Interview: Paralympic Medalist and GoT Actor Krysten Coombs!

we are delighted to be joined by paralympic GB athletes and game of thron's star chrisen kums so before we get into this one obviously like comment subscribe share all of that good stuff is something a little different obviously tonight when you hear this the Paralympics opening ceremony kicks off uh if I've done my scheduling and my editing right so Christian is uh competing in the back solos men's binton solos massive arar fan and just thought it would be something different to get a different perspective on following the greens from Sheffield and Paris and Tokyo and Beijing and Dortmund yeah very interesting guy had a lot to uh say about the world of uh obviously badminton par Olympic sport and indeed acting and uh obviously had a very interesting um couple of decades as an our go fan as well absolutely so yeah enjoy with delighted to be joined by team GB athlete uh who has an array of medals to his name including at the 2020 Tokyo par Olympic Games gold at the 2015 World Championships and three golds in the 2008 2016 and 2018 European championships correct me if I'm wrong uh Christin kums how are you yeah I know I'm great thanks and I'm really pleased to be on this podcast with you guys today and yeah looking forward to having a good chat about our and my badmington career it's one that we've we've been talking about doing for a while but we've never our daries have never crossed quite as well um this will be going out on the eve of the the Paro Olympic so hopefully bit more of a buzz around you around the games then um the first place to start is and again correct me if I'm wrong I've only done a Wikipedia search but born in born in Brighton but how can we support our girl uh moved down T I was born in Brighton lived there for a year and then moved down to tot Ness and been based down there till well till 2016 when I moved up to Sheffield for the badminton so yeah been down there ever since and I think just friends and everything supported arar and sort of followed it my parents both haven't ever really been football fans as much so didn't really have any purpose or following to with them so yeah Aral seemed the one to be and yeah what were your earliest memories of of Aral then growing up like as you said you got into it through friends so so I'm guessing we're kind of talking 90s naughties that sort of era are we yes it was it was very very basic then it was more probably about secondary school when I really started to follow it actually so I was when about 12 or 13 it would have been 2002 so yeah a very you know quite a later time even though I sort of followed them a bit when I was younger but I didn't really start I think my first game I went to was with a friend yeah in 2002 so yeah yeah my first game was in 02 as well okay nice earliest memories really who you who do you who do you remember who you uh who did you grow up admiring in in an Shir yeah the to be fair it was a weird one for me rain laru was one of the big ones actually that for me and uh it was sort of that Ian Holloway sort of around them Jamie Mackey people like that and then you know look at now it's see what we're getting better and better which is brilliant any particular games that stand out to you over that time because obviously we had some great we going up through the league under Paul sturk and then the hallay hallay era there was some incredible games there any ones in particular that really stand out to you I can't remember exactly the time it was a bit later I think it was it was Watford away I went to Watford away I can't remember what SE right maybe about 2006 2007 2008 around then and yeah it was just we won 2-1 um can't remember who scored the winner but yeah it was a a cracker of a game and I loved it yeah yeah if it's the game I'm thinking of I believe it was a David Norris last minute winner it yeah that's it it was just when sturk began his second spell with us yeah which obviously wasn't quite so successful overall but it certainly had some uh Great Moments in those early stages didn't it yeah no definitely what about then going into the time when the club was going into Administration obviously that was you know what you were still very much living down here at that point what are your thoughts and memories of that era when we're down at the bottom of League two it must have been a same to me I I started following the club the same time as you did it was a bit of a culture shock right after all the years of seeing success and seeing us at the bottom of League two for a couple of years on end yeah it's it's a a horrible time to be in and you know a club like oural it's a big Club it is and you know the the massive following in the Southwest to see see them drop like that and struggle is is yeah is horrible really and but you know things got brighter and it got better and and because now it's brilliant so yeah it certainly did um so going on to the sort of converging the the two in the minute but going on to the um professional part of your career then you You' you played badminton at um par Olympic level I believe you played table tennis as well or or have done in the past is that correct yeah I did I was actually um like the club I played for was in Plymouth actually so um go down there a lot and uh yeah was that was the sort of the first uh well not the first but I was a bit bit of a big swimmer back in the day and then had some ear problems so had to um pack that in and yeah I've always