Four-time Paralympic medallist – and Kent alumna – Millie Knight lit the Paralympic Flame yesterday (24 February 2026) during a ceremony in Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual birthplace of the Paralympic Movement.
The flame will now make an 11-day journey from the UK to Italy, culminating in the Opening Ceremony on 6 March.
As a visually impaired Para Alpine Skier, Millie made her Paralympic debut at Sochi 2014. Aged just 15, she became ParalympicsGB’s youngest ever competitor at any Winter Paralympics.
At the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games Millie and her guide Brett Wild took home Silver Medals in the Downhill and Super-G events and Bronze in the Slalom. Her Paralympic medal haul was completed at Beijing 2022, when the pair came claimed Bronze in the Downhill.
She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Kent in 2017 and graduated with a degree in Psychology in 2021. Later, Millie returned to the University as member of staff at Kent Sport.
Looking back on her time as a Kent Sports Scholar, Millie praised the ‘incredible’ and ‘comprehensive’ scheme for the support it provided her whilst balancing life as an athlete alongside completing her studies:
“I was so lucky to have had such talented professionals work with me [at Kent]. Aside from the sport support, the academic flexibility meant that I could still travel and compete during term time, meaning I never missed a competition”.
Millie is now in her first year of a Physiotherapy Master’s at King’s College London, and has turned her sporting focus to martial arts after her friends inspired her to try Karate during her first year at Kent. She has since been selected for the England Para team and has become World Champion in Taekwondo and Commonwealth Champion in Karate.
