Full transcript: Off-piste at the Paras #1: We're here! 8 March 2018

This is a full transcript of the 8 March 2018 Off-piste at the Paras #1: We're here! presented by Beth Rose with Chris Osborne, JJ Chalmers and Lily Freeston.

MUSIC - Off Piste at the Paras, from the Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang. With Beth Rose.

ALL - Annyeong!

BETH - Hello from South Korea and welcome to Off Piste at the Paras podcast with me, Beth Rose. And joining me in my apartment around a single microphone are a collection of BBC names. We've got Chris Osborne from Sport.

CHRIS - Hi, nice to be here.

BETH - JJ Chalmers from 5 Live.

JJ - Hello.

BETH - And Lily from BBC Ouch.

LILY - Hello.

BETH - Now, we've been in South Korea for about three days now. It's a bit hazy because of the time difference. We're nine hours ahead of you in the UK so it's actually night time when we're recording this. JJ is in his pyjamas. It is the build up to the Games so we've been very busy. The opening ceremony begins on Friday at 11pm UK time, which is 8pm South Korean time if you're in South Korea with us. And earlier today we got the news that Owen Pick, the snowboarder, will be the flag bearer.

OWEN - I've just found out that I'm going to be carrying a flag to walk the guys out for Paralympics GB which is pretty amazing. I had no idea. I'd sort of said in the last couple of weeks, oh it would be really cool, but probably won't, if you know what I mean. But yeah, it's a real honour.

BETH - And what do you get to do when you're a flag bearer?

OWEN - Basically lead the team out. We've all been training for four years to get here and to have the pleasure of leading the Paralympic team out is huge.

BETH - And do you have any particular things you have to do as a flag bearer?

OWEN - At the moment I don't really know, so I'm waiting for the briefing tomorrow. But I can imagine just kind of be there, make sure the flag's really visible and just yeah, make everything look good really.

BETH - What about your arm? Do you just have to hold it up with your arms?

OWEN - I think so. I'll probably give it a bit of a wave.

BETH - It's quite a long time to be holding it up.

OWEN - Yeah! Luckily I've got the military background and I've spent hours on end stood there with rifles in my hand on parade so I'm sure I'll be able to get through it.

BETH - That's a good choice actually. We're at the bottom of the mountains at the moment and there's way more snow than anyone expected. Is that good for you?

OWEN - Yeah, I think so. Last year when we came over for the test event there was hardly any snow and it made it very difficult for them to build and make the course what they wanted it to be. So, having all this snow, I think there's more snow here than they've had in the last 20 years, having all this is great because they can build with it, they can make the course into whatever they want. So, for me personally I think it's great. Maybe for the downhill skiers they might not like so much snow, but for us I think it's a good thing.

BETH - People always talk about different types of snow; is this good snow?

OWEN - For building stuff yeah because it's kind of wet, it's kind of heavy, so it can be moulded really easily - as long as it stays cold. If it starts warming up really quickly then it's not good snow because basically it'll all start melting at different rates and it will become really bumpy. But we're here now, we're going to race the days you've got race and you've just to deal with the conditions we're given.

BETH - And of course this is the first time as well a snowboard team goes out for GB.

OWEN - Yeah.

BETH - How are the other two, Ben and James, holding up?

OWEN - Really good. We've been looking forward to this now for three years, we've been a real team. Me and Ben did a couple of bits at the season before kind of just on our own, and then James came in, and then we've been a trio since then. We're all super excited to be the first guys to do this and kind of pioneers. And then fingers crossed bring more guys involved and show them that just because you're from England doesn't mean you can't do it.

BETH - And you've got two events that you go in. Just tell me a bit about what they are.

OWEN - We've got Board Cross on Monday which is kind of like your motocross course with your lumps, your bumps, jumps and things like that. And then we've got Banked Slalom on the Friday which is three timed runs and your fastest run counts. And that's got no jumps or anything in, it's just turns, so it's in my eyes true snowboarding; the only person who can do well or mess it up is yourself.

BETH - And you've had a good run up to this Games as well with placings, so are you feeling pretty good?

OWEN - Yeah, really good. I've had a medal finish in Finland, I had a medal finish in Canada, so yeah, I'm feeling really excited and confident.

BETH - And who is the team to look out for who will be giving you real competition?

OWEN - For my category it's definitely going to be Finland, Japan and some of the US boys. Hopefully it's going to be a really tight race.

BETH - And is anyone out watching you? Will anyone be in the stadium tomorrow night?

OWEN - Yeah, my girlfriend actually just arrived today, so she's going to be here and she'll be here throughout the whole Paralympics.

BETH - And very excited I should imagine.

OWEN - Yeah.

BETH - Well, best of luck.

OWEN - Thank you.

BETH - Hope to see you on the podium.

OWEN - Yeah, thank you very much.

BETH - So, Owen will be leading the team out tomorrow night for the opening ceremony and carrying the GB flag. He says his arms won't ache. He is of course used to representing the flag from his previous career.