been very sporty loved me football loved Cricket Go full sorts and then yeah now now badminton's the one so yeah how did that really come about then to the point where you're you're reaching that level where you can really compete at the where your thinking hang on a minute you can really go go ahead and compete at um par Olympic level that must have taken a lot of lot of hard work and a lot of dedication uh yeah it's yeah um well from day one down in Devon to to now living in Sheffield um changed a lot of uh well removed well moved completely um moved in 2016 from home been obviously there since well I was one so quite a big change and um yeah came up here to to join a full-time program to to push for uh Tokyo 2020 and the hard work paid off cuz managed to Come Away with a bronze medal which yeah is a great reward and yeah a bit of a relief for that those sacrifices of leaving leaving friends and P our guard I suppose wasn't able to go to as many home games anymore so yeah no absolutely but like I guess you you've caught a few away games over the years around the sort of northern northern parts of the country yeah know um been to a good few Wednesday ones now that's cuz we've been lling out with them a few times which is been brilliant actually um went to huddles field uh barnesley Rother room so been to yeah been around a few few more that I can't remember right now but yeah I've tried to tried to get away as much as I can with it but obviously with the schedule I've got it's not always easy or they don't always fall when I'm around here sadly so yeah yeah sh shame living in shefer we never win there do we you must get a bit stick from the locals after all our losses there no that's one opening day hopefully yeah no definitely yeah hopefully how do how do you manage to fit in um following our goal because obviously like you said you're all over the world competing yeah you know a lot of the time I know last time I've been trying to schedule this in you were you had an impromptu trip to Dubai or somewhere that you had to go how how do you manage to follow ouro despite being abroad and I suppose another part of that question is have you met anybody else on on the the circuit should we say that the support random lower league club I imagine a lot of them support the big ones right um yeah I tried my best really um obviously the last two years haven't been great with the schedule with qualifying for for for uh Paris been pretty hectic so yeah haven't had the best opportunity to get to many games like I said the ones that always seem to be away that are in this area I always seem to be away at the time so sadly that um that never really Falls with the right time but um um actually one of my uh great teammates Jack Shephard he is actually a Wednesday fan so um we have a bit of bitter rival in a lot of the The Lads the coaches and stuff are all from Sheffield as well so they keep giving it large and things about them every time and and everything yes but but no I haven't haven't really met any sort of um anyone else really that's a big follower of uh yeah lower league teams as much sort things yeah just make sure you keep reminding them about how they uh they didn't didn't managed to win that leag it yeah absolutely um we're on the eve of Paris obviously talking before we started recording about um just wanting to get out there but what are your what are your aims I suppose what are you what you hoping to achieve out there you go are you going for gold uh yeah no that that would be the the ultimate dream that would be to yeah to to Come Away with a gold medal would be yeah the best thing that could ever happen but you know to to upgrade from from Tokyo would be amazing as well you know silver be brilliant but I think a big part of it is just to to enjoy myself out there and and really taking the experience this time because obviously in um Tokyo with covid the whole atmosphere in the village and things was it was very different to what you would usually get in a par Olympic games um you know social distancing and things there wasn't much socializing going on we were sort of in and out we we went in when we competed into the village and then we had to leave well we were at the back end but we had to leave 48 Hours once we're done so we sort of missed out a lot on that sort of social side of the the team sport environment which obviously we have a great team here up in Sheffield but badmington is an individual sport you know I do I do compete on a court on my own and yeah don't know unlike football and things where you're you're in that or the Olympics and Par Olympics where it's that multiport environment it's it's very different and yeah just can't wait now yeah buzzing yeah iose the next the question following on from that is is obviously how do people how can people watch you I suppose you're going to be televised to some extent and also what what events are you competing in is it is it just the solo this year or are you going with Jack in the doubles as well yeah so um yeah it will be on uh Channel 4 um they will be apparently streaming I think I believe every game so yeah they'll be they'll be streaming that I would have thought online as well as obviously on on the TV but they'll probably have the red button or something or the YouTube channel that will be apparently yeah broadcasting every game and every other sport that's that GB athletes will be competing and um no I I'll just be well I'll just be doing singles um sadly men's dubs didn't make the