Sunday, January 10, 2010

One Year On




Well, not exactly 1 year, but close enough.
This is really an excuse to say that I've made it back onto the ski slopes.
We went to Winter Park in Colorado as it was the best place to get back to the slopes.
My thanks go to Jacques at Le Feet Lab who made the custom boots (for some reason my old boots didn't fit any more!). He really is a star when it comes to such things and I couldn't have done it without him.
I also had a couple of sessions with guys from the NSCD (National Sports Centre for the Disabled) to check me out and give me some tips about how to adapt. Thanks Beth for your support. This organisation seems to be pretty unique and to see some of the Winter Paralympic athletes training rather put my situation into perspective. If anyone reading this needs, and has the opportunity, to visit the NSCD I'm sure it would be life changing.
I only had one significant fall (a graceful somersault into a snowdrift when I hit a rock) and an embarrassing topple over when I was standing still! I found my fitness levels obviously depleted but managed to ski 11 days out of 12, only taking that 1 day off having twisted my knee and wanting to spare myself for the last day.
The company was great, the food gargantuan in portion size and I lost weight?
I shall refrain from commenting on the travel except to complement the bus driver who drove us back from Heathrow to Manchester in a blizzard.
The moral, as always, is never diminish your ambitions. If you want it, go and get it!