JJ - Yeah, I think that's the thing you've got to understand is how important it is for someone who served in the military, like I did, the flag is such an important thing to us. And a uniform is such an important thing for us. So, for him to be able to wear a GB uniform once again and get to represent Paralympics GB I know it will be such an important thing to him.

BETH - Now, the funny thing with Owen, they did the big press launch at the bottom of a ski slope which is covered in snow, which is a bit of a surprise for everyone here and at the Winter Games, it wasn't meant to snow. And now the snow is kind of causing a few problems. But apparently it's good snow?

CHRIS - For the snowboarders yes, that's what Owen was telling us earlier, so that fresher, softer stuff is quite good for them. They've had a bit more of an issue in that as of yesterday the snowboard track hadn't actually been finished yet so they weren't able to have a look.

BETH - Was it not?

CHRIS - No, there were still a few bits and bobs. I spoke to James Barnes-Miller and he was saying they're not worried about it, but because it's not the same venue as it was for the Olympics, so it's been moved and basically built from scratch for the Paralympics, so there are still a few things to touch up there. But Owen was saying earlier snowfall is not a problem for them but it's proving a bit more of an issue for the skiers because it's caused training to be cancelled today and it could possibly mean it's not going to happen tomorrow, and then the skiing starts Saturday so those guys haven't had a chance within the two days building up to it to actually get on the snow.

BETH - But the disappointing thing for us is where we're sat right now we can see the ski run and the bobsleigh run that was used in the Olympics and they're not being used for the Paralympics. We could have just sat inside watching.

CHRIS - Yes, it would have been amazing. Bobsleigh will be in the next addition of the Paralympics when they come back in Beijing, which is awesome. It's been interesting how people have been shocked at the degree of snow that's here. But the line we were always told before we came out was there's more snow in London than there is in Pyeongchang, but the difference is here that the snow stays because it's properly cold here sometimes - particularly in the Olympics when it was -30.

I just sat in on a briefing on the opening ceremony and because this snow has come they've not been able to do a full run-through yet because they weren't expecting this snow either. And so it's changing their plans. But I hear it's a great show and you're going to love it.

BETH - You've got the schedule, haven't you?

CHRIS - But obviously my lips are sealed. But expect…

BETH - K-pop?

CHRIS - There is K-pop but I think it's not straightforward K-pop; I think it's with a twist, with a traditional twist, so that will be exciting. There is all the nations marching in in the order of the Korean alphabet. So, for you at home that want to go and check out the Korean alphabet you'll figure out when Britain will come in.

JJ - You haven't checked that yet?

CHRIS - I haven't checked it yet.

JJ - Where G is in the Korean alphabet.

CHRIS - Or if Great Britain is even spelt with a G.

JJ - Or if there is a G. [Laughter]

CHRIS - Maybe there isn't a G, yeah. When I look at the letters they don't look like Gs.

JJ - None of them look like Gs.

BETH - While you were studying today - I'm guessing you were studying, learning all these things - me and Lily got to go into the park. We had a private tour of the hi-tech exhibition, Korea's best technology on display.

LILY - There were lots of things. Robotic fish to play ice-hockey that's projected on the bottom of the tank. Random techy things.

CHRIS - It's like putting a man on the moon, that is, what a step forward in technology! How many robots have you seen so far?

BETH - The only robot I've seen is the Hoover in the media press centre.

JJ - I met one in the airports. Anyway you can talk to it and tell it where you wanted to go. So, I went up to it and said, I want to go to Pyeongchang, and so it showed me the route to the bus or the train or something like that and then you went, take me there, and it started playing music and wheeling off and you follow it.

CHRIS - Did it give you a piggyback?

JJ - It didn't carry it, but you just follow it through the airport. Although it just happened to be only 13 metres away from where the train was, so it took me just that distance. The thought was nice but genuinely a Korean person would have been able to go, that door there, mate.

BETH - And there was a very cool translating app which you need to download.

LILY - Yeah, you can say anything to it in any language and it'll translate it for you. It's pretty useful.

JJ - Wow.

BETH - Like immediately.

JJ - My wife's a translator so that's going to put her out of business.

BETH - Oh dear.

JJ - I'm not sure I like all this technology. [Laughter]

BETH - I think we'll probably see quite a lot of technology tomorrow, I hope we will anyway, at the opening ceremony.

CHRIS - Mixed with tradition.

BETH - Mixed with tradition. Lots to look forward to. The main part being Owen walking out Para GB to start the Games. So, we will be putting out podcasts as much as possible. You can follow us on loads of places: obviously BBC Sport, 5 Live, got lots of text pieces on the BBC News website. You can find BBC Ouch on Facebook, tweet @bbcouch, look for us on Instagram @bbc_ouch_disability, or you can just email and that's [e-mail].

MUSIC -This has been a BBC Ouch broadcast brought to you from South Korea. You can email the team [e-mail] or tweet @bbcouch.