Take 5 with Paralympian Noah Elliott interview

Kate Agathon

We recently caught up with Noah Elliott, 2018 Paralympian and star of Warren Miller’s latest film, Winter Starts Now.

Elliott, 24, has spent the last few months promoting Winter Starts Now with his daughter Skylar, and traveling the world competing in world cup events.

Eager to defend his title in the banked slalom, Elliott has been methodically conquering the slopes mountain by mountain, most recently claiming gold and silver medals at the Pyha World Cup in Finland, and nabbing two gold medals in Hochfuegen, Austria, in December. This month, he and his teammates are competing in the World Para Snow Sports Championships in Lillehammer, Norway.

What do you possibly ask a paralympic champion who has been interviewed about everything from having his leg amputated at the age of 17 due to osteosarcoma, to being a single parent, to being a motivational speaker?

There’s nothing the uber transparent and extremely affable Elliott doesn’t share; he even wrote a blog and did a podcast on his experiences as an athlete battling COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic.

Here’s five fast revelations about Elliott:

Skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing.

Engearment: Let’s talk about the Holy Trinity: skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing. You had aspirations to become a professional skateboarder. However, your success in snowboarding and winning the gold in banked slalom is arguably what made you famous.

If you could only do one of the three, which would you choose and why?

NE: “I like this question! I think it’s really challenging for me to decide on just one; haha. I think I would choose to snowboard. Snowboarding has become a way for me to strap in and forget about missing a leg. Snowboarding gives me a chance to ‘skate the mountains,’ so to speak.”

Warren Miller

Engearment: How were you approached to be in Winter Starts Now?

NE: “Another amazing snowboarder, Rob Kingwell, put my name in the pot and pushed for the Warren Miller crew to reach out to me. After hearing my story, they were amped and reached out. It was such an honor and a dream come true to be a part of a Warren Miller film. I look forward to hopefully working more with them in the near future!”

Training

Engearment: You’re currently competing in the world circuit and training for a slot at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. Describe your current training outlook. What are some things that you do while training that might surprise others? Who do you listen to that will always get you hyped up to train?

NE: “Now that winter has officially kicked off, I am spending a lot of time on snow training. Time on task is something I am trying to focus on. In other words, training as much as I can while focusing on something I need to, versus just spending constant time on the hill.”

“Fueling as well as stretching and workouts are helping me feel the best I can on a training day or competition day. Workouts can be hard to do when on the road, or easy to do. It really depends on the layout of the place we are at; we’ve had a lot of creative workouts at hotels!” he continued.

Engearment: What are some things you do while training that might surprise others?

NE: “I make a lot of funny noises! Keeping training fun is just as important as being focused in my opinion.”

Engearment: What’s the one song you listen to that will always get you hyped up to train?

NE: “I am a big fan of music! I love all kinds, but I have a soft spot for rap. I grew up listening to it and it’s something that brings me back. Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, classics like NAS, Biggie, and Tupac.”

Adaptive Sports

Engearment: You’ve been doing a lot to promote adaptive sports and support organizations such as Wiggle Your Toes. In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge adaptive athletes face (examples: bias, accessibility, etc.) and what should be done to overcome it?

NE: “It’s as simple as having the right equipment and having access to training camps/ accessible places to train. Those are the things that help elevate and lift adaptive sports and athletes.”

Inspiration

Engearment: Let’s talk about inspiration. What or who inspires you?