Flagbearer Scott Meenagh hopes to make kids proud in Cortina

After leading the way in British Para Nordic skiing for more than a decade, Scott Meenagh is ready to step onto the sidelines and become the biggest cheerleader for his two children.

But that will only come after a final tilt at a medal at Milano Cortina 2026, where the Cumbernauld native will feature at his third Paralympic Games in Italy.

The 36-year-old has announced it will be his final Paralympics after juggling fatherhood, a degree and intensive training camps for the past four years, and he will begin it as a flagbearer alongside Menna Fitzpatrick.

“My two kids are my number one supporters, but they’re at a really crucial stage in their life where I’m ready to be their biggest fan,” he said of four-year-old daughter Bryn and son James, two.

“I want to be the dad that’s there, supporting them and putting their priorities at the front because, as an athlete you have to inherently be quite selfish and I don’t want my children to suffer as a result of my aspirations.

“I want to spend time being unapologetically ambitious with my goals. I want to show them that dreams are worth chasing, no matter how big they are.

“But there comes a point when I want to stand back and let them dream bigger than I could ever have imagined.”

Meenagh’s own dreams have already stretched far beyond the realms of possibility for most people.

Having first come across para nordic skiing at Sochi 2014, an idea in a coffee shop grew into a reality. Meenagh not only became the first Brit to feature at a Winter Paralympics in the sport but also built the national governing body himself.

That has come alongside a full-time history degree, where the 19th century and the formation of the United States have seized his imagination as much as silverware on snow.

But alongside fatherhood, it has been a juggling act to remain at the top of his game in elite sport.

“In the past four years I’ve become a father to two children, I’ve studied a full-time degree, I’ve had a lot more moving parts in my life and more demands than I’ve ever had,” he said.

“I get less sleep, I probably train less than in a normal cycle and I definitely recover for less hours than I used to.

“But I’m seeing numbers getting faster, I’m happier, I’m stronger. There’s something really interesting because I don’t know many athletes who have children and get worse.

“It’s put me in a great place. I’m still seeing personal bests, lifetime personal bests, and reaching territory that I’ve not reached before.

“It’s really exciting to see that there’s still a real fire there, but it’s also accompanied by real maturity.”

It has seen Meenagh rack up several top 10 finishes in World Cups during 2025, including a bronze in the Biathlon Sprint Pursuit in Torsby, that saw him finish third in the standings overall.

And while being a cheerleader for his children beckons, they still remain his greatest motivation ahead of his trip to the Dolomites.

“Having kids has given me a real desire that every time I get on a plane halfway across the world to spend three or four weeks away from them, I know the price I’m paying to do that,” explained Meenagh.

“So I don’t go half-cooked. I don’t waste days. It’s a really easy motivator when you’re feeling a bit tired and you’re taking it all a little bit for granted, I know what they’re paying for me to be there.

“It’s really exciting that we’re on a quick flight to Venice, family and friends are going to be there. It’s a really special venue to be finishing up in.”