par Olympics right there's a lot of things with within disability sport there's a lot of different categories so there's only so much can sort of get into a par Olympic Games so yeah sadly it will just be the singles for me but um you know I love it and yeah can't wait just a you just have to take the personal Glory won't you instead of sh exactly exactly so yeah not too bad going back chrisan briefly to too you said about the whole the covid aspect of not having that team bonding which must been very weird I guess another odit must have been competing and receiving your medal with no crowds we've spoken to a few people who are footballers about how the co era the behind closed doors era was unusual for them I'm guessing for you as as a par Olympian that must have been equally if not far more unusual competing at the the biggest stage in the world really without any Spectators there how how surreal was that feeling no it was it was very strange but for one thing uh Tokyo was actually my first par Olympics um par badminton only got into Tokyo as the first ever time so for me to experience that crowd I've never actually experienced much of it much of it you know I've had an experience of it in the par badminton circuit but not as much with the the the actual par Olympics and that that that biggest stage so but yeah it was it was a very a very odd moment of sort of on the court for this a bronze medal match where you you couldn't hear anyone apart from your teammates obviously they were a great support and probably helped me to push through and and win that Bronze in the end but I think um it's going to be a bit of a shock for us in Paris that first game when you go out and there is a full crowd because a lot of us haven't really competed in in that situation I can't I can't even imagine what it would feel like to to compete for your your country at a a par Olympics like just the thought of that and obviously like you said some of some of that was taken from you in Tokyo so I hope that you get the full experience in Paris because I think I think I would just find the whole situation overwhelming I find going live on a podcast overwhelming so never actually competing for my country yeah at a sport it must be it must be an incredible feel no it is it's yeah it's a dream come true it's you know it's what I've always wanted to be able to do to be able to compete at the the higher stage and yeah to to Showcase an amazing Sport and be and be part of a great team as well with par Olympics GP which which is awesome so yeah can't wait yeah and alongside that you you're gonna have to fill me in a few things here because um I can't lie and pretend that I've ever watched game of thr Sam has how how do you how do you get into acting alongside because you're not just you're not just a par Olympian you're also a Game of Thrones star that's that's some incredible CV that you've got going on how how do you get into acting alongside Bon yeah so um just a few of um the friends of mine and stuff in the past done a few acting they were in a Harry Potter actually which um heard a few of them said about that in watch yeah yeah so um they sort of said about that and um I sort of said you know what do you do how do you get involved and they said I'm through this agency that basically um it's just for people with dwarfism or with short sort of stature and um I said oh okay that sounds awesome I'll get myself signed up and then yeah I think within a few years this audition came up that you needed to be pretty fit fit and physical you know and be able to do a lot of movement and stuff and I thought well that's perfect for me play adinton and stuff play sports so hopefully and yeah went along to the audition and yeah got got the uh the part and yeah went out to Croatia for 5 days filming and uh yeah it was brilliant loved it and um yeah would like to try and do more but with the badminton at the moment it's obviously quite hard um funny enough online there isn't anything saying it but I actually am in The Witcher um season two and season 3 as well so yeah so I I do get the the occasional ones here and there but I would I'd love to do more of it cuz yeah it's awesome is it something maybe you'd go into more perhaps one when your bton career comes to an actual conclusion possibly the acting might be something you do a bit more later in life maybe um yeah no definitely it's something I thought about um like I said I'm I've got a good I'm in a good physical shape for for the the roles I've been in and so I'd like to think that hopefully in the future there could be more or or other sort of roles in other things but yeah I think it's something I would look at um definitely taking up a bit more because I'd have more more time to be able to to you know put myself to it yeah as AR said I I have watched game of phones I remember the episode you were in was a very um well-received episode at the time because of one of the uhct characters he was killed off in that episode and um I couldn't help but noticing as well I've read a previous quote of yours that obviously Peter Dinklage was an uh inspiration to you behind getting into acting and he was obviously quite um quite prominent in the scene that you had your your scene in did you get to meet him and and talk to him about that yes I did no I got I did get to meet him got managed to get a picture of him him at the end when we were just leaving um he actually had a a Chelsea FC t-shirt so I take it he must be Chelsea van um but but yeah he