Snowboarder hopes to become first with MND to compete in Winter Paralympics

A snowboarder with motor neurone disease (MND) is training in a last-ditch effort to become the first person with the condition to compete in the Winter Paralympics.

Davy Zyw, 38, is hoping to take part in the Milan-Cortina Games in 2026, as despite his progressing condition, he can still comfortably race down snowy terrains at breakneck speed.

Mr Zyw, who lives in Edinburgh, was previously a competitive snowboarder, but this was brought to an end by a knee injury.

He was diagnosed with MND in 2018, and says the condition encouraged him to go back to his passion.

He is now racing on the international para snowboard circuit, and training alongside Team GB athletes, in a bid to qualify for the games.

If he succeeds, he will be the first UK Paralympian with MND in any sport, and the first Aline snowsports athlete with the disease, anywhere in the world.

He has finished on the podium in Finland over the last few months, and has climbed to fourth place in the Europa Cup rankings.

To have a chance of qualifying, Mr Zyw must finish on the podium at upcoming races in Switzerland and Austria in January.

After that, he would qualify for next-tier events and possibly the World Cup races in Canada.

He said: “This time last year it was a rogue dream.

“Now I’m a contender. I’m improving all the time – and that’s something I never expected to see after being told I had MND.”

MND has affected his hands, arms and torso. He also faces severe fatigue, cramping, muscle wastage, and loss of dexterity.

He said: “I can rip down a snowboard cross course at full speed, but I need help putting my gloves on, or zipping up my jacket.

“That’s the reality of my MND – I am focusing on what I can do, rather than on what I can’t.”

He added: “On the mountain, there’s no sympathy. None of the everyday baggage of MND. When the helmet goes on, we’re all just athletes – and that feeling gives me a new life.”

Having spent weeks abroad this season, he gives credit to the support of his wife, Yvie, and their family.

He said: “My wee boy keeps asking what medals I’m bringing home. Being away from them is the hardest part by far.

“When you’re living with MND, every day with your family is priceless.

“That sacrifice weighs heavily – but that’s how much this dream means.”

He learned snowboarding at the Hillend Snowsports Centre in Midlothian, competing in freestyle, and gained sponsorships, but his knee injury ended his competitive hopes.

He said: “MND brought me back to snowboarding. It’s given me freedom again – something that takes me far away from the dark places this disease can take you.”

He added: “It keeps me up at night and gets me up in the morning. To become the first person with MND on the Paralympic stage wouldn’t just be my achievement – it would be for the whole MND community.”

He is supported by his twin brother, Tommy, who travels with him while he trains and competes, and he has had financial support from crowdfunding and his employer, Berry Bros & Rudd, a wine and spirits merchant, which has raised more than £700,000 for MND causes.

He has encouraged people to support Doddie Aid, an annual January challenge founded by former Scotland rugby captain Rob Wainwright, who was a close friend and former teammate of rugby legend George “Doddie” Weir, who died of MND in 2022.

The challenge involves participants logging their miles through running, cycling, or another activity, while raising funds for MND research.

Mr Zyw said: “January can be a dark month.

“Doddie Aid gets you moving, connects you with others, and raises millions for the people who need it.

“Everyone should sign up – pay £20, get a snood to keep your chin warm, and join a community doing something brilliant.”

He added: “MND is not incurable – it’s underfunded. Every mile logged is a step towards changing that.

“I’ll be doing mine on the slopes, but I’d encourage everybody to take part in their own way.”

Mr Zyw says qualifying will be tough, but that he did not anticipate making it as far as he has already.

“I thought I wouldn’t even be here within two years of diagnosis, and now I’m racing for a Paralympic place,” he said.

“This disease has taken so much, but it’s also given me one last chance to live the dream I had as a kid.

“If I can get to the Paralympics, it will put MND on the global stage. I owe it to everyone living with it. I owe it to my family.

“And I owe it to the kid who grew up at Hillend, Midlothian, thinking anything was possible.”