Coolmobility
19-08-2008, 11:10 AM
I crashed a hang glider in 1977 resulting in complete C5-C6 SCI but I missed the adrenalin rush of sports and "quad" type sports were not fun or fast enough.
JUST 'CAUSE I'M DISABLED I STILL AM ALLOWED TO TAKE RISKSI used to water ski and snow ski and found ways to get back into those sports. OK I got hurt at times, but that is the same as any other sports people. I also competed in Saab Car Club events as a driver, with reasonable success at Club level. As I got older I was looking for a more long duration sport than a week or two of snow time in winter and two weeks camping on the Murray for water skiing a year.
Sailing is a lot more gentle on an aging body and I can sail all year round. After quite a few years competing through "Sailing For Everyone" and now "Sailability" (winning a couple of Australian titles, and 2nd and 4th in Worlds), I have given up competing and sold my yacht to the Americans.
My wife and I bought a 25' keelboat to renovate and adapt to suit my needs and I'm still involved in disabled sailing as Chairman of the IFDS Technical Committee (IFDS organise Paralympic sailing events).
There are lots of Sailability Clubs across Victoria, Australia and the world and we sail as a fully integrated sport with Australian competitions having all types of disabilities from para and quads, CP, MS, FA, blind and able bods all competing together - not by disability classes but purely on sailing ability! Great sport so why not give it a try this Spring, Summer, Autumn. Most clubs have lifts to get you into yachts and you don'tneed to buy gear- the Clubs have all that. Also, 40% of sailors are female, so girls you can enjoy sailing too wthout being the odd one out.
Watch out for our sailors in the Paralympics in China as there is a new Class - SKUD 18 (designed here in Melbourne too) which requires the crew to have a female and a Level One disability (quad, severe CP, high level disability that affects grip strength) in the fastest yacht of the three classes in the Paralympics. Should be some Aussies on the podium for Sonar (three crew) Skud 18 (two crew) or 2.4R (single crew).
GO SAILING it is fun and freedom:D
JUST 'CAUSE I'M DISABLED I STILL AM ALLOWED TO TAKE RISKSI used to water ski and snow ski and found ways to get back into those sports. OK I got hurt at times, but that is the same as any other sports people. I also competed in Saab Car Club events as a driver, with reasonable success at Club level. As I got older I was looking for a more long duration sport than a week or two of snow time in winter and two weeks camping on the Murray for water skiing a year.
Sailing is a lot more gentle on an aging body and I can sail all year round. After quite a few years competing through "Sailing For Everyone" and now "Sailability" (winning a couple of Australian titles, and 2nd and 4th in Worlds), I have given up competing and sold my yacht to the Americans.
My wife and I bought a 25' keelboat to renovate and adapt to suit my needs and I'm still involved in disabled sailing as Chairman of the IFDS Technical Committee (IFDS organise Paralympic sailing events).
There are lots of Sailability Clubs across Victoria, Australia and the world and we sail as a fully integrated sport with Australian competitions having all types of disabilities from para and quads, CP, MS, FA, blind and able bods all competing together - not by disability classes but purely on sailing ability! Great sport so why not give it a try this Spring, Summer, Autumn. Most clubs have lifts to get you into yachts and you don'tneed to buy gear- the Clubs have all that. Also, 40% of sailors are female, so girls you can enjoy sailing too wthout being the odd one out.
Watch out for our sailors in the Paralympics in China as there is a new Class - SKUD 18 (designed here in Melbourne too) which requires the crew to have a female and a Level One disability (quad, severe CP, high level disability that affects grip strength) in the fastest yacht of the three classes in the Paralympics. Should be some Aussies on the podium for Sonar (three crew) Skud 18 (two crew) or 2.4R (single crew).
GO SAILING it is fun and freedom:D