just about carrying that performance forward.”

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