Disabled skiers 'push their limits' on slopes

As the Winter Paralympics reach their climax in Milan-Cortina, people with disabilities have been enjoying the thrill of the slopes closer to home.

A group of adults with complex needs from Louth, Lincolnshire, took a trip to the Snozone centre in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to experience skiing for themselves.

Among them was Kari, who took part in sit skiing with a guide. She laughed as she explained how she liked going over "the bumps" and was looking forward to returning.

Laura Bebbington, of organiser Sense Active, said: "Some of the guys we've had today have been going right up from the top and absolutely laughing all the way down, so it's amazing to see."

She added: "They absolutely love it and for us it's not just about seeing people develop physically, it's about providing opportunities for the participants to develop their confidence, their communication skills and achieve whatever it is they want to achieve."

Skiers at the Paralympics use a sit-ski – a chair mounted on to one ski, with outriggers for balance and turning – to compete in spectacular downhill events.

On the slopes in Castleford, the participants included Joe, 30, who is deaf-blind and loves activities that give him an adrenaline rush.

Joe's dad Nick said: "Joe has a very severe, complex disability, and what he gets out of it is a sense of freedom and movement and just feeling a whole different level of sensation, which he wouldn't normally be able to do.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for him."

Eric, who is also deaf-blind, communicates with his support workers by using his own version of sign language. He said he had enjoyed a very good day.

Laura Glover, a support worker with Sense, said: "Eric is a very independent man, so this is a great opportunity to push his limits, to try something new.

"He has a fantastic memory, so we do find that you only need to show him something a couple of times and he picks it up very quickly.

"It's all about being out and enjoying the kinds of activities that every person wants to enjoy."

Sense helps thousands of people with disabilities from around the UK to access a range of sports and activities. Its Sense Active project is funded by Sport England.

Bebbington said: "Unfortunately, there are a lot of barriers for people to participate in sport and physical activity, so in Sense we aim to remove those barriers and allow people to participate no matter what their disabilities are."

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