he was um one of the he's americ him off yeah exactly so so yeah no he was he was um it was great to sort of see them him and all the other guys and also to watch uh to actually watch Joffrey D was quite quite an entertainment as well for obviously a lot of people but you know liked it and not liked it yeah just for those of us who may those viewers who have watched it may not exactly remember you were playing a character who was playing a character weren't you you were playing somebody in a in an acting troop who was playing one of the the five Kings weren't you where they were sort of acting out the story of the five Kings for the wedding guest and you were one of the um you were one of the one of the kings in question weren't you and that must have been playing a character who is himself an actor must have been quite a quite a meta experience I guess yeah yeah I know it was it was actually really good fun I at first we weren't quite sure what we were going to be doing and things and then when we sort of got more information and stuff and they said oh yeah you you'll be you'll be playing another character I was um meant to be Balon grey Joy that's who who I was representing but yeah it was awesome and it was um the whole experience was just just incredible with those big TV series like that and films the the money in it and the the whole stage of it it's like you can see it's like performing for me similar on the biggest stage you know to be able to to to act like that and how they do is just just amazing and Howard Catia it's a very beautiful part of the world from all the pictures I've never been myself but it was uh did it live up to the hype in real life yeah no it was it was lovely it was um we didn't have much time to do stuff we were sort of in and out but it it was awesome and um yeah would definitely like to get back there if I could yeah yeah absolutely so going back to the sort of having having that little interlude looking at your career in in badmington the Ling looking back to the more the more recent years of our goal then um how how have they been the follow of the um obviously since you moved to Sheffield we had the uh Derek Adams ER at that time followed by Ryan low and schumacker and the the rise back up through the leagues um I guess it must have been quite kartic after the uh long spell of sort of misery that we had languishing League 2 to have those uh those brilliant few years obvious I guess I know that you were probably didn't catch that many games being all around the world at the time but it must have been a a great experience for you as any fans seeing us uh have that Resurgence again no it is it's been brilliant and you know like I said earlier on that Aral is such a big team and it's almost sad sometimes to see us sort of struggling to sign big players and and attract you know a lot of interest and stuff so it's um yeah which it to be up and up now and back in the championship is is brilliant to to follow and obviously Everyone likes to see the The Glory Days really but sometimes you do have to to see see the hard days cuz it it can't always be but you know getting the promotions we have now and yeah um obviously sneaking That season few years ago now with IPS witch and Wednesday was obviously a big one as well so it's just awesome yeah it's great to see them just getting better and better now with with the team and we'll have to see what Rooney can do hopefully he can uh yeah do some uh do some stuff and keep us janers going yeah well as we said earli this se's going to uh for listeners and viewers who are listening and viewing now this is going to go out obviously on the eve of the Paralympics which I think is a a good few weeks off from now so we don't know obviously how how Rooney will have started at the time of recording so hopefully you'll be watching this very happy after three or four wins in a row and where we're top of the league setting the early Pace but uh who knows whether it all whether it'll be that way in reality but uh how confident are you feeling then um Christian about Christian about the Roy appointment and how do you could obviously there's been the concerns about his track record but he seems very you know very positive very um upbeat coming into it are you are you uh thinking he'll he'll prove that that was wrong I would like to think so cuz I think for for myself if if I was in the players positions and a manager well a manager like him and an ex player like him comes in I would like to hope that he he could do something and have a change and you know in inspire a lot of lads there to to to do something but we'll just have to wait and see really I'd like to be positive and uh be yeah and see what happens I think it's we we would like to start off with five wins obviously like we're saying but we we just got to take it how it comes I think and and you know may maybe it's just a year to to stay back up again and and let him take his time and you know see how the the season after comes but who knows we we could be pushing mid-table we could not be so let's just yeah yeah I think we'd all we'd all probably take an improvement on last season wouldn't we it doesn't have to be you know doesn't have to be top half or whatever doesn't even have to you know top end of the bottom half it just has to be a has to be K stay in the league and if we can improve on last season as well I think everybody would everybody would take that I think it's so and gradual Improvement is the the name of the game this