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Sunderland Adaptive Snowsports |
Background |
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In March 2010, funding was provided from the Aiming High for Disabled Children grant to enable a group of twelve young people from mainstream schools across Sunderland with varying degrees of physical disability to participate in a skiing trip to France and have the same opportunity as their non-disabled friends. |
| The idea for the trip came from the disabled young people themselves who attended the Whizz Kidz wheelchair skills course at Oxclose School in the summer term 2009. During consultation they raised concerns that they felt unable to take part in skiing trips and other adventure activities such as camping and sailing because of issues around accessibility. |
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The staff team was lead by Mike Stansfield, Team Leader for the Physical and Medial Difficulties Team and Karen Parry, Aiming High Programme Manager. A further seven volunteer care workers including trained medical staff accompanied the trip. The group stayed in a hotel in La Plagne in the French Alps and took part in skiing, snow boarding, and visits to the local area. The trip was run in conjunction with Disability Snowsport UK. |
March 2011... |
| In March 2011, Sunderland Adaptive Snowsports ran another trip to La Plagne for a further 10 disabled young people. Although they never voiced their concerns, both Mike and Karen wondered whether the second trip could ever hit the heights that the first trip had achieved, but they need not have worried. |
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With the improvements they had made from the previous year, a fantastic group of young people, a dedicated staff team and a lively, adventurous group of DSUK instructors, the week was a huge success.
All young people made significant progress on the slopes, with all doing hard blue runs by the end of the week with some even tackling red runs. When they weren't out skiing, the young people were enjoying ordering drinks and crepes in French, doing a treasure hunt around the village of playing water drinking games. |
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Kelsey, age 14 said "It's been absolutely out of the world. I'm lost for words!" |
Benefits continue back home... |
| Soon after the young people returned home, their families were reporting a marked difference in them. Some of the benefits of the trip that they reported included: |
- New friendships and an awareness of what is out there and what can be achieved
- Being away with kids of all disabilities made him appreciate his limitations and not see them as a bad thing or restrictive. Made him almost happy to NOT be normal. So much happier and coping better
- Got a tremendous boost, found skills she didn't know she had
- Being away with kids of all disabilities made him appreciate his limitations and not see them as a bad thing or restrictive. Made him almost happy to NOT be normal. So much happier and coping better
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- More independent. Bursting with confidence
- Not hiding his disability as much
- Changed his outlook on life. Couldn't thank team enough for something I've tried to do for 12 years! He is a happy boy now!
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Reflections...... |
| One of the volunteer care workers, reflecting on the experience said "I have experienced so many emotions last week; pride, admiration, pleasure, fun, laughter and tears of joy. From a personal point of view I have learn so much from this group of amazing people. The seven days I spent with the group will stay with me for the rest of my life. If the young people get half as much from this trip as I have done it will be truly life changing" |
A Patron for the group... |
The group were thrilled when Sean Rose, the British Number 1 Downhill Paralympian, agreed to be their patron.
They were even more excited when he agreed to meet the young disabled skiers and suggested meeting at Castleford for a session on the snow.
The young people loved the video on You Tube of his amazing jump in the Mono SkierX!
Sean is currently working on a new challenge which the group think is exciting and inspirational. He is leading a team who are attempting to cross the Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland by snow kite! Check out the website to find out more about the challenge icelandic-challenge.com |
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Developments from 2010... |
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One of the most exciting developments over the past twelve months for the group has been the development of one of the young skiers from the 2010 trip to La Plagne. |
| Sam, now 16, was quiet and withdrawn before he joined the group with little idea of what he wanted to do in the future. Since returned from France he has hardly missed a training session at the local dry ski slope, has taught himself to do a 180 turn and is flying through the Snow Life levels. |
| This dedication and commitment won him a Young Achievers Award in March 2011. He said "I don't know what it is about skiing, but whenever I do it, it makes me feel as if anything is possible." When he decided he wanted to be a ski instructor, Sunderland Adaptive Snowsports supported him to get as much skiing time as possible, and to identify a route through training and qualifications that would suit him. He is a great young ambassador from the group, and a real success story. |
The dream... |
Sunderland Adaptive Snowsports are going from strength to strength, with a very successful partnership with DSUK.
The dream everyone at Sunderland Adaptive Snowsports continues to be to raise enough money to buy an adapted chalet in the Apples, from which we would provide the opportunity for disabled young people from all over the world to come and experience the magic of adapted skiing with the SAS! |
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