season for for sure um f final question for me and I know if Aon might have a couple more is um are there any parallels between acting and and and professional sport and skill set required any life lessons you can take from either of those two disciplines um I think it's just sort of that on the the state I suppose being calm and cool really like just taking it how it comes like and not sort of panicking and obviously you know being on being on the badminton court in in a you know situation where you're you're about to win or lose is is a big stage I think the acting are similar when you you come out and there's a lot of pressure on you to to to do the thing right because obviously they can take retakes and things but it's doesn't look good on your side if you keep messing things up and taking that so I think yeah it's just it's about taking it how it is and yeah just keeping cool and calm and um yeah pushing ahead any um any any advice you would give to any young supporters you may be watching who would uh have aspirations of getting into parp par Olympic sport yeah no just to give it a go um to get to get out there there there there is so many opportunities there's there's plenty of badminton clubs down in the Southwest um and all across the country really but it's the same in other other sports that are paralympic sports there's so many opportunities down out there and and available I think it's just about getting out and um having a look on the par Olympics GB websites to stter sport England um or even contact people in your local area that might have a an idea of someone who might know someone else that has some um details on a club or a team to go and join so yeah I think it's just it's just you know taking it as it comes and don't feel that you have to be going in there and being the a winner straight away it takes time you know I had stages in in my career where I wasn't winning games I wasn't winning tournaments and it's it's about and you know at the same time it's about enjoying it and having fun because that's the bit the big bit about it really because um yeah that's where you you want to be is enjoying it all the time couldn't agree more if you're not enjoying it then you're not going to perform to your best are you so could agree more with that anything um you'd like to add Aon or um no not specifically I don't know if you've got anything you want to add Christian I'm aware that we've it feels like we've just like done a worldwind Whistle Stop T through your your life career acting and everything and obviously talking about Paris it just feels like we may have done that um a little quickly so I don't if there's anything that you wna add that maybe we should have mentioned I don't think so really not that I can think no I think it's it's quite an open thing isn't it with you guys it's like you said you you you haven't planned much which is good like I like this sometimes when when you just come on and you chat and that's how it goes and then you're not sort of going by a script and feeling like you have to say this and that so yeah um yeah I suppose I suppose we'll we'll bring that to to to its end um I personally I'm going to I'm going to download the the 4od app on my phone and make sure that I'm checking up seeing when you and hopefully some sort of uh paralympic schedule that I can follow and find you and and we'll tweet it out as well um on the AL life account as well so make sure people are watching you um but no I suppose the only thing to really say is is is good luck and and I really hope you bring home if it's not the go make it one of the other ones wish you all the best Cheers me best luck and thank you for having me it's been brilliant yeah and I'll I'll keep once I know more of uh dates and stuffff cuz we won't get a more of an actual schedule till closer to the time really that's just how it is so but once we once the draws and everything's been done there'll be more of an idea of when I'll be on the things so yeah nice I mean we talk we talk quite a bit on socials anyway so just keep us updated no definitely yeah no I'll keep you yeah posted definitely no but honestly thank you very much for having me and yeah hopefully maybe see you an our game one day a game up north drop us mess and we can always meet you for a point before the game maybe yeah no definitely um I I don't think I'm going to be able to get to Wednesday sadly once the games is done I've got my time off and I'm getting to as many many games as I can so I'll definitely drop you guys a message if if I'm anywhere and um yeah or even if I'm back down south because I I'll probably come back down a bit afterwards to go and see mates and things so might try and get to a home game again because yeah haven't been in jesz God knows how long I can imagine you're only not at Hillsburg because Jack's Running Scared he's scared [Laughter] exactly cheers thank you very much thank you cheers see you later that brings the end to another episode of my Aro life make sure you like comment subscribe share all that good stuff uh it helps us get into the right eyes and ears um make sure you follow us on Twitter Facebook Instagram Tik Tok um and if you're not listening to us on an audio platform make sure you go follow us on Spotify and apple podcast and if you are listening to us on Spotify or apple podcast or Google podcast or YouTube music or whatever go and subscribe to us on YouTube because um why wouldn't you then you get to see our ugly mugs um cheers thank you very much